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BRADY, TEXAS
McCulloch County
Seat, Texas Hill Country
31° 7' 56" N, 99° 20' 29" W (31.132222, -99.341389)
Hwys 71, 87, 190 and 377
72 miles E of San
Angelo
48 miles S of Brownwood
100 miles NW of Austin
ZIP code 76825
Area code 325
Population: 5,302 Est. (2019)
5,528 (2010) 5,523 (2000) 5,946 (1990)
Book Hotel Here Brady
Hotels |
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History in
a Pecan Shell
The County was
named after Ben McCulloch who fought at San
Jacinto and served in the Mexican War. This was after he returned
from California where he had served as a Sacramento County Sheriff
about the time of the gold rush. He was a U.S. Marshall back in Texas
when the County was created in 1856. He and his brother Henry almost
started the Civil War when they demanded the surrender of the Union
garrison at San Antonio.
This would've preceded Fort Sumpter, had the Federals put up a fight.
Both brothers rose to the rank of General, but Ben was killed
and was interred in the Austin
State Cemetery. Henry lived until 1895.
A marble marker on the courthouse lawn states that Brady is "The
Geographic Center" of Texas. Another, more official marker just
North of Placid
on Hwy 377 is a bit closer, but we've heard the really, really exact,
smack-dab-in-the-middle center of Texas
is on a nearby private ranch. For awhile, due to a surveyor's 10 mile
error, the village of Whon in neighboring
Coleman County
was thought to be the geographic center. It's close enough to say
you've been there. |
Brady, Texas
Landmarks & Attractions
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Last Run of
"Doodlebug" at Brady depot
Photo courtesy Mary L. Irving, Curator, Martin & Frances Lehnis Railroad
Museum |
Brady Depot
- Santa Fe Center at North Bridge St. The restored depot now functions
as an art gallery. |
A
theatre building in Brady
TE Photo, 2001 |
More Nearby Destinations
Calf
Creek. - Eleven miles SW of town on Ranch Road 1311
Doan's
Crossing - Brady was on the "Western" or "Dodge
Trail" for the herds of cattle that were going to Dodge City,
Kansas. They would go due North, crossing the Red River at Doan's
Crossing.
Brady Creek
Reservoir - Outside Brady
Brady
Hotels
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Post Office
in Brady
Postcard
courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/
More Texas
Post Office |
Christian Temple
Postcard
courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/
More Texas Churches |
Brady street
scene
Postcard Courtesy of Wm. Petersen |
Talking
Texas Turkey by Mike Cox
"As Texas prepared to celebrate its centennial in 1936, a turkey
from McCulloch County made its way from Brady to the District of
Columbia to provide a generous helping of white meat and maybe seconds
for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. So far as is known, this Tom
is the only beaked turkey from West Texas to reach the White House.
...
Here’s how the Nov. 21, 1935 issue of the Texas Centennial Review
reported the news about Brady’s briefly famous turkey: ... more"
"Cattle Highway" between Sonora and Brady
History cartoon by Roger T. Moore
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Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage/historic photos, please contact
us. |
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