McCulloch County, Texas

McCulloch County
McCulloch County
County
	The McCulloch County Courthouse in Brady
	Location within the U.S. state of Texas
	Texas's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 31°12′N 99°21′W / 31.2°N 99.35°W
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1876
Named for	Benjamin McCulloch
Seat	Brady
Largest city	Brady
Area
• Total	1,073 sq mi (2,780 km2)
• Land	1,066 sq mi (2,760 km2)
• Water	7.8 sq mi (20 km2) 0.7%
Population (2020)
• Total	7,630
• Density	7.1/sq mi (2.7/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	11th
Website	www.co.mcculloch.tx.us

McCulloch County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. At the 2020 census, its population was 7,630.^[1] Its county seat is Brady.^[2] The county was created in 1856 and later organized in 1876.^[3] It is named for Benjamin McCulloch, a famous Texas Ranger and Confederate general.

The geographical center of Texas lies within McCulloch County, near Brady.^[4]

History

From 5000 BC to 1500 AD, the early Native American inhabitants included Tonkawa, Lipan Apache, Comanche, and Tawakoni.^[5] The 1788 José Mares expedition passed through the area while travelling from San Antonio to Santa Fe.^[6]

On November 21, 1831, in the Brady vicinity, James Bowie, Rezin P. Bowie, David Buchanan, Cephas D. Hamm, Matthew Doyle, Jesse Wallace, Thomas McCaslin, Robert Armstrong, and James Coryell with two servants, Charles and Gonzales, held at bay for a day and a night 164 Caddo and Lipans. After 80 warriors had been killed, the Indians withdrew.^[7] Camp San Saba was established in 1852 to protect settlers from Indians.^[8] The Sixth Texas Legislature in 1856 formed McCulloch County from Bexar County, and named it for Benjamin McCulloch.^[5] The Voca waterwheel mill was built in 1876.^[9]

The Brady Sentinel was established by D.F. Hayes in 1880 as the county's first newspaper. Later, it was absorbed by the Heart o’ Texas News run by R.B. Boyle.^[5] During 1886–1912, the Swedish colonies of East Sweden,^[10] West Sweden^[11] and Melvin^[12] were established. From 1897 to 1910, the Brady Enterprise or McCulloch County Enterprise was published.^[5] In 1899, the McCulloch County sandstone courthouse built in the Romanesque Revival style by architects Martin and Moodie.^[13] In the last year of the 19th century, the Milburn Messenger was edited by T.F. Harwell. Cotton became a major county crop.^[5] Three years later, the Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway came to McCulloch County.^[5] W.D. Currie published the Mercury Mascot from 1904 to 1907.^[5] In 1906–1910, the McCulloch County Star was published.^[5] In 1909, the Brady Standard, edited by F.W. Schwenker, began publication, and absorbed the McCulloch County Star and the Brady Enterprise in 1910.^[5] The Rochelle Record was started by W.D. Cowan in 1909.^[5] The Melvin Rustler began publication in 1915.^[5] in 1917, J. Marvin Hunter founded the Melvin Enterprise.^[5]

During the 1920s, McCulloch County billed itself as "the Turkey Center of the Universe", and held an annual Turkey Trot.^[5]

Tenant farming in the county peaked at 60% in the 1930s.^[5]

The Colorado River flooded in 1932, cresting at 62.2 feet (19.0 m).^[5] In 1938, Brady Creek flooded, cresting at 29.1 feet (8.9 m). The San Saba River flooded, cresting at 39.8 feet (12.1 m).^[14]

Curtis Field, named for Brady Mayor Harry L. Curtis, opened as a flying school in 1941, with 80 students.^[15] A county prisoner-of-war camp was set up in 1943; it housed members of Rommel's Afrika Corps, the S.S., and the Gestapo.^[5] Crockett State School took over the former POW camp in 1946, and used it as a training school for delinquent black girls.^[16]

From 1954 to 1960, 48 restraining structures were installed in the county to control flooding.^[5] Brady Creek Reservoir was constructed to partially control flooding on Brady Creek in 1963.^[17] A tourist information marker placed in the county, declaring the geographical center of Texas.^[18]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,073 square miles (2,780 km²), of which 1,066 square miles (2,760 km²) are land and 7.8 square miles (20 km²) (0.7%) are covered by water.^[19]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

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

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1870	173	—
1880	1,533	786.1%
1890	3,217	109.8%
1900	3,960	23.1%
1910	13,405	238.5%
1920	11,020	−17.8%
1930	13,883	26.0%
1940	13,208	−4.9%
1950	11,701	−11.4%
1960	8,815	−24.7%
1970	8,571	−2.8%
1980	8,735	1.9%
1990	8,778	0.5%
2000	8,205	−6.5%
2010	8,283	1.0%
2020	7,630	−7.9%
U.S. Decennial Census^[20] 1850–2010^[21] 2010^[22] 2020^[23]

**McCulloch County, Texas - Demographic Profile**
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010^[22]	Pop 2020^[23]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	5,568	4,904	67.22%	64.27%
Black or African American alone (NH)	133	92	1.61%	1.21%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	23	7	0.28%	0.09%
Asian alone (NH)	28	39	0.34%	0.51%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	1	0	0.01%	0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	9	12	0.11%	0.16%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	45	207	0.54%	2.71%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	2,476	2,369	29.89%	31.05%
Total	8,283	7,630	100.00%	100.00%

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 can be of any race.

At the 2000 census,^[24] 8,205 people, 3,277 households and 2,267 families resided in the county. The population density was 8 people per square mile (3.1 people/km²). The 4,184 housing units averaged 4 units per square mile (1.5/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. About 27% of the population were Hispanic or Latinos of any race.

Of the 3,277 households, 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 not families. About 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. About 26.60% of the population were 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 household income was $25,705 and family income 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.

Government and infrastructure

In 1947, the State of Texas opened the Brady State School for Negro Girls in McCulloch County, near Brady on a former prisoner of war camp leased from the federal government of the United States. In 1950, the state replaced the Brady facility with the Crockett State School.^[16]

Politics

United States presidential election results for McCulloch County, Texas^[25]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	2,904	84.52%	490	14.26%	42	1.22%
2016	2,552	82.24%	482	15.53%	69	2.22%
2012	2,419	80.82%	537	17.94%	37	1.24%
2008	2,263	75.18%	728	24.19%	19	0.63%
2004	2,465	76.55%	745	23.14%	10	0.31%
2000	2,084	71.37%	794	27.19%	42	1.44%
1996	1,465	48.70%	1,231	40.92%	312	10.37%
1992	1,108	31.74%	1,393	39.90%	990	28.36%
1988	1,618	49.13%	1,665	50.56%	10	0.30%
1984	2,060	58.82%	1,433	40.92%	9	0.26%
1980	1,572	46.70%	1,750	51.99%	44	1.31%
1976	1,300	40.54%	1,888	58.87%	19	0.59%
1972	1,769	70.06%	753	29.82%	3	0.12%
1968	947	35.61%	1,353	50.88%	359	13.50%
1964	655	23.72%	2,100	76.06%	6	0.22%
1960	1,165	42.39%	1,579	57.46%	4	0.15%
1956	1,292	52.63%	1,158	47.17%	5	0.20%
1952	1,788	52.28%	1,623	47.46%	9	0.26%
1948	393	14.86%	2,166	81.92%	85	3.21%
1944	463	16.51%	2,088	74.47%	253	9.02%
1940	443	15.73%	2,373	84.27%	0	0.00%
1936	323	15.30%	1,772	83.94%	16	0.76%
1932	265	11.64%	2,006	88.10%	6	0.26%
1928	1,294	63.59%	741	36.41%	0	0.00%
1924	495	26.84%	1,327	71.96%	22	1.19%
1920	210	19.16%	780	71.17%	106	9.67%
1916	61	5.95%	847	82.63%	117	11.41%
1912	41	4.85%	595	70.33%	210	24.82%

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

Communities

City

Brady (county seat)

Town

Melvin

Unincorporated communities

References

^ "McCulloch County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
^ "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
^ "Environment". Texas Almanac. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q Smyrl, Vivian Elizabeth. "McCulloch County". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
^ Bolton, Herbert Eugene (1915). Texas in the middle eighteenth century: Studies in Spanish colonial history and administration. University of Michigan Library. p. 130.
^ "Site of Indian Battle - Brady vicinity, McCulloch County, Texas". Texas Historical Markers. William Nienke, Sam Morrow. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
^ "Fort McKavett". Texas Escapes. Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
^ "Voca Waterwheel Mill". Texas Historical Markers. William Nienke, Sam Morrow. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
^ "East Sweden". Texas Historical Markers. Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
^ "West Sweden". Texas Historical Markers. Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
^ "Melvin". Texas Historical Markers. Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
^ "McCulloch County Courthouse". Texas Historical Markers. Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
^ Burnett, Jonathan (2008). Flash Floods in Texas. TAMU Press. pp. 111–128. ISBN 978-1-58544-590-5.
^ "About Brady Curtis Airfield". Sandhills Publishing Company. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
^ ^a ^b Smyrl, Vivian Elizabeth. "Crockett State School". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
^ Breeding, Seth D. "Brady Reservoir". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
^ "Geographic Center of Texas - Brady vicinity, McCulloch County, Texas". Texas State Historical Markers. William Nienke, Sam Morrow. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". US Census Bureau.
^ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
^ ^a ^b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - McCulloch County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
^ ^a ^b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - McCulloch County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 11, 2018.