Brown County, Texas

History

Native Americans lived here for thousands of years before Europeans entered the area. The historic inhabitants were the Penteka (also known to the Europeans as Comanche), who occupied this area at the time of European colonization. In 1721, the Marqués de San Miguel de Aguayo expedition is said to have passed through the county.

In 1838, land surveys were made of the area. In 1856, Welcome W. Chandler from Mississippi became the first settler, arriving with his family, John H. Fowler, and seven slaves. They built a log cabin on Pecan Bayou. The county was formed from Comanche and Travis Counties. It is named after Henry Stevenson Brown, an American pioneer from Kentucky. In 1858, the county was formally organized. Brownwood was designated as the county seat.

In 1874, John Wesley Hardin and gang celebrated his 21st birthday in Brown and Comanche Counties. Deputy Charles Webb drew his gun, provoking a gunfight that ended Webb's life. A lynch mob was formed, but Hardin and his family were put into protective custody. The mob broke into the jail and hanged his brother Joe and two cousins. Hardin fled. The Fort Worth-Brownwood stage was robbed five times in two months of 1875. Oil was discovered on the H. M. Barnes farm near Grosvenor in 1879. Texas Rangers killed two fence cutters in 1886, in the ongoing battle between farmers and ranchers over fencing open range. By the next year, cotton had become the county's most important crop. Pulitzer-Prize winner Katherine Ann Porter was born in 1890 at Indian Creek. The Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway was built to the county in 1892. The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway was built into Brownwood in 1895. In 1903, the GC&SF extended the line to Menard.

Also in 1903, the county voted itself a dry county. Alcohol did not become legal again until the 1950s.

In 1909, the boll weevil moved into the county, destroying the cotton economy. The first commercial production of oil came from the efforts of Jack Pippen at Brownwood in 1917. The first large field began producing from a depth of 1100 ft in 1919 near Cross Cut. In 1926, an oil boom followed the success of the White well on Jim Ned Creek; some 600 wells were drilled in several fields in the county during this time. By 1991, more than 50561000 oilbbl of oil had been taken from Brown County lands since 1917.

In 1940, work began on Camp Bowie. The first German prisoners of war arrived in 1943; many had been members of Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps.

In 1889, Howard Payne College and Daniel Baker College were established in Brownwood. They combined under the name Howard Payne College in 1953.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 957 sqmi, of which 13 sqmi (1.3%) are covered by water.

Major highways

• [[Image:US 67.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 67
• [[Image:US 84.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 84
• [[Image:US 183.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 183
• [[Image:US 377.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 377
• [[Image:Texas 279.svg|20px]] State Highway 279
• [[Image:Texas FM 45.svg|20px]] Farm to Market Road 45

Adjacent counties

• Eastland County (north)
• Comanche County (northeast)
• Mills County (southeast)
• San Saba County (south)
• McCulloch County (southwest)
• Coleman County (west)
• Callahan County (northwest)

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1850–2010 2010 2020

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 38,095. The median age was 42.6 years. 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.0 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 77.0% White, 3.8% Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 7.4% from some other race, and 10.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 21.6% of the population.

56.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 43.4% lived in rural areas.

There were 15,074 households in the county, of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.3% were married-couple households, 19.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 18,897 housing units, of which 20.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 68.7% were owner-occupied and 31.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.5%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, 37,674 people, 14,306 households, and 10,014 families resided in the county. The population density was 40 /mi2. The 17,889 housing units averaged 19 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 87.35% White, 4.01% Black or African American, 0.53% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 6.08% from other races, and 1.66% from two or more races. About 15.38% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 14,306 households in the county, 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.90% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.00% were not families. About 26.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county, the population was distributed as 25.80% under the age of 18, 10.10% from 18 to 24, 24.70% from 25 to 44, 22.90% from 45 to 64, and 16.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100, there were 97.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,974, and for a family was $37,725. Males had a median income of $30,169 versus $19,647 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,624. About 14.00% of families and 17.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.70% of those under age 18 and 12.10% of those age 65 or over.

Media

The Brownwood Bulletin is the local daily newspaper, an American Consolidated Media company that also serves media online through its website. Brown County is part of the Abilene/Sweetwater/Brownwood television media market. Area television stations include KRBC-TV, KTXS-TV, KXVA, KTAB-TV, and KIDU-LD.

Communities

Cities

• Bangs
• Brownwood (county seat)
• Early

Town

• Blanket

Census-designated places

• Lake Brownwood
• May
• Thunderbird Bay
• Zephyr

Unincorporated communities

• Brookesmith
• Cross Cut
• Grosvenor
• Indian Creek
• Owens
• Winchell

Ghost towns

• Byrds
• Dulin
• Fry
• Thrifty

Politics

Brown County is a strongly Republican county. The last time it voted Democratic was Jimmy Carter in 1976.

Education

School districts include:

• Bangs Independent School District
• Blanket Independent School District
• Brookesmith Independent School District
• Brownwood Independent School District
• Cross Plains Independent School District
• Early Independent School District
• May Independent School District
• Mullin Independent School District
• Rising Star Independent School District
• Zephyr Independent School District

The community college for the county is Ranger Junior College District, according to the Texas Education Code.

References

References

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2. "Brown County, Texas".
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
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7. Aston, B W. (1997). "Along the Texas Forts Trail". University of North Texas Press.
8. "Brownwood, Texas". Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC..
9. Metz, Leon Claire. (1998). "John Wesley Hardin: Dark Angel of Texas". University of Oklahoma Press.
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15. Temple, Louann Atkins. "Daniel Baker College". Texas State Historical Association.
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20. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Brown County, Texas".
21. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Brown County, Texas".
22. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
23. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
24. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
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26. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
27. (November 5, 2024). "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)".
28. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Brown County, TX". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
29. "Sec. 130.196. RANGER JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.".