Saratoga Ghost Road, Bragg Road Ghost Light, Hardin County, Texas: sightings, photos, trip and more. (original) (raw)
It can be said that some of Texas was built on Legends, a way of understanding events that defy explanation � too great or too unnatural to imagine. The thing about �Legends� is, sometimes they are true.
Two miles north of Saratoga off FM787 is the beginning of Bragg Road which travels north to FM1293. It is the Ghost Road where the Saratoga Mystery Light has appeared. Peering down this road is like looking in an infinite rifle barrel, that is green trees on top - pink dirt on bottom. This former railroad bed is now a dirt road, 8 miles long by 2 cars wide. Under daylight conditions it takes 30 minutes to safely drive to its junction with FM1293.
Photo 1 - Ghost Road Scenic Drive, Hardin County Park sign
The road was dry and dusty the day we were on it. We drove and photographed what we saw to familiarize ourselves with the road in daylight and perhaps understand the source of the Mystery Light at night. From the south, first we came to a blocked side road (6) then more than a mile north of our start - a parked road maintainer (7) then another east bound side road opening, at about the 6 mile area was a pipeline crossing and deer stand (9) and finally the junction with FM1293 (10) and the road sign there (11). The last mile (or so) at the north end has electric power lines paralleling Bragg road and couple of mobile homes.
Photo 6 - A blocked side road
Photo 7 - A parked road maintainer
Photo 9 - Pipeline crossing and deer stand
Photo 10 - Junction of Bragg Road and FM 1293
Photo 11 - Old Bragg Road sign at the junction with FM 1293
At night, the Big Thicket is black darkness and tends to hide what small lights that may be there. Since 1943 I have photographed everything imaginable. I came prepared and hoping to make a photo of the Mystery Light. For shots like this it is best to compose before it is totally dark. I setup the photo (12) similar to the daylight photo (4). Darkness came � and then we noticed, a light was visible. I made several exposures of varying length. The best of which is (12) and that image is enlarged to maximum benefit as (13). In both (12 & 13) some light illuminates the road in the foreground. The parked maintainer - more than a mile away is silhouetted � indicates the Mystery Light was still further away. Minutes pass and as quickly as it appeared, the light faded and was gone.
Still excited we waited a while to no avail, but were pleased with our hope of good results.
The results are what they are � but I know nothing more to say.
�
Ken & Yvonne Rudine
August 2007
Photo 2 - Ghost road history
Photo 3 - General Braxton Bragg Historical Marker
Photo 5 - Hardin County Ghost Road Ecology
All photos courtesy Ken Rudine, August 2007
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