Brown County, Texas

Brown County
County
The Brown County Courthouse in Brownwood
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 31°46′N99°00′W / 31.77°N 99°W / 31.77; -99
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1858
Named for	Henry Stevenson Brown
Seat	Brownwood
Largest city	Brownwood
Area
• Total	957 sq mi (2,480 km2)
• Land	944 sq mi (2,440 km2)
• Water	13 sq mi (30 km2)  1.3%
Population  (2020)
• Total	38,095
• Density	40/sq mi (15/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	11th
Website	www.browncountytx.gov

Brown County is a county in west-central Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 38,095. ^{[1] [2]} Its county seat is Brownwood. ^[3] The county was founded in 1856 and organized in 1858. ^[4] It is named for Henry Stevenson Brown, a commander at the Battle of Velasco, an early conflict between Texians and Mexicans.

The Brownwood, TX Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Brown County.

History

Indigenous peoples 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. ^[5] In 1721, the Marqués de San Miguel de Aguayo expedition is said to have passed through the county. ^[6]

In 1838, land surveys were made of the area. ^[5] 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. ^{[5] [7]} In 1858, the county was formally organized. ^[7] Brownwood was designated as the county seat. ^[8]

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. ^[9] The Fort Worth-Brownwood stage was robbed five times in two months of 1875. ^[5] Oil was discovered on the H. M. Barnes farm near Grosvenor in 1879. ^[5] Texas Rangers killed two fence cutters in 1886, in the ongoing battle between farmers and ranchers over fencing open range. ^[5] By the next year, cotton had become the county's most important crop. ^[5] Pulitzer-Prize winner Katherine Ann Porter was born in 1890 at Indian Creek. ^[10] The Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway was built to the county in 1892. ^{[5] [11]} The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway was built into Brownwood in 1895. ^[5] 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. ^[5]

In 1909, the boll weevil moved into the county, destroying the cotton economy. ^[5] The first commercial production of oil came from the efforts of Jack Pippen at Brownwood in 1917. ^[5] The first large field began producing from a depth of 1,100 feet (340 m) in 1919 near Cross Cut. ^[5] 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. ^[5] By 1991, more than 50,561,000 barrels (8,038,600 m³) of oil had been taken from Brown County lands since 1917. ^[5]

In 1940, work began on Camp Bowie. ^[12] The first German prisoners of war arrived in 1943; many had been members of Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps. ^[13]

In 1889, Howard Payne College ^[14] and Daniel Baker College ^[15] were established in Brownwood. They combined under the name Howard Payne College in 1953. ^[5]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 957 sq mi (2,480 km²), of which 13 sq mi (34 km²) (1.3%) are covered by water. ^[16]

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 67
• U.S. Highway 84
• U.S. Highway 183
• U.S. Highway 377
• State Highway 279
• 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

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	244		—
1870	544		123.0%
1880	8,414		1,446.7%
1890	11,421		35.7%
1900	16,019		40.3%
1910	22,935		43.2%
1920	21,682		−5.5%
1930	26,382		21.7%
1940	25,924		−1.7%
1950	28,607		10.3%
1960	24,728		−13.6%
1970	25,877		4.6%
1980	33,057		27.7%
1990	34,371		4.0%
2000	37,674		9.6%
2010	38,106		1.1%
2020	38,095		0.0%
U.S. Decennial Census [17] 1850–2010 [18] 2010 [19] 2020 [20]

Brown County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2010 [19]	Pop 2020 [20]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	28,478	26,672	74.73%	70.01%
Black or African American alone (NH)	1,303	1,353	3.42%	3.55%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	170	134	0.45%	0.35%
Asian alone (NH)	160	269	0.42%	0.71%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	14	27	0.04%	0.07%
Other Race alone (NH)	36	96	0.09%	0.25%
Mixed Race or Multiracial (NH)	492	1,333	1.29%	3.50%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	7,453	8,211	15.95%	21.55%
Total	38,106	38,095	100.00%	100.00%

As of the census ^[21] of 2000, 37,674 people, 14,306 households, and 10,014 families resided in the county. The population density was 40 people per square mile (15 people/km²). The 17,889 housing units averaged 19 units per square mile (7.3/km²). 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
• Thunderbird Bay

Unincorporated communities

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

Ghost towns

• Byrds
• Dulin
• Fry
• Thrifty

Politics

Brown County is a state bellwether for Texas in U.S. presidential elections, having voted for the statewide winner in every presidential election since the county's formation in 1858. It shares this status along with Aransas County, Lampasas County, Parker County, Shackelford County, and Young County.

United States presidential election results for Brown County, Texas ^[22]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	13,698	85.78%	2,107	13.19%	164	1.03%
2016	12,017	85.68%	1,621	11.56%	388	2.77%
2012	11,895	85.29%	1,904	13.65%	148	1.06%
2008	12,052	79.95%	2,822	18.72%	200	1.33%
2004	11,640	81.67%	2,523	17.70%	90	0.63%
2000	9,609	74.37%	3,138	24.29%	173	1.34%
1996	6,524	55.35%	4,138	35.11%	1,125	9.54%
1992	5,313	42.07%	4,264	33.76%	3,053	24.17%
1988	6,810	58.68%	4,763	41.04%	33	0.28%
1984	8,468	67.29%	4,070	32.34%	47	0.37%
1980	6,515	56.41%	4,867	42.14%	167	1.45%
1976	4,483	44.41%	5,577	55.25%	35	0.35%
1972	5,990	72.76%	2,171	26.37%	72	0.87%
1968	2,997	34.84%	3,999	46.49%	1,606	18.67%
1964	2,070	28.38%	5,214	71.49%	9	0.12%
1960	3,512	48.26%	3,720	51.11%	46	0.63%
1956	3,664	53.26%	3,195	46.44%	21	0.31%
1952	4,635	55.02%	3,778	44.85%	11	0.13%
1948	1,071	16.53%	5,059	78.06%	351	5.42%
1944	430	12.13%	2,426	68.45%	688	19.41%
1940	663	12.76%	4,523	87.06%	9	0.17%
1936	448	10.05%	3,971	89.08%	39	0.87%
1932	330	7.54%	4,024	91.98%	21	0.48%
1928	2,033	50.46%	1,992	49.44%	4	0.10%
1924	396	9.99%	3,467	87.48%	100	2.52%
1920	397	16.30%	1,708	70.11%	331	13.59%
1916	181	7.95%	1,986	87.22%	110	4.83%
1912	115	6.81%	1,433	84.84%	141	8.35%

See also

• Texas portal

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Brown County, Texas
• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Brown County

References

1. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Brown County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
2. "Brown County, Texas". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved February 23, 2021.
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
4. "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Archived from the original on May 13, 2015. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
5. Leffler, John. "Brown County, Texas". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Society. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
6. Chipman, Donald E; Joseph, Harriet Denise (1999). Notable Men and Women of Spanish Texas. University of Texas Press. pp. 83–102. ISBN   978-0-292-71218-8.
7. Aston, B W; Taylor, Ira Donathon (1997). Along the Texas Forts Trail. University of North Texas Press. p. 120. ISBN   978-1-57441-035-8.
8. "Brownwood, Texas". Texas Escapes. Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
9. Metz, Leon Claire (1998). "Charlie Webb Goes Down". John Wesley Hardin: Dark Angel of Texas. University of Oklahoma Press. pp. 133–138. ISBN   978-0-8061-2995-2.
10. "Indian Creek, Texas". Texas Escapes. Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
11. Duncan, Patrick L. "Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
12. White, Lonnie J. "Camp Bowie". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
13. Hurt, PhD, R Douglas (2008). The Great Plains during World War II. University of Nebraska Press. pp. 312–347. ISBN   978-0-8032-2409-4.
14. Lively, Jeannie F. "Howard Payne University". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
15. Temple, Louann Atkins. "Daniel Baker College". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
16. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
17. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". US Census Bureau.
18. "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
19. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Brown County, Texas". United States Census Bureau .
20. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Brown County, Texas". United States Census Bureau .
21. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
22. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 19, 2018.

External links

• Brown County, Texas
• Brown County at the Handbook of Texas
• Brownwood News
• Brownwood Bulletin newspaper

31°46′N99°00′W / 31.77°N 99.00°W / 31.77; -99.00