Brownwood, the county seat of Brown County, is almost in the exact geographical center of Texas. It is situated in the Pecan Valley on the Pecan Bayou and surrounded by hills and rolling prairies.

Early on Brownwood was one of the smaller villages in Brown County. That was until the railroad came in 1885. With the railroad in town, Brownwood became the county seat in 1857. Our forefathers had their share of challenges. The threat of Native Americans was constant and often disrupted life in general. The Civil War and Reconstruction days brought changes in local government, which made holding the county seat position unstable.

The Chisholm Trail opened in 1867 but did not come through Brown County. Yet some of the trail drivers made the detour through Brown County because of the water and grass, and in choosing this route, they drove the cattle right down Main Street.

In 1880 it was announced that railroad tracks were to be laid into the area and regular train service began in February 1886.

By 1910, Brownwood had become the junction of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe and Frisco railroads. Freight and passenger trains came and went from all directions. The coming of the railroad was to change Brownwood completely. A little town that had struggled for 30 years became the trade center of Central Texas.

To learn more about our history, please check out the following pages of information. There's a lot to learn; we're proud of where we've been. We're also excited about where we're going in the future.