The first Anglo-Americans came
in when Indians were rumored to have stolen 500 horses,
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and a group
of lawmen came to the future site of Brownwood to retrieve them.
The leader of that group was Captain Henry Stephenson Brown,
after whom the county is named. Around 1838, surveyors arrived
to mark land available for purchase.
The state legislature passed an act establishing Brown County on
August 27, 1856. An increase in population by draft dodgers from
the Civil War soon created problems. Lawlessness ran rampant and
the citizens, recognizing the need for a township, established
Brownwood in 1875.
Around 1869, problems over the water supply and a disputed land
title incited many citizens of Brownwood to move from the east
to the west side of Pecan Bayou.
Though people continued to live on the site, the east side of
Pecan Bayou was not considered to be a separate community until
the mid-20th century, when it was given the name of Early.
The town was named for Walter U. Early, an attorney who donated
land for several local schools. |
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