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A Brief History
Early is at the intersection of U.S. highways 67 and 84, on Pecan Bayou just east of Brownwood in central Brown County. The area was settled by farmer Welcome W. Chandlerqv in the early 1850s, and in 1856 the land was part of the site of Brownwood. In 1858 Brown County's first post office was established in Chandler's home. Around 1869 problems over the water supply and a disputed land title induced 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-twentieth century. In 1928 a new school district, named for Walter U. Early, an attorney who donated land for several school buildings, was formed on the site, and the Anderson, Ricker, Delaware, and Jenkin Spring schools consolidated with Early. In 1935 the Early school had 271 pupils and 9 teachers. The Early community began to grow around the school in the 1940s. A Baptist church was built across from the school in 1942, followed by a Church of Christ building in 1947. In 1948 the community had six businesses, two churches, and the school. Early incorporated on December 15, 1951, when it had an estimated 600 inhabitants. The Early Lions Club was organized in 1957. Early grew to 819 inhabitants by 1960 and to 1,097 by 1970. A Methodist church was built in 1979, and a second Baptist church in 1984. Heartland Mall, the first mall in the Brownwood area, opened there in 1980, when the community had 2,313 inhabitants. A city hall was built in 1982, and a post office was opened in 1985. In 1990 the community included four churches, the Early weekly Press, the Early Independent School District, and 2,380 inhabitants. The population was 2,588 in 2000.
additional data on Early and Brown County
About our community.
Early and Brownwood, Texas are two contiguous communities in Brown County joined by the Pecan Bayou and centrally located on the northern edge of the Texas Hill Country.
Early and Brownwood feature combined populations of approximately 25,000 with a total county population of 40,000. The area is home to several major employers, including:
Early-
- R&S Industries - Sweetwater Steel
- Leaks Surveying - Overhead Door Co.
- Ben E. Keith Dist. -Sunbeaters Distribution
- Republic Homes - Guthrie Trailer Sales
Brownwood-
- 3M Company; - Kohler Company;
- Superior Cable; - Wal-Mart SuperCenter
Brownwood’s 12 manufacturing facilities employ more than 3,000 of the area’s available workforce.
The area also includes more than 10 financial institutions including banks, mortgage companies and credit unions.
Brownwood and Early offer a diverse selection of recreational opportunities with 17 city parks, three public swimming pools,Heartland Skateway in Early, An 8 screen Movie Theater at Heartland Mall, 10 lane Bowling Alley, Lake Brownwood State Park, and more than 110 miles of scenic shoreline at Lake Brownwood in northern Brown County.
The community also offers an active arts council,Lyric Theater of Performing Arts, Texas Bluegrass Celebration, annual Blues and Jazz festival and the always-exciting Brown County Rodeo held every year in July.
Medical Facilities
- One Source Health Clinic (Early)
- Brownwood Regional Medical Center
- Brownwood Community Health Clinic
Taxation
Tax rate per $100 valuation
Brown County - $.5227
City of Early - $.5381
City of Brownwood - $.7452
Early ISD - $1.3995
Brownwood ISD - $1.3189
Municipal Sales Tax - 1.%
State Sales Tax - 6.25%
Economic Development Sales Tax - .5%
Other Sales Tax - .5%
Total Sales Tax - 8.25%
Education
Bangs ISD; Blanket ISD;
Brookesmith ISD; Brownwood ISD;
Early ISD; May ISD;
Zephyr Consolidated School District;
Paradigm Charter School;
Trinity Christian Academy;
Victory Life Academy;
Howard Payne University; Texas State Technical College;
Ranger Junior Cosmetology School;
Ranger Junior College- (Early Branch);
Helpful Telephone Numbers:
Abuse Hotline (children, elderly, disabled) 800-252-2500
Children's Health Insurance (CHIP) 800-647-6558
Child Support Enforcement 800-252-8014
Consumer Protection (Attorney General) 800-621-0508
Consumer Credit Helpline 800-538-1579
Crime Victims Compensation 800-983-9933
Crime Stoppers 800-252-8477
Emergency Roadside Assistance 800-525-5555
Injured Workers 800-252-7031
Insurance Information and Assistance 800-252-3439
Lawyer Referral Service 800-252-9690
Missing Persons Clearinghouse 800-346-3243
Medicaid Hotline 800-252-8263
Runaway Hotline 888-580-4357
Student Financial Aid 877-782-7322
Taxpayer Information 800-252-5555
Unemployment Insurance Hotline 800-558-8321
Voter Registration/Elections 800-252-8683
Youth Hotline 800-210-2278
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