Texas has such a rich history, it’s no surprise that we have an abundance of supposedly haunted places. Some are somber, some are downright terrifying…and then there’s Bragg Road, which is a category all its own. Nobody can be certain if the legend behind it is fact or fiction, but one thing’s for sure – the eerie “Bragg Light” is 100% real. Could it be the headlights from an approaching car merged into one image due to the distance? Or perhaps swamp gas from the surrounding East Texas wetlands?
…Or maybe, just maybe, it’s something a bit more sinister. Read ahead to see for yourself.
Flickr/texasbackroads When you arrive at the entrance to the road, you’ll come upon this sign stating it’s an eight mile drive - that’s plenty of time to witness some paranormal activity. You can get out and read some background information about the road…if you’re not already too scared to leave the comfort of your car.
Flickr/texasbackroads The trees hang over the road like an eerie canopy beckoning you deeper into the abyss. Legend has it that one night, more than a century ago, a railroad brakeman was riding his horse down the road (it used to be a railroad). He was carrying a lantern to illuminate the path in front of him since this area of East Texas is so remote and desolate. The train derailed in a tragic accident, falling right on the man and his horse and cutting his head clean off the rest of his body. According to this folklore, he’s doomed to haunt the road for the rest of eternity searching for his missing head by the light of his ghostly lantern.
Flickr/texasbackroads If you drive down the road late at night, you’ll see a mysterious light far ahead in the distance. Sometimes it’s so white it could blind you, sometimes it’s a pale yellow. It disappears without warning only to reappear in the same spot - no matter how far down the road you drive, you never get any closer to it. It’s always the same size in the exact same place.
Here’s a video by MrPontoe that captures the light in real time. It’s hard to argue with evidence like this…
Flickr/texasbackroads
When you arrive at the entrance to the road, you’ll come upon this sign stating it’s an eight mile drive - that’s plenty of time to witness some paranormal activity. You can get out and read some background information about the road…if you’re not already too scared to leave the comfort of your car.
The trees hang over the road like an eerie canopy beckoning you deeper into the abyss. Legend has it that one night, more than a century ago, a railroad brakeman was riding his horse down the road (it used to be a railroad). He was carrying a lantern to illuminate the path in front of him since this area of East Texas is so remote and desolate. The train derailed in a tragic accident, falling right on the man and his horse and cutting his head clean off the rest of his body. According to this folklore, he’s doomed to haunt the road for the rest of eternity searching for his missing head by the light of his ghostly lantern.
If you drive down the road late at night, you’ll see a mysterious light far ahead in the distance. Sometimes it’s so white it could blind you, sometimes it’s a pale yellow. It disappears without warning only to reappear in the same spot - no matter how far down the road you drive, you never get any closer to it. It’s always the same size in the exact same place.
So, what do you think? It obviously isn’t headlights. Could it be the innocent glow of swamp gas…or is it the eternal illumination of the railroad man’s lantern as he continues his never ending quest for his missing head?
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