|
|
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. Chandler 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. |
|
from the Handbook of Texas Online |
|
|
