Bragg, Texas
Encyclopedia
Bragg is a ghost town
in Hardin County, Texas
, United States
, in the Big Thicket
forest area of the southeastern part of the state. Sometimes referred to as "Bragg Station", this small community that flourished in the early 1900s lies ten miles west of Kountze
.
Named after the Confederate
general Braxton Bragg
, this town was built around an important railroad junction installed by the Santa Fe Railroad system in 1902. The railroad line transported lumber and other supplies servicing the oil
industry near Beaumont, Texas
.
Several years later, the local industry would begin to shift its shipping lanes and abandon the railroad. The local post office that had served the railroad and oilfield workers was closed in 1914.
In addition to the relocation of oilfield workers into other communities, the rail line extending from Bragg Station south to the small community of Saratoga
was dismantled in 1934.
Today, all that remains of Bragg Station is a small agricultural community and a locally famous dirt road. The Ghost Road leading south to Saratoga is the center of a local legend of a ghost light
. The Light of Saratoga
has been witnessed by multitudes of people along the dirt path which has now been designated a scenic drive county park.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
in Hardin County, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, in the Big Thicket
Big Thicket
The Big Thicket is the name of a heavily forested area in Southeast Texas. While no exact boundaries exist, the area occupies much of Hardin County, Liberty, Tyler, San Jacinto, and Polk Counties and is roughly bounded by the San Jacinto River, Neches River, and Pine Island Bayou. To the north, it...
forest area of the southeastern part of the state. Sometimes referred to as "Bragg Station", this small community that flourished in the early 1900s lies ten miles west of Kountze
Kountze, Texas
Kountze is a city in Hardin County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,115 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hardin County. The city is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area....
.
Named after the Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
general Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg was a career United States Army officer, and then a general in the Confederate States Army—a principal commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War and later the military adviser to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.Bragg, a native of North Carolina, was...
, this town was built around an important railroad junction installed by the Santa Fe Railroad system in 1902. The railroad line transported lumber and other supplies servicing the oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
industry near Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
.
Several years later, the local industry would begin to shift its shipping lanes and abandon the railroad. The local post office that had served the railroad and oilfield workers was closed in 1914.
In addition to the relocation of oilfield workers into other communities, the rail line extending from Bragg Station south to the small community of Saratoga
Saratoga, Texas
Saratoga is an unincorporated community in Hardin County, Texas, United States. It is located thirty-eight miles northwest of Beaumont. The zip code is 77585.Saratoga is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area....
was dismantled in 1934.
Today, all that remains of Bragg Station is a small agricultural community and a locally famous dirt road. The Ghost Road leading south to Saratoga is the center of a local legend of a ghost light
Ghost light
Ghost light or ghostlight may refer to:* Will-o'-the-wisp, also called ghost-light in some countries, a natural phenomenon producing a ghostly light sometimes seen at night or twilight over bogs, swamps, and marshes...
. The Light of Saratoga
Light of Saratoga
The "Light of Saratoga" is a legend located in the Big Thicket of Southeast Texas. This legend of a mysterious light is also known as the "Ghost Road" of Saratoga, the "Saratoga Light", and "Bragg Road Ghost Light" by local residents...
has been witnessed by multitudes of people along the dirt path which has now been designated a scenic drive county park.