Bracken is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

Comal County Comal County ( ) is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 161,501. Comal County is known for its rich German-Texan and European history. Its county seat is New Braunfels. ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, United States. It lies along the eastern bank of Cibolo Creek, southwest of

New Braunfels New Braunfels ( ) is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas known for its German Texan heritage. It is the seat of Comal County. The city covers and had a population of 90,403 as of the 2020 Census. A suburb just north ...

. The community is found in proximity to Garden Ridge, and is included in the Greater San Antonio area.

Geography

Bracken is located at , above sea level. It is considered a part of the Texas Hill Country.

Bracken Cave Bracken Cave is the summer home to the largest colony of bats in the world. An estimated 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats roost in the cave from March to October making it the largest known concentration of mammals. The cave is located in sou ...

is found near the town and is notable for housing the largest collection of

Mexican free-tailed bat The Mexican free-tailed bat or Brazilian free-tailed bat (''Tadarida brasiliensis'') is a medium-sized bat native to the Americas, so named because its tail can be almost half its total length and is not attached to its uropatagium. It has been ...

s in the world, numbering 20 million in habitation during spring migration. As a result, the cave also holds the record for the largest known concentration of mammals in the world. These bats have ventured to the cave for 10,000 years, helping the local agrarian economy by controlling the insect population.

History

William Bracken, for whom the town was named, purchased of land in the area in 1849 after receiving a grant from

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Peter Hansborough Bell Peter Hansborough Bell (May 11, 1810Various sources give multiple dates in May 1810 and May 1812 for Bell's birth. Bell's gravestone uses a May 1812 date.March 8, 1898) was an American military officer and politician who served as the third Gove ...

. Originally the town was known as Davenport, named for James G. Davenport, a landowner who settled in the area in 1868. The Davenport family cemetery still stands on the western bank of Cibolo Creek. To account for the growth of the city as construction began on the

International and Great Northern Railroad International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

, the establishment of a post office was requested in 1883. However, a Davenport Post Office already existed elsewhere in Texas, forcing the town to change its name to Bracken, after the early settler. Eventually, the town was given a post office. Following the completion of the railroad in 1890, a depot was built as well as a ticket stand. Soon, saloons lined the town's seven blocks, which expanded to thirteen near the turn of the century. Stores and other businesses including a

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such as gates, gr ...

, cotton gin and lumberyard sprung up as well, contributing to the booming railroad economy. A dance hall, notorious for fights, was the center of entertainment until 1915, when a

bowling alley A bowling alley (also known as a bowling center, bowling lounge, bowling arena, or historically bowling club) is a facility where the sport of bowling is played. It can be a dedicated facility or part of another, such as a clubhouse or dwelling ...

was opened. After the passage of the

18th Amendment to the United States Constitution The Eighteenth Amendment (Amendment XVIII) of the United States Constitution established the prohibition of alcohol in the United States. The amendment was proposed by Congress on December 18, 1917, and was ratified by the requisite number of ...

implementing

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol ...

, the town suffered a steep decline. Businesses left town and the general store burned to the ground. Prior to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the Post Office was closed. In 1970, the town's population stood at 75, and remained the same for the next twenty years. In 2000, it had increased to 76 individuals.

Education

The residents of Bracken belong to the

Comal Independent School District Comal Independent School District is a public school district based in New Braunfels, Texas (USA). The district covers in five central Texas counties - Comal, Bexar, Hays, Kendall, and Guadalupe. Incorporated communities in the district inc ...

. Following

, Davenport School, which educated the town's children, was consolidated with schools in Solms and Danville to create Comal Elementary School.

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Comal County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Texas Greater San Antonio