McCulloch County, Texas

McCulloch County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 8,205. Its county seat is Brady^[1]. McCulloch is named for Benjamin McCulloch, a famous Texas Ranger and Confederate general.

History Timeline

• 5000 b.c. • 1500 a.d. Early native American inhabitants include Tonkawa, Lipan Apache, Comanche, Tawakoni. ^{[2] [3]}

• 1519-1685 Hernando Cortez and Alonso Álvarez de Pineda claim Texas for Spain.

• 1685-1690 France plants its flag on Texas soil, but departs after only five years. ^[4]

• 1788 José Mares expedition from San Antonio to Santa Fe.

• 1821 Mexico claims its independence from Spain. Anglos from the north settle in Texas and claim Mexican citizenship.

• 1829, September 15 - Mexican President Vicente Ramon Guerrero, himself an ex-slave of Spanish, African and Native American descent, emancipates all slaves within the Republic of Mexico: ^{[5] [6]}

1st - Slavery is abolished in the republic.

2nd - Consequently, those who have been until now considered slaves are free.

3rd - When the circumstances of the treasury may permit, the owners of the slaves will be indemnified in the mode that the laws may provide. And in order that every part of this decree may be fully complied with, let it be printed, published, and circulated.

Given at the Federal Palace of Mexico, the 15th of September, 1829.

Vicente Guerrero To José María Bocanegra

• 1831, November 21 - In the Brady vicinity, James Bowie, Rezin P. Bowie, David Buchanan, Cephas D. Hamm, Matthew Doyle, Jesse Wallace, Thomas McCaslin, Robert Armstrong, James Coryell with two servants, Charles and Gonzales, hold at bay for a day and a night, 164 Caddo and Lipans. After 80 warriors have been killed, the Indians withdraw. ^[7]

• 1836

March 2 - Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico establishes the Republic of Texas.

March 6 - The Alamo falls.

April 21-22 - Battle of San Jacinto, Antonio López de Santa Anna captured.

May 14 - Santa Anna signs the Treaties of Velasco.

• 1845, December 29 - Texas Annexation by the United States

• 1846, May 13 - The United States Congress officially declares war on Mexico.

• 1847 Meusebach•Comanche Treaty. ^[8]

• 1848, February 2 - Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo officially ends the Mexican-American War.

• 1852 Camp San Saba established to protect settlers from Indians.

• 1856 The Sixth Legislature forms McCulloch County from Bexar, named for Benjamin McCulloch.

• 1861

February 1 - Texas secedes from the Union.

March 2 - Texas joins the Confederate States of America.

• 1863, January 1 • The Emancipation Proclamation. ^[9]

• 1865

April 9 • Robert E. Lee formally surrenders to Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Court House.

April 15 • President Abraham Lincoln dies of a head wound inflicted by assassin John Wilkes Booth.

June 19 • Major General Gordon Granger arrives in Galveston to enforce the emancipation of all slaves. It is the first time African Americans in Texas know of the Emancipation. The date becomes celebrated annually in Texas as Juneteenth, and later as an official state holiday known as Emancipation Day. ^[10]

December 6 • The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits slavery.

• 1870, March 30 - The United States Congress readmits Texas into the Union.

• 1876 Voca Waterwheel Mill built. ^[11]

• 1880 Brady Sentinel, is established by D.F. Hayes, county’s first newspaper. Later is absorbed by Heart o’ Texas News run by R.B. Boyle. ^[12]

• 1886-1912 County Swedish colonies of East Sweden ^[13], West Sweden ^[14] and Melvin ^[15] are established. ^[16]

• 1897-1910 Brady Enterprise aka McCullouch County Enterprise is published.

• 1897, May 27 - John O. Meusebach dies at his farm at Loyal Valley in Mason County, is buried in the Marschall Meusebach Cemetery at Cherry Spring. ^[17]

• 1899 McCullouch County sandstone courthouse built. Romanesque Revival style by architects Martin & Moodie. ^[18]

• 1900

The Milburn Messenger is edited by T.F. Harwell.

Cotton becomes a major county crop.

• 1903 Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway comes to McCullouch.

• 1904-1907 W.D. Currie publishes the Mercury Mascot.

• 1906-1910 McCullouch County Star is published.

• 1909 Brady Standard, edited by F.W. Schwenker, begins publication. Absorbes McCullouch County Star and the Brady Enterprise in 1910.

• 1909 The Rochelle Record started by W.D. Cowan.

• 1915 The Melvin Rustler begins publication.

• 1917 J. Marvin Hunter founds Melvin Enterprise.

• 1920’s McCulloch County billing itself as "The Turkey Center of the Universe", holds an annual Turkey Trot.

• 1923 J. Marvin Hunter founds Frontier Times in Melvin and later moves it to Bandera. ^[19]

• 1930’s Tenant farming in the county peaks at 60%.

• 1932, September 19 - Colorado River floods, cresting at 62.2 feet

• 1938, July 23

Brady Creek floods, cresting at 29.1 feet.

The San Saba River floods, cresting at 39.8 feet.

• 1941, March 23 - Curtis Field, named for Brady Mayor Harry L. Curtis, opens with 80 students as a flying school. ^[20]

• 1943, County prisoner of war camp set up and includes Rommel's Afrika Corps, as well as members of the S.S. and the Gestapo.

• 1946 Crockett State School ^[21] takes over former POW camp and uses as a training school for delinquent black girls.

• 1954-1960 Forty-eight restraining structures installed in the county to control flooding.

• 1963

Brady Creek Reservoir is constructed, partially controlling flooding on the San Saba River.

Tourist Information Marker placed, declaring McCullouch the geographical center of Texas. ^[22]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,073 square miles (2,780 km²), of which, 1,069 square miles (2,770 km²) of it is land and 4 square miles (10 km²) of it (0.38%) is water.

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 87
• U.S. Highway 190
• U.S. Highway 283
• U.S. Highway 377
• State Highway 71

Adjacent counties

• Coleman County (north)
• Brown County (northeast)
• San Saba County (east)
• Mason County (south)
• Menard County (southwest)
• Concho County (west)

Demographics

As of the census^[23] of 2000, there were 8,205 people, 3,277 households, and 2,267 families residing in the county. The population density was 8 people per square mile (3/km²). There were 4,184 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.64% White, 1.57% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 11.71% from other races, and 1.63% from two or more races. 27.04% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,277 households out of which 30.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.30% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.80% were non-families. 28.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county, the population was spread out with 26.60% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 22.90% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 19.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $25,705, and the median income for a family was $30,783. Males had a median income of $25,844 versus $18,337 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,579. About 17.30% of families and 22.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.40% of those under age 18 and 21.50% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

• Brady
• Doole (unincorporated)
• Fife (unincorporated)
• Lohn (unincorporated)
• Melvin
• Mercury (unincorporated)
• Pear Valley (unincorporated)
• Rochelle (unincorporated)
• Voca (unincorporated)

Education

The following school districts serve McCulloch County:

• Brady ISD (small portion in Concho County)
• Lohn ISD
• Mason ISD (mostly in Mason County; small portions in Kimble, Menard, and San Saba counties)
• Rochelle ISD

References

1. ^ . National Association of Counties. . Retrieved 2008-01-31.
2. ^ Handbook of Texas, McCullouch County [1]
3. ^ Access Genealogy, Tawakoni [2]
4. ^ The Six National Flags of Texas [3]
5. ^ The Magnificent Life of Vicente Ramon Guerrero [4]
6. ^ TAMU Chieftans of Mexican Independence [5]
7. ^ Texas Historical Marker, Site of Indian Battle [6]
8. ^ Texas Historical Marker, Meusebach-Comanche Treaty [7]
9. ^ Government documents, Emancipation Proclamation [8]
10. ^ Cinnamon Hearts Juneteenth [9]
11. ^ Texas Historical Marker, Voca Waterwheel Mill [10]
12. ^ Texas GenWeb, Early McCullouch Newspapers [11]
13. ^ Texas Escapes, East Sweden [12]
14. ^ Texas Escapes, West Sweden [13]
15. ^ Texas Escapes, Melvin [14]
16. ^ Texas Historical Marker, Swedish Settlers [15]
17. ^ Find A Grave, John O. Meusebach [16]
18. ^ Texas Escapes, McCullouch County Courthouse, [17]
19. ^ Fronter Times [18]
20. ^ Brady Curtis Field [19]
21. ^ Handbook of Texas, Crockett State School [20]
22. ^ Texas Historical Marker, Geographical Center of Texas [21]
23. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

External links

• McCulloch County from the Handbook of Texas Online

Coordinates: 31°12′N 99°21′W / 31.20°N 99.35°W

Categories: Texas counties | 1856 establishments | McCulloch County, Texas