Bray, California
Bray, California | |
|---|---|
Bray, California Bray, California | |
| Coordinates: 41°38′42″N 121°58′3″W / 41.64500°N 121.96750°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Siskiyou |
| Elevation | 4,649 ft (1,417 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| Area code | 530 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1658128[1] |
Bray is an unincorporated community in Siskiyou County, California, United States. Bray is about 20 miles (32 km) northeast of Mount Shasta, and about 23 miles (37 km) south of the border with Oregon. It is located on the Union Pacific railroad (formerly the Southern Pacific Cascade Line).
Bray was established in 1907 when the railroad had been built up to that point. It was named for a nearby ranch.[2][3] In its early days, Bray was a vacation destination for campers and hunters from distant parts of California.[4]
The timber industry dominated Bray's economy for decades. Bray was the site of a wooden box factory, and several small sawmills operated in the surrounding forests.[5] The box plant burned to the ground on July 17, 1928, nearly taking the town with it;[6] the plant was never rebuilt. Later, during the Great Depression, Bray was the site of a Civilian Conservation Corps camp, Camp Leaf.[7]
For a brief period in the 1930s, US Route 97 passed through Bray when it was first rerouted into California. In 1938, the current routing of US 97 via Mt. Hebron Summit and Grass Lake opened to traffic, once again isolating Bray from the state and federal highway network.[8]
The Bray schoolhouse stood until at least 1947, by which time it was being used as a dance hall.[9] The Bray post office lasted until 1967.[10] As of the mid-2020s, only a few homes remain at Bray. The railroad still sees heavy traffic, but trains have not stopped in Bray for many decades.
References
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bray, California
- ^ Gudde, Erwin G. (1969). California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names. University of California Press. p. 37.
- ^ "Trains to Dorris by October First". The Searchlight. Redding, CA. 20 Jul 1907. Retrieved 10 Jan 2026.
- ^ "Bray". Siskiyou Daily News. Yreka, CA. 23 Jul 1908. Retrieved 10 Jan 2026.
- ^ "Klamath Lumbermen Seek Relaxation by Taming the Bucking Bronco". The Timberman. Portland, OR: George M. Cornwall. July 1913. Retrieved 10 Jan 2026.
- ^ "Town Threatened; $175,000 Fire Hits Siskiyou Box Mill; Plant is destroyed". The Searchlight. Redding, CA. 18 Jul 1928. Retrieved 10 Jan 2026.
- ^ "20 CCC Camps Scheduled--Biggest Number Since 1933". The Dunsmuir News. Dunsmuir, CA. 24 Apr 1936. Retrieved 11 Jan 2026.
- ^ Haselwood, F.W. (December 1938). "Twenty-Four Mile Project on Interstate Route Completed". California Highways and Public Works. Sacramento, CA: Department of Public Works, State of California. Retrieved 10 Jan 2026.
- ^ "Tennant News". Siskiyou Daily News. Yreka, CA. 22 Apr 1947. Retrieved 11 Jan 2026.
- ^ "Post Offices, California, Siskiyou County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved 11 Jan 2026.