James Cain was one of the richest men in town, primarily through importing lumber to Bodie. Bodie is at 8400 ft and has no trees; lumber was needed for buildings, mine shafts, burning for steam engines for the stamp mills, and as fuel for heating during the very cold winters. Bodie is well-preserved because he eventually owned most of the land and hired people to live in the town with shotguns to keep looters out.