The townsite of Bagdad originated around 1850. It was an area where the North Fork of the Trinity River met with the Trinity River and comprised of mainly miners and "Ladies of accommodation" living in shacks and tents. The people living on the other side of the river at North Fork (later renamed Helena) believed their town was far more civilized and joked about this settlement in a degrading manner. Craven Lee - a resident of North Fork / Helena - probably named this bizarre settlement Bagdad as a humerous gesture, but the name stuck. Up to 500 people live in Bagdad. Now there is nothing left to show that this town existed except for a historical marker. Highway 299 runs right through the townsite.
