Barado

Barado was located eight miles southeast of Huntsville on what is now Farm Road 2296. The village served the region surrounding Kelly's Switch on the Great Northern Railroad. The switch was located a mile north of the present intersection of Farm Road 2296 and U.S. Highway 75 and served the sawmill operated nearby by John F. Kelly, Jr., and Hervey Kelly. Barado was established in 1893 and had a population of fifteen in 1896. At one time the community had a store and a school. The post office was in operation from 1892 until 1912. In later years a boiler explosion at the mill killed John Kelly, and the mill was closed. By the 1930s nothing remained in the area except the ruins of the old mill.  TSHA

Barado is a historical ghost town in Walker County, Texas, that no longer exists as a populated community. It originated as a sawmill village and is not incorporated, with no current post office or residents.

Location:
Southeastern Walker County, about 8 miles southeast of Huntsville (the county seat), at the intersection of Farm-to-Market Road 2296 and U.S. Highway 75. Coordinates: approximately 30.624°N, 95.48°W. It appears on the New Waverly U.S. Geological Survey Map and was near Kelly's Switch on the Great Northern Railroad (about a mile north of the intersection).

History:
Established in 1893 around a sawmill operated by John F. Kelly, Jr., and Hervey Kelly, who built Kelly's Switch on the railroad to ship lumber. Mill workers and their families formed the village's core. By 1896, the population was around 15, with a store and school emerging. The area was tied to lumber and timber activities, including narrow-gauge steam engines for log hauling, as seen in regional ghost communities. A post office operated from 1892 to 1912, with evidence of activity through at least 1907 via postal maps and postmarks.

Current Status:
Barado is a ghost town with a population of 0 and no remaining infrastructure beyond the ruins of the old sawmill. The decline began after a boiler explosion (date unknown) killed John Kelly, leading to the mill's closure and residents departing for other work. By the 1930s, only mill remnants were left, and the site vanished from maps. Today, the area may include scattered land for sale or fishing spots, but no distinct community exists.Nearby unincorporated places include New Waverly (about 7 miles south) and Phelps (several miles away).

John F. Kelly, Jr., and Hervey Kelly (also recorded as Samuel Hervey Kelly or Samuel Harvey Kelly in some sources, likely due to spelling variations) were brothers and sons of John Felix Kelly Sr. (1845–1888) and Catherine "Kate" Smith Kelly (1850–1900). The family had Irish roots, with John Sr. immigrating from Ireland in 1865 and settling in Texas, where he became a prominent sawmill operator in Walker County during the 1880s. John Sr. owned two sawmills outright and was a partner in seven others, including Kelley & Roberts, Kelley & Robbins, Kelley & Robinson, Kelley & Grinstead, Kelley & Johns, and Kelley & Pace. He died in a boiler explosion at one of his mills on November 5, 1888, at age 43. After his death, his widow sold some mill assets, but the sons later continued the family business.The known siblings were:Rev. Samuel Hervey Kelly (1873–1962), John Felix Kelly Jr. (1875–1906), Mary G. Kelly (1880–1880, died in infancy) and Frederick William "Fred" Kelly (1887–1934)

Barado was a short-lived ghost town in Walker County, Texas, located about 8 miles southeast of Huntsville along what is now Farm-to-Market Road 2296. It was established in 1893 primarily around the lumber industry and served the area near Kelly's Switch, a railroad stop on the Great Northern Railroad (about a mile north of the current intersection of FM 2296 and U.S. Highway 75). The switch was built to facilitate shipping lumber from the local sawmill.John F. Kelly, Jr., and Hervey Kelly owned and operated the sawmill that formed the economic heart of Barado. The mill employed local workers, and the community grew around it, consisting mainly of mill employees and their families. At its peak in 1896, Barado had a population of 15, along with a store, a school, and a post office that operated from 1892 to 1912.The town never grew significantly and declined after a tragic boiler explosion at the mill killed John Kelly (believed to be John F. Kelly, Jr., based on his 1906 death date and the timeline). The explosion led to the mill's closure, leaving residents without employment. People dispersed, and Barado faded away. By the 1930s, only the ruins of the old mill remained, and the town was no longer on maps. Today, the site has a population of zero, with no visible remnants except potential archaeological traces of the mill.Detailed Information on John F. Kelly, Jr.Birth and Death: Born June 24, 1875 (some sources list 1873, but grave records confirm 1875), in Walker County, Texas. Died in 1906 at age 31, likely from the boiler explosion at the Barado mill, though exact cause confirmation is limited in historical records.
Role in Barado: Co-owner and operator of the lumber mill with his brother Hervey. He continued the family tradition in sawmilling after their father's death.
Burial: Interred in Calhoun Cemetery, Old Cincinnati, Walker County, Texas (near the family's earlier settlement area).
Personal Life: Limited details available; no known spouse or children mentioned in genealogical records.

Detailed Information on Hervey Kelly (Samuel Hervey Kelly)Birth and Death: Born October 6, 1873 (some records list June 24, 1873, but this may be a confusion with his brother's birth date; consistent sources point to 1873), in Huntsville, Walker County, Texas. Died July 10, 1962, in Houston, Harris County, Texas, at age 89.

Role in Barado:
Co-owner and operator of the lumber mill with his brother John Jr. After the mill's closure following the explosion, he appears to have moved on from the lumber industry.
Later Life and Career: Became a reverend (Rev. Samuel Hervey Kelly Sr.). Married Mary Lilly (or Lilla) Sandel. They had at least three children:Katherine Kelly Thompson
Samuel H. "Bud" Kelly, Jr.
Mildred Lucile Kelly Love (predeceased her parents in some records, but survived to have her own obituary noting family).

Burial:
Buried in Houston, Harris County, Texas (specific cemetery not detailed in available sources, but likely in the area where he died).
Other Notes: Lived a long life compared to his brother and father, outliving the Barado era by decades. No direct records of further involvement in lumber after the mill closed.

Historical Context:
The Kelly family's story reflects the boom-and-bust nature of East Texas lumber towns in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Sawmills like the one in Barado exploited the region's pine forests but were hazardous, with boiler explosions being a common risk (as seen in the deaths of both John Sr. and likely John Jr.). Barado's brief existence highlights how such communities were tied to single industries and railroads for survival. Sources like the Texas State Historical Association, Texas Almanac, and genealogical sites (e.g., Geni, Find a Grave) provide the bulk of this information, with some inconsistencies in dates likely due to handwritten records or transcription errors.


Texas State Historical Association
https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/barado-tx

Texas Almanac
https://www.texasalmanac.com/places/barado

Texas Escapes
http://www.texasescapes.com/EastTexasTowns/Barado-Texas.htm

Portal to Texas History
https://texashistory.unt.edu/explore/locations/p03285/