2024 Brown County Area Guide

BROWN COUNTY Area Guide 2024-25 FPO

The Mayor From

Welcome to Brownwood. Whether you are a visitor to our city, a newcomer, or a life-long resident, our goal is to provide you with the information you need about our community.

Brownwood is a thriving city located near the geographic center of Texas. Our location makes us the perfect spot for business and industry. As the largest city in a 70-mile radius, we are a regional employer and hub for a variety of commerce, education, and recreation opportunities.

We are on the northern edge of the Hill Country and enjoy rolling hills, trees, and a large recreational lake. We are also home to some of the best hunting and fishing in Texas. Our citizens enjoy all of these recreational perks with less than a 10-minute commute to work.

Our goal at the City of Brownwood is to promote health, safety, and quality of life for our citizens. In recent years, we have assisted with the revitalization efforts in Downtown Brownwood, upgraded numerous parks, and began construction on the Brownwood Event Center Complex. We are committed to progress and hope you will choose to be a part of our community.

Stephen Haynes Mayor of Brownwood

Cover photo by Dedrick Hail

Downtown Life

By Michael Bunker

“Revitalization” has become a catchphrase for small and medium-sized towns around Texas, and for good reason. The term has the same root as “revival” – re-life – and it signifies the re-emergence of the vibrant and exciting downtown centers that many people remember, either from their youth or from their favorite old movies or television shows.

There is in America today, and even more particularly in Texas, a longing for a return to Mayberry.

A stark cinematic example can be examined through the popular and nostalgic Back to the Future films. Throughout the series, we see the town of Hill Valley, first in 1955 as a thriving downtown, then as a re-vitalized futuristic techno-downtown complete with flying cars in 2015, then as a horrible, run-down dystopia in an alternate 1985, and even the optimistic founding of the town in 1885. This is a cinematic crash-course pictorial history of downtown America.

Hill Valley becomes a character in the Back to the Future films precisely because the condition of the town represents the health and vitality of the culture. When Hill Valley thrives, it is because the culture is healthy and things are good. When Hill Valley decays it is because the culture is rotten and things are bad.

Downtown Brownwood has become a prime example – a poster town, you might say – of what revitalization is and how it provides an antidote to modern pessimism and the pervasive social depression that seems to prevail today.

The destruction of downtown America started, ironically, with the urban planners of the 50s and 60s, and it accelerated with the development of the Interstate Highway system. This is a bigger story than I can tell here, but I’ll add that the simultaneous arrival of things like fast foods, big box stores, shopping centers and malls, and the flight of the middle classes to the suburbs multiplied the effect.

That’s the shorthand of the history lesson. Revitalization, by contrast, is a product of more wholesome things. There is in all of us a desire to return to a simpler time, one with the old hometown values we remember. We want to see small businesses thrive, even in the shadow of the big box stores and mega-corporations. We want to know the people who make our food and pour our drinks. We want to help family-owned companies succeed. We want to be

seen and appreciated by the people we give our business to. Revitalization is the shoe-leather answer to people’s nostalgia for a better and more wholesome time. It is a solution to our desire to shop without having to hop in the car, fight traffic and navigate dangerous parking lots between stops. It is the answer to our longing for an enjoyable and walkable day out with our loved ones, spouse, or family.

And Brownwood is doing it right.

If you’re coming to town, or if you already live in Brownwood, now is a great time to come downtown and experience all of what a revitalizing Downtown Brownwood has to offer. Make a plan and come spend a day or two.

I love to see all that is going on, the new construction going on in our old, historic buildings, and the optimism you can feel as you walk around. Airbnb-type lodgings are multiplying downtown too, along with a new hotel just on the edge of downtown. There’s a place to stay nearby when you visit.

For most of the year in Brownwood, patio weather is in full effect and there are many great places to sit outside, enjoy the sunshine, and have a meal or a drink.

Brownwood has a multitude of great places to stop, shop, have a coffee or tea, a drink perhaps, or some lunch or dinner in a cute outdoor bistro area. Park at the Courthouse or on Baker Street or Center Avenue and you can walk all over downtown easily.

There are several restaurants on Baker Street, and that is a great area in which to sit and people watch, and there are more businesses with expansion plans opening all the time. Get your meal to go and sit and eat in the covered areas or on the grass at Coursey Park and you’ll be in the center of the action. If you prefer to eat inside in the air conditioning, I don’t blame you! That’s available too.

Just a stroll down Center Avenue and you have access to even more cool joints with outside seating. Beer and Wine tasting, a baby shop, retail clothing, cocktails, and high-end food can be found here.

Grab a beer, wine, or coffee to go and continue your walking tour. That’s allowed!

You’ll also find one of the best and coolest bookshops in the country right there. Pay attention and you’ll find new shops, under construction and opening soon.

Make sure to detour on the side streets. Just a block or two down Anderson, Adams, or Lee Streets and you’ll find even more shops and eateries.

Head back north on Center Avenue up past the gym and you’ll find some sweet shopping and eating opportunities just north of the courthouse.

Fisk Street is becoming the newest of the hotspots with restaurants opening on both sides of the street at Baker Avenue.

And if you need to walk off all those calories…

The new Event Center is coming along nicely just up Baker Street, and it is worth the walk (or the drive-by) to go check it out! I can’t wait until that place is open and functioning.

As you walk, look for the signs! There are cool hidden joints, some of them easy to spot and others hidden away. Look around and you’ll find a cool bakery, antique shops, and even an art center!

And don’t forget to add visits to the Lehnis Railroad Museum and the Old Jail History Museum to your itinerary.

There is a lot to see and do. My purpose has been to convince you to come and experience the resurgence of one of those things that made Texas great – that old, nostalgic, and vibrant downtown life our hearts long for.

And Brownwood is only just getting started. The City has just recently approved another ten-year Downtown Masterplan that will continue the magic of making Downtown Brownwood a destination location for everyone wanting to escape the mundane and plastic modern life that permeates the virtually photocopied highways and next-exit congested suburban and corporate commercial world.

Brownwood is the antidote, and that is why they say that Brownwood… Feels Like Home

Jodie Armstrong, Owner

The Future of Brownwood Can Be

By Derrick Stuckly

The City of Brownwood and the Freese and Nichols engineering firm in February presented the proposed Downtown Master Plan during an open house at the Lyric Theatre. The purpose of the Downtown Master Plan is to update and expand on the vision and successes of the prior Downtown Master Plan from 2002-03. Specific focus has been put on the public investments that the City could or should undertake on its end to support a vibrant future for Downtown Brownwood.

“We first contacted Freese and Nichols when we received our ARPA funds, which is our federal grant that the City received,” said Brownwood Deputy City Manager Marshal McIntosh. “In November 2022, Council invested in saying we needed to continue our downtown momentum. In January 2023, we started a 12-month kickoff process with Freese and Nichols and it’s been really insightful. Freese and Nichols is no stranger to the City of Brownwood, they completed our 2002 plan. A lot of communities our size would be extremely thrilled to be working with a team the caliber of Freese and Nichols.”

The Vision Statement of the Downtown Master Plan, as presented by Freese and Nichols, says, “Downtown Brownwood will be a destination filled with opportunities and spaces for all residents and visitors to experience close knit community life. Its distinctive charm emanates from the historic buildings and local businesses. Downtown Brownwood will cultivate a sense of community and belonging, making it a true home for all.”

Among the suggestions offered in the plan by Freese and Nichols were seven catalyst public projects – Fisk Street

Streetscape; Baker Street Streetscape; Brownwood Art Park (made possible by TexasBank); Event Center Railyard Park; Silos Promenade and Courtyard; City Hall Pocket Park and Visitors Kiosk; and Adams Branch Greenbelt Downtown Trailhead. Freese and Nichols Project Manager Caitlyn Admire said, “We’ve got two streetscapes, a new art park, a couple of projects that are specific to supporting the Event Center, City Hall and how it can contribute better to the fabric and culture of downtown, and then the idea of an Adams Branch Greenbelt Trailhead that is, of course, dependent on a potentially larger project, the Adams Branch Greenbelt Trail.”

The following are highlights of each of the seven projects, listed in order of priority during Freese and Nichols’ presentation, along with comments from Admire:

Fisk Street Streetscape

• Similar to Center Street

• Generous, shaded sidewalks

• Trees and landscaping in bump-outs

• Angled on-street parking

• Enhanced intersections for pedestrian safety

• Utility enhancement, burying power lines

This is going to be really similar to what you have on Center Street, we would just look at doing the same thing along Fisk, which is the next most logical expansion of downtown small businesses,” Admire said. “This is the three blocks downtown from Chandler to Baker and that would include better sidewalks, shade, trees and landscaping. We heard a lot about underground power lines and as the streetscapes are enhanced, it would be better to go ahead and bury the power lines while you’re already doing the streetscape than coming back in a few years and burying power lines.”

Seen in Downtown Master Plan

Baker Street Streetscape

• Traffic calming

• Expanded and updated sidewalks

• Landscape and amenities, such as lighting and benches

• Parallel parking

• Enhanced intersections for aesthetics and pedestrian safety

• Utility enhancements, burying powerlines

Consolidation of trash collection “This is the eight blocks from Main down to Washington,” Admire said. “There is a proposed new public parking spot with some of the railroad land in that area so we wanted to make sure Baker was a connection thread from the new parking all the way back to Center. We’re looking at traffic calming there, where traffic is still there but a little slower. We’re also looking at parallel parking along this street and it’s pretty even, 1 for 1 parking, so we’re not really losing a significant amount of parking with these changes.”

Brownwood Art Park (made possible by TexasBank)

• Pathways, trellis elements, seating and landscaping

• Central, interactive art pavilion

• Sculpture park with native plantings

• Multiple opportunities for various art installations, permanent and temporary

• Ability to hold events

“This a really fun idea and (BMDD Executive Director) Ray (Tipton) and Marshal have been talking to TexasBank about the part of their property that is undeveloped right now and they’re open to this idea of utilizing that piece of property for public good,” Admire said. “The survey said there wasn’t a lot for kids to do unless there was some kind of event going, so

Brownwood County Area Guide | BrownwoodNews.com

this is a way to create more open spaces and that would be a space you would go downtown for just to visit that space. This would have pathways and trellises, multiple locations for art installations, and naturalized sculptures. It would be able to hold events and also be just down the street from the Brownwood Art Association. You could partner with the Art Association to program that space with permanent or temporary or changing art exhibits. This would be at the southern most end of the three blocks of the Fisk Streetscape.”

Event Center Railyard Park

• Pedestrian promenades leading to the Event Center

• Lighting

• Park nodes with shade structure, seating, and water features

• Railcar installation

• Native plantings

• Opportunity to expand into the rest of the block

“The Event Center is the big downtown investment,” Admire said. “We looked into how future investments can support that and make it even more successful than it’s already going to be. This is the 200 block of Carnegie, the intersection of Carnegie and Baker, right next to the Event Center. This is an important nexus in bringing in people off Baker and off Lee into the Event Center area. We also want to make it more than a space to pass through, but a space to be. We’re also recommending some kind of installation there, maybe a historic rail car that just plays off the cultural idea you already have going, and some water features. It’s place that can handle a lot of traffic when you have events, or just a nice place to sit.”

The Future of Brownwood

Silos Promenade and Courtyard

• Promenade walkway and vendor alley

• Small plaza

• Multipurpose courtyard that can be used to support events – VIP lounge, vendor area, beer garden, etc.

Artwork or decorative lighting on the silos “This site is between the new parking over on Washington and the Event Center lawn,” Admire said. “Some of the idea here is how we get people easily from the parking lot to the Event Center. Down on the southern part, south of the silos, there’s another what we’re calling a promenade where tickets could be taken, or it could be a vendor alley. There’s a small courtyard along Congress and with the courtyard, it’s a space that can be used in conjunction with the Event Center lawn like a VIP lounge or beer garden, things like that. There’s something more to go with the Event Center space than just a big, green lawn.”

City Hall Pocket Park and Visitors Kiosk

• Rearrange City Hall employee parking

• New pocket park

• Visitors’ kiosk with public restrooms

• Updating City Hall facade

• Signature water feature

• Enhanced sidewalks, trellis elements, and landscaping

• Architectural updates that tie structures together

“City Hall is in a very prominent space along Center Avenue, so we thought what can they do to contribute a little more to downtown?” Admire said. “We did a little bit of work to rearrange the City employees parking. We’re reclaiming that space for a visitors’ pocket park and visitors’ kiosk. The kiosk would have information and public restrooms, and it could be

staffed or not. And nothing too crazy to the City Hall building itself, but updating the facade and additional landscaping can give off the vibe you’re trying to give off with the rest of downtown.”

Adams Branch Greenbelt Downtown Trailhead

• Dependent on a larger Adams Branch Greenbelt Project

• Trailhead with parking, seating, bike storage, and repair station

“This would be predicated on a larger Adams Branch Greenbelt Downtown Trail system but we do think this underused triangle parcel west of the Coliseum would be a good spot to activate with landscaping but also some parking, some bike facilities,” Admire said. “It would just be a downtown trailhead, either beginning or end for people on this larger citywide trail.”

A community survey of Brownwood residents resulted in the following takeaways that Freese and Nichols took into account when planning:

• Opportunity in vacant properties

• More engagement for kids and families

• Create an official Cultural Arts District

• Needed sidewalk improvements

• More green space and pocket parks with seeding and shade

• A way to celebrate more of the HPU adjacency

In Tune with Brownwood

“... I grew up in a musical family, and it is in my DNA,” Armstrong laughed.

By Diane Adams

Stepping into Brownwood Music and Baker Street Recording Studio, located in a historic building in Brownwood’s downtown district, provides a fascinating encounter with an eclectic array of influences. From the countless music related collectables that adorn the walls, to the building’s place in the history of the town and the first class instruments and technical expertise available there, there is a hometown ambience, along with a lifetime’s application of knowledge and experience in the world of music found at Brownwood Music.

The building at 201 West Baker Street was constructed in 1930. It has served the community in several different capacities over the years. The site was originally a blacksmith’s shop operated by G.C. Haynie in the 192a0s. With the end of horsedrawn vehicles, it was transformed into a car dealership and garage in the 1930s, advertising the 1931 Chevrolet Coach, a top of the line automobile at the time. The location has a long record of contributing to Brownwood’s economic growth that interweaves easily with its current venue as a small town music store with a lot of horsepower behind it.

Memorabilia from decades of musical history covers the walls. Autographed photos of popular country stars, and others from just about every other genre, give a sense of the deep musical

history found there. “There are many more in photo albums, I ran out of room to frame them,” owner Jodie Armstrong explained. “I used to sing professionally, and I opened for or worked with most of those autographed stars you see either by singing with or running sound for, or promoting or stage management.” Asked about who’s who in the music world that has dropped by the store, Armstrong noted, “My most famous visit, I think, was when Sonny Throckmorton and Willie Nelson rode up together on a motorcycle once and dropped in to say hi. It was very funny to see them on the same bike,”

It’s not surprising that Armstrong has so many connections in the music world. She has been in the industry her entire life and has run Brownwood Music and its attached recording studio since 1996. Jodie’s musical skills were apparent from an early

Brownwood Music

age. She competed in the Nation Federation Music Festival in 1976, earning superior ratings in her division at both the state and national level. Jodie sings, acts, plays bass cello and saxophone as well. Mrs. Armstrong joined the blues and rock band Texas Wildfire as a vocalist, sharing a stage with the likes of BB King, Sonny Throckmorton, and Bobby Blue Bland. She has received the Award of Merit for Musicianship in Instrumentation from the State Of Texas. Jodie was inducted as a Charter Member of the Singing Women of Texas in 1994, among countless other recognitions. Her true passion is for gospel music, however, and Jodie is a strong supporter of the genre both in Brownwood and throughout the state of Texas. Armstrong was voted Woman of the Year by the Brownwood Chamber of Commerce in 2014 in honor of her contributions to the City of Brownwood’s economic and social development.

Brownwood Music doesn’t just offer instruments, recording sessions and lessons though. It’s also a community support system for local talent, where musicians often find more than a new guitar. Armstrong is a frequent shoulder to cry on, and an ear to listen for those pursuing the tough, often emotionally draining life of a professional musician. Armstrong attributes her ability to help fellow musicians along their often bumpy roads to her strong faith in God. “I would not be able to continue as an independent music store owner if it were not for God. We try our best to pass along good advice and treat others the way we want to be treated. We have prayed for many of our customers that were needing a kind word, advice, prayers for a sick loved one, bad marriage, backslid kids, or maybe just someone to listen, you name it. My daughters often refer to my office door needing a ‘Dr. Armstrong, Psychologist’ on it.”

Jodie’s husband, Don, along with systems engineer David Curry, help customers find the perfect sound for their events. Don and David work together to provide full service setup and operation for concerts and other live events, including audio equipment and stage lighting for small to medium venues. They interface with, or supplement, existing sound and lighting systems.

The whole Brownwood Music team is made up of dedicated professionals with intimate knowledge of every aspect of musical professionalism. The staff is determined not just to honor music history, but to bring out the best in the next generation of musicians in town. Brownwood Music hosts a yearly summer music camp for kids, as well as lessons on just about any instrument there is. “We are now teaching children of prior students, so we are passing music on to the second generation,” Armstrong said. “I love when one of our old students comes to town and drops by to say hello and let us meet and know their kids. That is a music family! Music is and has been what makes up my life, professionally and personally. I grew up in a musical family, and it is in my DNA,” Armstrong laughed. The history of the building, its atmosphere and decor, as well as deep professional knowledge regarding everything from beginner techniques to instrument repair and the applications of new technology, make for an immersive experience for both professional musicians and casual players alike. Stop by and enjoy the sights, and especially the sounds, of the unique ensemble that is Brownwood Music, found at:201 W Baker street, and reached by phone at 325-646-1365.

Brownwood Lyric Theatre A Hub of Entertainment and Culture in the Hear t of Texas

Nestled in the heart of Brownwood, Texas, the Brownwood Lyric Theatre stands as a beacon of cultural enrichment and entertainment for residents and visitors alike. Since its inception, the theatre has showcased a diverse array of live performances, ranging from classic murder mysteries to beloved Broadway musicals.

**Live Theatrical Productions:** At the Brownwood Lyric Theatre, the stage comes alive with a myriad of productions, from captivating Agatha Christie murder mysteries to toe-tapping Broadway hits like “All Shook Up” and "The Music Man." Each performance promises an immersive experience that transports audiences to captivating worlds of drama and delight.

**Dale Wheelis Memorial Concert Season:** The theatre's commitment to musical excellence extends beyond the stage with the Dale Wheelis Memorial Concert Season. Featuring an eclectic lineup of musical acts, including contemporary jazz, barbershop quartets, and bluegrass bands, the concert series offers something for every musical palate.

**Country Hayride Series:** Adding a touch of country flair to its repertoire, the Brownwood Lyric Theatre introduces the Country

**Community Support and Outreach:** The Brownwood Lyric Theatre thrives thanks to the generous support of the local community, bolstered by contributions from organizations such as the Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. Through collaborative efforts and shared passion for the arts, the theatre continues to flourish as a cherished cultural institution.

the Chocolate Factory," "The Little Mermaid," and "Winnie the Pooh," fostering a love for the performing arts from an early age.

**Historic Legacy:** Steeped in history, the Brownwood Lyric Theatre occupies a space once known as an opera house, later repurposed as a motion picture venue before falling silent in 1958. After years of dormancy, the theatre experienced a triumphant rebirth in December 2014 with the grand reopening performance of "Anything Goes," reclaiming its status as a cultural cornerstone in the community.

By Gene Deason

**Conclusion:** As a bastion of artistic expression and cultural heritage, the Brownwood Lyric Theatre remains a beloved destination for patrons seeking top-tier entertainment in the heart of Texas. With its rich history, diverse programming, and unwavering dedication to accessibility, the Lyric stands as a testament to the enduring power of the performing arts to unite, inspire, and enrich lives. For those seeking an unforgettable theatrical experience, the doors of the Brownwood Lyric Theatre are always open, inviting audiences to embark on a journey of creativity, imagination, and discovery.

**For Additional Information and Ticketing Opportunities:** Visit the official website of the Brownwood Lyric Theatre at brownwoodlyrictheatre.com

Lucille + Mabel Kitchen & Libations

Lucille and Mabel never met but we like to think they would have been friends. They probably would have spent their time on a back porch shelling peas and trading recipes. Our grandmothers grew up cooking alongside their grandmothers and we were blessed that they passed this love and lore of home cooking down to us. When the idea of opening a restaurant in Brownwood was birthed, we knew one thing. It had to have the fingerprints of these two women whose abundant tables invited all to pull up a chair and dig in. The first time we looked at the old First National Bank building we thought this would be the perfect place to launch Lucille+Mabel Kitchen and Libations. We restored much of the bank interior, preserving the original tile floor, bank vaults and grand columns. The large windows overlooking Fisk and Baker in the heart of downtown give customers a fantastic view. The first thing you’ll notice when you enter Lucille+Mabel is our bar and shelves of more than 250 spirits including 175 whiskeys extending to the ceiling. Our most popular drinks are our Drip Old Fashioneds that begin with 100 Proof Rye. They drip over 24 hours into the fruit vessel adding the proper sweetness and bitters and are then barreled into our proprietary oak barrels for serving.

the star of the show at

is the kitchen. Our grandmothers cooked everything from scratch and so do we all the way down to our buns and sauces. Our hamburgers are made from a groundin-house blend of brisket, ribeye, and pork belly. Our steaks are of the highest quality prime angus beef dryaged 28 days giving the perfect balance between taste and tenderness. Signature dishes include our mac-n-cheese creations, shrimp and grits, and Korean chicken. Meals at our grandmothers’ homes always

But

Lucille+Mabel

The Turtle –Fresh Food to Engage the Senses

By Todd Howey

At ten years of age, Mary Stanley accompanied her father to his home country of Germany to attend her grandfather’s funeral. It was there where she tasted real butter and whipping cream for the very first time. “My grandmother and aunts were baking everything from scratch. Using ingredients from their garden and the farmer’s market. I couldn’t believe how good and fresh everything tasted. My grandmother made a red plum cake, and it was amazing. It was like nothing I had ever tasted before.”

Upon her return to America two weeks later. Mary negotiated a deal with her mother. “My mother was not a great cook. She didn’t like to cook, and I didn’t like to clean, so I made a deal with her. I told her I would cook if she would clean. And that’s how I got started.”

Mary would take her father to the grocery store, “because he had the checkbook,” and have him buy all types of spices and ingredients. “He humored me and allowed me to learn.”

Mary’s first cookbook; McCall’s Cook Book – The Absolutely Complete Step by Step Cooking and Serving Guide, was salvaged from the sale bin at a Zayers department store.

“I started watching Julia Child on television, just trying to learn as much as I could.”

Mary attended the University of Illinois but did not pursue an education in anything directly related to cooking or the restaurant industry. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts and majored in Sculpture, where she met her future husband, Dave. Mary mastered the skill of production baking while Dave attended Graduate School at the University of Texas. She worked at the famous Swedish Hill Bakery on West Sixth street

and Texas French Bread. The Swedish Hill Bakery was the first European style bakery in Austin and is still very popular today. During their time in Austin, Dave trained as a shoemaker, building shoes from raw materials. After a downturn in the economy, Mary and Dave moved to Brownwood and opened Bear Feet Shoes in 1985 on W. Anderson.

“It was tough early on. We lived in a tent out at the State Park for about six months before we found a place to live.”

For the next few decades, Bear Feet, along with a dozen or so employees, sold handmade shoes all over the world.

“Shoemaking is just like food making. All about production, just different materials and skill set.”

Mary visited Italy regularly to purchase quality leather for their shoes and discovered the slow food movement, and Gelato.

The slow food concept started in Italy over thirty years ago. It’s an alternative to fast food and its goal is to preserve a local way of life.”

With the shoe business becoming more competitive and consumed by large factories, Mary and Dave purchased a building downtown and The Turtle was born in 2004.

Embracing the slow food movement she discovered in Italy, Mary set out to offer an alternative experience for consumers to enjoy.

“In Italy, when you reserved a table in a restaurant, it was your table for the evening. The Turtle is no different. We are not going to run you out. Stay as long as you want, it’s your table. Turn off your phone, visit with family and have an experience, not just a meal. Good food, good company, good service, and good drink. Try new things. We want to inspire curiosity in our guests.”

Mary chose turtle because it represents patience, resilience and embracing life’s journey. And that concept is reflected in her menu and the process she follows in preparing a meal for a guest. In a time where many people eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner out of a bag from behind their steering wheel, The Turtle provides the opposite.

Mary’s commitment to the slow food process is printed along the bottom of the menu. “This is a Slow Food Restaurant. We invite you to slow down and enjoy life and well-prepared food. If you are in a hurry, please visit a Fast Food Restaurant.”

“We make everything from scratch. Everything. There is a process that goes into every item we send out of the kitchen. We offer a variety of fresh food that is inspired from cultures all over the world. I call it World Heritage.”

Glancing down the menus at The Turtle, you will find dishes inspired from France, Italy, Germany, Argentina, India, Cuba, Ireland, Mexico, New York and even Brownwood, Texas. They offer a smash burger made from Certified Piedmontese beef that is a tribute to Lindsey Burgers that was once located on Austin Avenue next to the old Brownwood High School.

Piedmontese beef comes from a rare breed and is recognized as the only heart healthy beef by the American Heart Association and used for their steak dishes as well.

Akaushi beef, known as the Emperor’s Breed, originated in Japan, and is known for its buttery rich flavor and melt in your mouth texture. Raised in Texas, this breed with Japanese origin, is used in their other burger offerings.

The Turtle’s award winning Enoteca - wine library - offers a massive assortment of undervalued wines for your drinking pleasure. The Gelateria serves up Italy inspired gelato and highlights Mary’s award-winning original flavor, Hill Country Lemon Lavender.

“We don’t cut corners here. To me, I am creating art. The concepts are the same, color, preparation, plating, composition, and balance. Shoemaking and designing a cake is no different than putting up sheetrock. It’s a skill. When people eat, they use all of their senses. They eat with their eyes, nose, and ears. Appreciating quality art is no different.”

Offering a comfortable, inspiring, and safe place, Mary Stanley provides an opportunity for people to engage all of their senses while sharing a meal with loved ones. She is preserving a culture of community at The Turtle with her art, and she loves doing it.

“I am still sculpting, just using different materials.”

About Mary Stanley

Mary Stanley is the owner, wine buyer, pasta maker, gelato artisan, and chocolatier for the Turtle Restaurant, Gelateria, and Enoteca. She crafts well over sixty different flavors of gelato and sorbetto to fill the ten pans of the gelateria’s gelato case.

She has studied chocolate making with master chocolatier Jean-Pierre Wybauw, and the art of entremets with Spanish master Ramon Morato. Mary earned diplomas in Artisan Pasta and Breads from Manuelina Culinary in Brescia, Italy. The Turtle Gelateria was a finalist in the North American Stage of the Gelato World Tour, and a participant in the finals held in Rimini, Italy in 2014. In 2018 she won a silver medal for her flavor Hill Country Lemon Lavender at Gelato Festival, Dallas.

Mary is T Certified in Tequila from the Consejo Regulador Del Tequila, Mexico. She has a WSET Level 2 Award with Distinction in Spirits. She received a partnership award from the wine region Rioja DOCa (Qualified Designation of Origin), Spain in 2014. The Turtle Restaurant wine list received an award of distinction from Wine Enthusiast Magazine in 2010. The list also received two stars from World of Fine Wine Magazine, London every year since 2017, winning “Best Value Wine List in the World” in 2022.

She is left-handed and has a BFA in Sculpture from the University of Illinois and is a member of Les Dames D’Escoffier, Austin Chapter and the Unites States Bartenders Guild Austin, Chapter. She is curious.

Memories, Old and New: The Mill at Zephyr

By Todd Howey

Coltin Black has an entrepreneurial mindset. He is always looking for a project and a new challenge to conquer. Two years ago, he loaded up his wife Kathryn and their two children and left the big city for Zephyr, Texas. They purchased a ranch five miles from Zephyr to pursue their passion in the farm and ranch industry. Today, they are the owners and operators of Kelly Hair sheep where they raise champion show lambs.

“I was born in Dublin, but I did not know a thing about Zephyr when we moved here. We enrolled our two kids in the Zephyr I.S.D. and began to get involved in the community.”

With the lamb business up and running, Coltin’s entrepreneurial mindset had him looking for a new project to tackle.

“I began looking for a spot to turn into a small hotel, or even an Airbnb. Possibly even fixing up an old house. We have a lot of guests, family and friends that visit our ranch. It would be nice to have a place for them to stay besides our guest room. So, I started to look for a spot in Zephyr to do that. A friend of mine in the real estate business sent me a pin of a place for sale. He said, ‘I found a building in Zephyr for sale, but it’s not

a building,’ and he was right. I remember standing out in front of the building wondering where the rest of it was. There was no roof and no floor.”

Little did Coltin know, but he was standing in front of a landmark in Zephyr - Petty’s Grocery and Feed Store. Joy and Norman Petty ran the store for 49 years, serving their community with authentic hometown service. The building also housed the H.E. Cobb Mercantile Company in the early 1900’s, and the W.R. Shelton General Mercantile in the thirties.

The building was nearly wiped off the map when a tornado ripped the roof off in 2019.

“When we first walked in the building, I was a definite no. I’m all about projects, but this was way more than I wanted to take on. But my wife, Kathryn, wanted it. She fell in love with the brick. You can’t duplicate that look no matter how much money you spend.”

With the property purchased, Coltin hit the ground running. The day after closing, he had equipment on-site to begin the renovation. Focused on building a private space for their guests to stay, he mapped out his plans and went to work. Of course, Zephyr is a small town, and it didn’t take long for the locals to stop by to see what all the commotion was.

“When I would tell them I was going to use it for personal use, they all seemed so disappointed. Everyone had a story, a memory of this building, and plenty of ideas of what I should do with it. Even though it has sat empty for decades, there is still a strong emotional connection to this place. So, I asked myself, am I being selfish?”

The more visitors that dropped by and shared their stories about the building and what it meant to them personally, the more Coltin felt a sense of doing something for the community.

“I went from doing something for myself to doing something for Zephyr. One of the very first things I did was hire Celty Kearney from Blanket to paint a giant mural on the side of the building that says, ‘Welcome to Zephyr.’ I wanted the

community to know that I committed to this. We started a Facebook page, and we were inundated with positive messages from people all over who had been to this store. It was unreal.”

With his background primarily in real estate and show lambs, Coltin had zero restaurant experience.

“None, but I know a lot of things revolve around food. I didn’t know anyone in Zephyr or what the town really needed. Then I met Heather Lewis at one of my son’s football games. Her husband coaches the team and we immediately hit it off. She was really my first local contact. She has really deep roots in this community. We began to bounce ideas off of each other.”

Heather was born and raised in Zephyr. She moved away to Richland Springs for a few years. When her husband retired from the military, they moved back to Zephyr with their three children.

“I love Zephyr. My family is invested in this community. My husband Aaron owns Lewis Welding and Construction here in town. Our children go to school here and we go to church just a few blocks over. I came to Petty’s as a kid. We’d walk down from school and get a snack. Mrs. Petty would just print our name in a notebook and our parents would come by later and pay. This building is full of memories for so many people.”

It did not take long for Coltin to realize he needed someone like Heather to help him get this project moving along.

“One day while we were visiting, I halfway joked that she should quit her job and come run the place for me. Not too long after that conversation, I hired Heather to manage day to day operations.”

With his team in place, Coltin began to put the finishing touches on his new project After the damaging tornado in

2019, the bricklayers who repaired the building outlined “THE MILL” in brick above the main entrance. Neither Coltin nor Heather know why that name was designed in the brick, but it seemed to fit, so the new spot to gather your family to enjoy a good meal was named, The Mill at Zephyr.

Their kitchen offers signature pizzas that highlight the “Zephyr.” A meat lover’s dream with pepperoni, Canadian bacon, and beef. A customer can also create their own pizza by choosing from a long list of fresh ingredients. All the beef that comes out of the kitchen is purchased locally from Keefer Farms, right down the road in Comanche.

A variety of salads will be available, along with fresh pies and gourmet cheesecake. A wide selection of Texas based products will be available for purchase including hats from the widely popular Sendero company.

Although it has been long hours for Heather preparing for the grand opening, she feels blessed to be a part of making new memories for their customers.

“Coltin and Kathryn have done so much for this community. They have only been here a few years, but their impact is significant. They care about Zephyr, and they want to see it grow. I hope the community will respond with pride. We have six employees; all are from here. Four of them go to Zephyr high School and it’s their first job ever. We even hosted Zephyr’s Senior Prom here recently. This building has made a lot of fond memories for people over the years, including myself, and we hope to make even more here.”

Even though Coltin considers The Mill a completed project, that has not stopped his entrepreneurial mind from churning. “If this does what we think it will, then there may be more to come here in Zephyr. That’s just how my mind works.”

What started out eight months ago as a private project to create a little extra space for his family and visitors, evolved into a labor of love for the community of Zephyr, Texas. A landmark building, battered by storms and the years of time, has been given new life and restored to a place of community pride. It is once again the place to be.

Brown County Rodeo Parade

The Brown County Fair Association recently announced the return of the Brown County Rodeo Parade, which will take place Saturday, June 15 on the streets of downtown Brownwood.

Parade check in will begin at 8:30 a.m. on South Washington behind the Lehnis Railroad Museum. Judging will take place at 9 a.m. in the staging area. Line up begins at 9:30 a.m. on East Adams.

Awards include Best in Show for the best overall float, Heart of Texas for the best use of theme, and the People’s Choice. This year’s theme is Deep in the Heart of Texas.

By Derrick Stuckly

The Arts Council of Brownwood and SALSA – the Strategic Alliance for Leadership and Social Action – partnered to present the 8th annual Cinco De Mayo celebration from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, May 4 in Downtown Brownwood.

A crowd of 10,000 was expected for the 2024 celebration according to Travis Curry, Vice President of the Arts Council and Director of Cinco de Mayo, as the event stretches nine city blocks along Center Avenue and includes over 100 shopping and food vendors and two musical stages.

“I didn’t ever expect it would get as big as it’s ended up getting,” said Dean Kiesling, one of the originators of the Cinco de Mayo celebration, who was involved for the first five years of the event. “I thought it would grow, and it did progressively year by year, but I don’t think I ever envisioned getting as big as it is. It’s awesome, way exciting.”

Reflecting on the origins of the Cinco de Mayo celebration, Kiesling said, “It started with Eric Evans hiring Revolution Strings, a high school group from Abilene, to come and do a concert at the Lyric that happened to fall on Cinco de Mayo

weekend. I’ve always had a real interest in Hispanic culture so I went to Eric, and Ray Tipton was with the Chamber at the time and was the third person really big in helping with ideas. We started brainstorming and came up with the original plan to include the Lyric and Revolution Strings and have vendors up and down the street. The first year we went from Pat Coursey Park down Center Avenue to around the corner at Steves’. It was pretty small the first time, but we planned lots of activities for kids and wanted it to be a family event.”

Cinco de Mayo Celebration

Curry added, “When I started with the event eight years ago, it was three or four blocks. I’ve watched it grow over the years and more vendors want to participate and more people want to come from out of town. The biggest one we had was after COVID with six weeks to prepare and we had 8,000 people there from all over, and people were amazed we had that many people after everything had been closed down. Our biggest thing is family, and people have said they can come down and enjoy adult entertainment, but still do it as a family. That has helped grow the event along with the partnership of Brownwood and Early combined. People come from all over the county and this year we had people call and book hotel rooms from San Antonio, Houston and Austin.” Musical acts performed on two stages this year – the main Fiesta Celebration Stage near Pat Coursey Park, and the Hometown Celebration Stage near Shaw’s Marketplace.

Bravos de la Region served as the headliner on the main Fiesta Celebration Stage and was joined by the Mo y Su Conjunto band and Corazon de Tejas, an all female mariachi band from San Antonio, who both returned to Brownwood. Students from Brownwood Music formed a band that played for the first hour.

“We listened to the people and they wanted more Tejano and traditional music from Mexico, so this year we’ve made the main stage strictly that,” Curry said.

Celebration Continues to Grow

At the Hometown Celebration Stage, The Damn Quails served as the headline act, while The Remedy and Jaydon Ezra were among the alternative musical entertainment.

Kids World also returned, as did the car show courtesy of Primo’z Cuztomz.

New to the event this year was Sisters on the Fly, the largest women’s social group in the U.S. focusing on camping, outdoor activities and events. Sisters on the Fly brought their air streams to town for the national conference in Brownwood.

SALSA, a non-profit organization that helps high school graduates with scholarships each year, held a 50-50 raffle to help generate money for the scholarships. Last year’s SALSA raffle raised $1,700 and a very happy winner took home $850 with just one ticket. SALSA awarded $7,500 in scholarships to 15 graduating high school seniors from Brownwood and surrounding communities.

SALSA’ s block was located between Water Street and South Broadway, and events there included Loteria, a DJ, Bingo, a raffle and a street dance later in the evening. SALSA was also in charge of all contests this year, which included El Grito, Hot Sauce, and Jalapeno Eating, among others.

“All of this couldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for our amazing sponsors – the City of Brownwood, Brownwood Feels Like Home, Visit Early Visit Often and Creative Solutions in Health Care, along with TexasBank, Moore Printing, Andy’s Pest Control, PS Mortgage Team, 3M, KOXE, Brownwood News, Stanley Auto Group, Bruner Auto Family, Matt Williams State Farm Insurance, Citizens National Bank, Kirbo’s Office Supply, and Coldwell Banker,” Curry said.

More Cinco de Mayo details can be found at cincodemayocelebration .com

The Dream of the Brownwood Event Complex has Become a Reality

Completion of the Brownwood Event Center Complex occurred in April 2024, and a grand debut – featuring musical concerts, festivals and other activities – for the facility is planned over the next year.

The first mid-size concert is anticipated to take place in September or October of 2024.

Ground breaking took place on April 5, 2022, where the main feature of the development is an approximately 16,000 square event center and banquet hall known as the Timmins building on the corner of Baker and Greenleaf. Originally built as a warehouse for the Radford Grocery Company in the 1920s, the building will be converted into a multipurpose event center with spaces for conventions and breakout activities.

The Event Center will be ideal for banquets, weddings, and a multitude of other event types. The intent of the aesthetic is to bring in modern features while preserving the building’s original industrial character.

Event Center Reality EVENTS

The Ice House building on Lee Street was demolished down to its foundation to erect a new structure in its place. The new structure will feature a premier stage for large events, and a secondary stage for smaller gatherings and concerts. The covered pavilion and stage will also serve as spill-over outdoor space for the larger event center.

The open event green space can easily accommodate 7,500 spectators or more, depending on crowd control and setup. An additional 1,400 sq ft structure will be built adjacent to the stage to contain restrooms, support space, and additional meeting rooms.

Reunion Lawn, the site surrounding the Ice House, includes a large viewing lawn/festival ground stretching east and a small viewing lawn to the south. This will allow for more flexible use for all sizes and types of events. The large viewing lawn will be fenced and available as a mini-festival ground for a variety of outdoor events. The lawn will accommodate 16 food truck connections.

The City of Brownwood is leasing property on Washington Street from BNSF Railway for the development of a parking area near the Event Center Complex.

The first mid-size concert is anticipated to take place in September or October of 2024. Open Sky Media will handle all talent bookings, event marketing, hire and coordinate sound and lighting, manage all production rentals, handle ticketing, manage bars, coordinate with food vendors, create the production schedule, and operate the event.

Total construction cost was estimated at $14,267,000 with the BMDD funding approximately 85% through economic development sales tax funds. These funds are generated by an existing ½ cent sales tax and do not come out of the city’s general fund.

For more info~ About Brownwood area events and fun

Blvd, Early, TX 76802

TexasBank Holiday Classic

among largest high school basketball tournament in the state

The TexasBank Holiday Classic, which takes place the week after Christmas, is one of the largest in the state and expected to be even larger in 2024.

After 48 teams converged on the Brownwood Coliseum, Brownwood High School and Brownwood Middle School – including a high school boys team from New York state. Hosted by the Brownwood Lions and Lady Lions varsity basketball teams, there will are four divisions to the tournament –Boys Big School, Girls Big School, Boys Small School and Girls Small School.

In 2023, Goldthwaite won the Girls Small School division and Wellington won the Girls Big School division. Both teams went on to the compete in the UIL state tournament in San Antonio.

The TexasBank Holiday Classic of 2023 made an economic impact of $905,472, up from $528,480 in 2022.

Brown County Rodeo marks 60th anniversary in 2024

The Brown County Rodeo celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2024 with the annual event taking place Thursday, June 13 through Saturday, June 15 at the Earl Q. Wilson Arena at the Brown County Fairgrounds, located on U.S. Highway 377 South.

yearly tradition

of action followed by the

Traditional events include a Youth Calf Scramble, Bareback Riding, Tie Down Roping, Team Roping, Steer Wrestling, Barrel Racing, and Bull Riding.

On the final night of the weekend, the Brown County Rodeo Dance takes place at the Fairgrounds. Meanwhile, the final morning of the rodeo is highlighted by the Brown County Rodeo Parade through Downtown Brownwood. The Brown County Fair Association in recent years has also added Ranch Rodeos to the calendar. Events include Ranch Bronco Riding, Wild Cow Milking, Trailer Loading, Stray Gathering, Doctoring, and Sorting. All proceeds from the rodeos go back to the county youth through the Brown County Fair Association, which sponsors the Brown County Youth Fair each January. For more information about the Brown County Rodeo, visit browncountyfair.net.

Adventure awaits at the Texas 4-H Center as campers soar through the sky on the exhilarating zipline and embrace the thrill of outdoor fun!!

The

includes Mutton Bustin’ to start each night

Grand Entry.

Service

Welcome to Ricochet

By Katelyn Sims

The city of Brownwood is characterized by many communityoriented businesses, some being its antique and resale shops. While Brown County has more than 20 such places overall, Brownwood is home to 13. Many of the shops have established roots deep into Brownwood’s history as long-time staples of the community; and most will agree, the town is a gem of the past as well as a home for all.

Evelyn Earp has been the proud owner of Closet Consignment on Center Avenue next to the Brownwood Lyric Theatre for nearly 20 years. She said that operating the shop means a lot regarding her personal life as she was born in Brownwood and has called it home for most of her life. However, she believes it contributes much to the community as well. “I wanted my shop to be for the working people,” said Earp. “That is my intention with my shop, to provide quality clothing that looks like new for prices people in my income bracket may afford.”

In addition to Earp’s long-standing contribution in Brownwood, Melissa Mullins, the storekeeper of Hey June on North Fisk Avenue, will be celebrating three years of business this upcoming June. She said there was no question about setting

up shop in town because “Brownwood has always been home.” Mullins specifically enjoys serving the community through the store’s “blessing box” where people may donate various food items in order to feed those in need. “We are very proud of our blessing box and how it has served the community,” said Mullins. Brownwood has been home to one particular shop for decades – Ricochet Oldies & Antiques on West Commerce Street.

Housing artifacts from possibly a centuries-worth of memories, the shop is an iconic place for travelers of all sorts. Leslie Gilbreath has operated the store for the past twenty years after her predecessors handed it down to her – the original sign still attracting customers from all over. However, Gilbreath’s history of selling antiques started long before Ricochet. A native of Brownwood, she has traveled all over the country investing her life into the antique business whether from the hills of Kentucky or out of an old truck bed in her hometown. Nonetheless, she found herself operating a booth in Ricochet during the ‘90s and the rest is history. “It all started with a shelf,” said Gilbreath.

Since operating Ricochet, Gilbreath has recounted the most memorable points in time where the business largely impacted her personal life. “Ricochet has become a meeting place for my family, somewhere we can all come together,” she said. Her family and friends, both old and new, have left their footprints in the store and helped turn it into a place full of generational memories. “It is quite a blessing from the Lord,” said Gilbreath. “Ricochet has been an important space for my relationships with people and my faith.”

In addition to the stories that are important to Gilbreath’s personal life since taking over Ricochet, the shop has welcomed customers from all over the world that add to its history. Individuals have visited from various American states as well as foreign countries like Japan, Germany, and Norway. She specifically spoke of a group from Norway that had come to Texas to study weather patterns and chase tornadoes. Along their journey, they stopped at Ricochet to explore. “I remember watching a group of very tall people crawl out of this van and come into the shop,” said Gilbreath. “They were very nice and had interesting accents, so I asked where they were from, and they told me their story.” Echoing Mullins from Hey June, Gilbreath mentioned that through encountering people from all different places, she has come to understand that “we’re all in this together.”

Ricochet is not only a space of business, but also a space that cultivates knowledge. “I have a lot of kids come in with their parents,” said Gilbreath. “I’m able to tell them all about the history behind the antiques.” She views the shop as her opportunity to personally invest in the education of the community. Gilbreath also believes it serves a lot of the local artists in Brownwood. Having once been a part of Brownwood’s Art Association, she commented on how the local artists will oftentimes purchase items and incorporate them into their pieces – “Ricochet has also become a creative outlet for the community.”

A home for all – this is Brownwood, Texas. Its antique and thrift shops are the best testament to this fact; and they continue to broaden the horizons of travelers all the while preserving memories that build the future.

For more info~

Don’t miss all the vintage and antique shops in Brownwood

Shop Luna Maya

Baby Boutique & Children’s Clothing

WEAKLEY-WATSON

Visit the Oldest Hardware Store in Texas

The oldest hardware store in Texas is right here in Brownwood. Mr. J.C. Weakley founded Weakley-Watson hardware in 1876. The business stayed in the family for 141 years and five generations until 2017, when it was sold to the Jacobs family. Tim Jacobs owns and operates Jacobs Family Pharmacy; his son Weston is the Manager of Weakley-Watson Hardware.

Retail is a difficult business, more so every day as the changes in retail come faster and faster and the competition intensifies. So Weston Jacobs knew he had to do something new. His main strategy change was in product offering. “One of the first things we did was go with a new strategy that we call ‘Best Brands’. We found brands like Traeger, Big Green Egg, Stihl, etc. and moved away from brands already carried at the big box stores. These things have worked out well.”

He also signed up with the Ace Hardware organization. “We saw their ideas of what our chief competition coming up was, which was online retail. They had a little better strategy for aggressively addressing how

to meet the customer online. We are now doing a lot of business online.” Weakley-Watson can also special order items from Ace, and if it’s in stock in Ace’s warehouse, have it here the next day or in two days. And Weakley-Watson has added home delivery. Weston said that today, the Millennials and Generation X just expect those kinds of things.

Another big change was adding Sporting Goods, hunting and fishing, back to the store. “Brown County is a Mecca for hunting: turkey, dove, deer, hogs, etc. We see customers from the Metroplex and Houston coming here to hunt. We originally intended just to have a small convenience offering of sporting goods merchandise. But then COVID hit and some other things happened, and that changed the game.”

JUST RIGHT FURNITURE GALLERY

The name says it all. Just Right Furniture Gallery. A family owned- and operated-business.

Owner Marc Galyean grew up in Colorado and owned three mattress and furniture stores there. He later moved his business to Arizona. But family connections brought him to Brown County. So he sold his three stores in Tucson and in October 2021 opened Just Right Furniture Gallery in Early TX at 515 Early Boulevard.

The Early store has an 8,000 square foot showroom with both mattresses and furniture for every room in the house. “We are the largest brand mattress dealer in Central Texas,” said Marc. His store stocks mattresses from Serta, Simmons, Beauty Rest, Perfect Sleeper, iComfort, Southerland, Scandinavian, and more. Just Right has the largest number of brands, the largest selection of mattress models, and the largest inventory.

As a young man Galyean worked at a mattress factory in Colorado. “Building mattresses in a factory you get to understand the density of the foam, the gauge of the coil, all the good quality products that go into building a good quality mattress. I know what to look for in a mattress.”

The Just Right furniture inventory includes sofas, sectionals, love seats, massage chairs, and furniture for the dining room and bedroom. They also have one of the largest selections of leather furniture in Central Texas.

In January 2023 Just Right Furniture Gallery opened a 15,000 square foot store in Stephenville in the Bosque River Shopping Center. The two retail stores have a total of 23,000 square feet of showroom area. That plus a 13,000 square foot warehouse ensures the largest selection in the area.

Just as a top chef selects and cuts his own meats, Galyean and his staff (80% of which is family) carefully select what they stock. “We tour all the factories. Everything in our store is hand-picked by us at the market or the factory. That is part of our story. We want to make sure we are only offering our customers the best quality product.”

By Mike Blagg

Brownwood Community Library is Modern,

The Brownwood Community Library is a modern, versatile resource in our community. And to quote the Beatles “It’s Getting Better All the Time.”

Our library was first built in 1904 with a grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, as many local libraries were at the time, and thus was called the Brownwood Carnegie Library. By the mid-1960’s it was time for a new library, so the books were moved to another building next door, the old library building was destroyed, and a new one built in the same location. The name was changed to the Brownwood Public Library.

Library Director Becky Isbell was hired eight years ago. At that time the library was not in the Stone Age, but was maybe only in the Iron Age. She went to work to bring the library up to modern times.

The first task was to improve the book collection. As funding allows, Isbell has expanded the collection of Fiction, Non-Fiction, Children’s, and Large Print books, and adds more every month.

Next was technology. The Library now has twelve computers for public use, and they are utilized constantly for things such as research, homework, and job applications.

“The only way you can apply for many jobs today is on a computer, so a lot of time people come here to do that. We’re here to help them along, and they are learning

computers as they go,” said Isbell. And the library has free wifi, available to patrons who bring in their own laptop computers.

There is a Study Room with a large display screen that can be connected to a patron’s own computer. High school and college student groups of up to six or eight can utilize the quiet space of the room to work on a joint project together.

The Library offers a large selection of e-books and audio books that can be listened to on a Kindle, tablet, or cell phone. “We share our e-books and audio books with over fifty Texas libraries, so if we don’t have a particular e-book here, there’s a good chance we can get it from one of the other libraries. It’s great for listening to on the road, while you’re cleaning, etc.”

Also available are the Tech Share Databases. Isbell explained: “With your library card you can access from home our databases. We have a lot of great resources, like SAT study guides, driver’s license training, Commercial Driver’s License, tutoring, cosmetology, computer classes, resume builder, legal forms, and Chilton’s auto repair manuals.”

Added last year is the Virtual Court Kiosk, one of only about a dozen in the state. “People who have a court date but are not able to make it to Amarillo or wherever, can come here. It has audio and video, and they can be part of the court hearing remotely. The kiosk can be moved into the Study Room, so they can have a private court hearing.” The kiosk can also be used for legal research.

The Library has over 3,000 movies for loan, DVD and Blue Ray.

Children are a big part of the focus of the library. Wednesdays have Pre-School Story Time, with 18-month to 36-month children at 10:00 a.m., and three- to five-year olds at 11:00 a.m. Children of all ages can participate in the Summer Reading Club in June and July. There is also a Kids STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) for students up through the fifth grade. “These programs,” said Isbell, “definitely help to improve literacy in our community.”

For adults the library hosts a Book Club, which meets once a month. The club members choose a book to read each month, the library sources enough copies for all the club, the members then read the book and discuss it at their next meeting.

One program of which Isbell is very proud is the Genealogy Library, located on the Courthouse Square at 213 South Broadway. It is a joint operation of the Library and the Pecan

Modern, with Plans to Continue Improving

Valley Genealogy Society. It has genealogy records, of course, along with death certificates, military veterans information, school yearbooks, maps, city directories, local history publications, rare books, historic photographs, etc. “For a community of our size, the Genealogy Library is truly a gem.”

Most public libraries are operated by the City or County, but not the Brownwood Library. Most of the funding does come from the City of Brownwood, with additional funding from the City of Early and the County of Brown, but the Brownwood Community Library, as it is now called, is a separate, non-profit organization. Statistics provided by Isbell show that the Library has over 40,000 visitors each year. The economic value of all the programs provided by the Library (in 2022) is estimated at $1,473,426, producing a return of $4.88 of value for each dollar of public tax support.

The original Carnegie Library lasted sixty years, until it was replaced by the new library in the

1960’s, as mentioned herein. It has now been another sixty years, and the Library Board is working on plans to modernize the facility. Board President Raul Garcia said “This is a nice building, but it needs a physical upgrade. I would like to see the Library become a Library of the future. Today a Library is not just books. It’s computers, programs, an internet link to the world. We need high speed internet service. We need video.

Hope Home Ministry is a faith-based transitional home for teenage girls in Brown County, Texas. We serve young women who have survived human trafficking and those transitioning out of foster care, juvenile detention or difficult life circumstances.

My experience at Hope Home was life changing. My walk in faith was expanded, I found peace within my heart and I was set up for success in so many ways. - Former Resident

We need the latest computers. This building needs to be more functional with modern restrooms and better access into the building.” Referencing the City of Brownwood’s new Downtown Master Plan, Garcia said “We believe the library can be an anchor to the new cultural things being planned, along with the new Civic Center.” The Board has engaged a consultant organization known as PLAN (Partners Library Action Network) to evaluate the current building and to design improvements to spaces, colors, landscaping, etc.

It will be a big project, and an important one. “A lot of families will check out the library when deciding if that’s a community they want to move to,” said Isbell. “The library is a large part of any community, and we certainly are reaching towards being that gem in our community that everyone can be proud of.”

Camp Bowie Family Aquatic

The Camp Bowie Family Aquatic Center is one of Brownwood’s most popular summer attractions. Key features of the aquatic center include:

• 7,000 sq. ft. Recreation Pool

• Slide tower with flume slide

• Water geysers

• Tot slide

• Lily-pad walk

• Four lap lanes

• Springboard diving

• Zero beach entry

• Lazy river

The aquatic complex embodies the community’s needs and objectives by combining leisure areas and fitness swimming spaces. The family waterpark has something for everyone to enjoy. The Camp Bowie Family Aquatic Center is located at 3201 Milam Drive, across from Gordon Wood Stadium. Pool hours for the Aquatic Center are as follows; TuesdayThursday with two sessions from 10:15 am - 1:45 pm and 2:15 - 8:00 pm; Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday with two sessions from 10:15 am - 1:45 pm and 2:15 pm - 5:45 pm; Sunday from 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Pool hours for Wiggins Pool are 2:00 pm5:45 pm Tuesday through Sunday.

Aquatic Center

Rules

No coolers larger than 6-pack drink size allowed. PLEASE follow ALL daily pool rules.

Daily Admission Fees

• Ages 17 and under - $2.00

• Ages 18 and over - $4.00

• Senior Citizens - $1.75

• Pool Punch Cards - 12 visits for the cost of 10.

• Ages 17 and under - $20.00

• Ages 18 and over - $40.00

• Senior Citizens - $17.50

Party Pavilion

The pavilion must be reserved 1 week in advance at the admissions office. They are available for rental AFTER the first hour of opening.

• No setups before hours of operation are permitted. City staff may limit the amount of time that the Pavilion can be rented.

• The hours available for rental are 10:15 am - 12:15 pm and in the afternoon from 2:15 pm - 4:15 pm.

• The Party Pavilion is 30 ft x 40 ft with 6 picnic tables.

• The rate is $50.00 for 2 hours, including 3 picnic tables.

• The fee includes one free admission to the pool.

• Seating for 24 costs a fee of $25.00 for each additional hour over the 2-hour rate.

Pool Rental After Hours

• $100.00 deposit is required and is refundable if cleanup or repair is not required by city staff.

• Pool rental time starts at 6:30 P.M. NO EXCEPTIONS.

• Rate is $300.00 for the first two hours and $150.00 for one additional hour (hourly increments only). City staff may limit the time the pool can be rented. ALL pool rentals must be paid by June 1, 2024, with no exceptions.

• Reservations start January 10, 2024.

Please call 325-646-0146 for more information.

Feels Like Home (Away from Home)

By Michael Bunker

A lot of great changes have come to Brown County over the last twenty years.

The first night we ever spent in Brownwood was 19 years ago. We stayed in a nice hotel on Commerce and as we were packing up to leave the next morning, we received a phone call from a Real Estate agent who wanted to show us some land nearby. That was the moment we decided to move to this area and make it our home.

The hotel that night was nice. Not particularly expensive, because… well… not a lot of people were traveling to Brown County and there were a lot of empty rooms.

After that, my parents would come to town several times a year and get a motel so that we could come visit and the children could swim in the pool. Again, the rooms were comfortable and

inexpensive. Even later, as tourism and travel have boomed, and as more economic refugees from other places seek to find the “Mayberry” that their souls long for, sometimes it was hard to find a room available!

So much has changed!

This Mother’s Day two of my daughters came in to visit. We wanted them to stay downtown, and, unfortunately, there aren’t any hotel rooms directly in downtown. YET. So, we rented an Airbnb just a two-minute walk away! A few days before Mother’s Day my son messaged me and said he was coming into town too. He wanted it to be a surprise, so he arrived in Brown County the night before. He found a great motel in Comanche and then drove in to surprise his mother for breakfast the next morning. She was so happy!

The point is that the whole concept of lodging in our area is changing for the better. There are more options than ever

Ranchers Daughters Boutique

Your one stop shop for women’s clothing, gifts, and accessories! Come visit us at 611 B Early Blvd in Early, Texas

before. New hotels are opening all over the place, including a nice new all-suites hotel just on the edge of Downtown. In almost every town and city in Brown County, some level of revitalization is taking hold. Brown County has become a destination for people from all over the country. Old hotels are being renovated and brought back to life. Downtown buildings all over the county are being transformed into boutique hotels or Airbnb-style rentals. If you want an older motel-style Route 66-esque motor hotel with a pool, you can find one. If you want an upscale downtown loft, or a time travel night in a historical home, renovated and updated, you can find your kind of space. From quaint country rooms on ranches, small beach homes on the lake, or full amenity hotel suites with a kitchenette… all of these choices are now available to the Brown County traveler.

As we walked around downtown on Mother’s Day, I pondered how much life has changed here in the last couple of decades. Strolling with my grown children from our little downtown crib to their spacious Airbnb apartment only a few blocks away, we passed pubs and new restaurants, quaint shops and boutiques. My first night ever spending the night in Brown County nearly twenty years ago, we had a room over the main highway through town. And it seems like that’s what the world thought about this area. Just pass through. Spend the night if you want but keep on moving. Nothing to see here.

Now, everything has changed.

I talk to people every week who are tourists or travelers looking for a peaceful and fun place to settle down. And now we have the lodging and amenity options that you used to only be able to find in the biggest of cities, but with all the small-town charm people are looking for.

Feels Like Home

Where to Stay

For more information about hotels and lodging in Brown County

Stars of Texas Showcases Area’s

The 26th Annual Stars of Texas Juried Art Exhibit was held this past February at the Depot and Cultural Center of Brownwood featuring artwork from across the state.

Artists brought 244 pieces to be considered for judging. Of those, 130 paintings, drawings, photography, sculpture, multimedia, and fiber arts were selected for the exhibit. The artist traveling the furthest to participate was from Alvin, Texas. Over $6,000 was awarded to artists during the VIP reception and awards ceremony. 29 pieces of artwork were purchased over the two-week period, totaling over $17,000.00 in art sold.

During the exhibit, two contests were held. The digital photo shootout, which challenged participating photographers to walk the downtown area and find a photo fitting the theme of “Something Blue, Something Purple” to photograph.

The Paint Off was sponsored by the Arts Council of Brownwood. It was held on Saturday, February 17th and had 13 artists that spent 6 hours creating artwork from a blank canvas/paper live at the Depot for viewers to watch and bid on in a silent auction. An additional 8 pieces of art were sold. Professor of Art Tim Harding from Tarleton University judged.

The planning committee would like to thank the many volunteers, demonstrators and artists who made the exhibit a success, offering the community a very diverse art experience.

Also, the committee would like to thank our sponsors for making the show possible : Visit Brownwood and The City of Brownwood, Ann Jones Real Estate, Texas Bank, KOXE 101.3FM, BrownwoodNews.com, Hey June, Be Okay

Photography, Dr. Stephen Kelly, Citizens National Bank, 10

Artistic Flare Every February

Mile Productions, The Good Booth, Kohler, The Arts Council of Brownwood, Morgan’s on Mayes, Grazed and Confused, Mr. Charles Touw, and Home2Suites of Brownwood. Also, our award sponsors including: Jane Ellen Jamar, Calvin and Suzanne Fryar, ASAP Printing, Ross and Nesa Setzler, Robert and Sally Porter, Jeff and Michael Jansen, Hutson Creative, Charles and KayBeth Stavley, Empire Iron Works, and Be Okay Photography.

Although the exhibit has ended, the planning committee would like to invite artists to start planning their next entries for the 2025 Stars of Texas Juried Art Exhibit.

For details, please visit StarsOfTexasJuriedArtExhibit.com and follow their page on social media at : @starsoftexasjuriedartexhibit on Instagram and Facebook.

2 0 2 4 S E A S O N

L I V E E N T E R T A I N M E N T :

C O N C E R T S

D A T E N I G H T S

C H I L D R E N ’ S S H O W S O

with the History of Brownwood and Brown County Getting in Touch

The story of Brownwood is not only what is happening today, but what happened in previous times. Brownwood embraces its rich history with museums such as the Brown County Museum of History, located at 209 North Broadway, as well as the Lehnis Railroad Museum and Visitors Center, which can be found at 700 East Adams.

Brown County Museum of History

The Brown County Museum of History, Inc., has the primary role of preserving the tangible evidence of our heritage and to educate the public through exhibition and interpretation of artifacts. The main library building is the Educational Center of Brown County Museum of History and located across the street

from the Brown County Jail. The rest of the museum is located in the old four story Brown County Jail, built in 1902 across the street from the Courthouse in downtown Brownwood.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Admission is $5 for adults; $4 for seniors & non-active duty military; $3 for students ages 5 and up & educators with an ID; and $15 for families – parents/grandparents with two or more students. Active military members and their families, as well as children under 4 are admitted for free.

Martin and Frances Lehnis Railroad Museum and Visitors Center

For visitors who arrive in Brownwood, the Martin and Francis Lehnis Railroad Museum and Visitors Center is among the first stops. With a knowledgeable staff to answer your questions, plus free public restrooms and parking, this is the ideal spot to start your Brownwood Adventure.

Situated across from Brownwood Fire Station #1 and the Brownwood Santa Fe Depot and Civic Center, the Visitor Center is in the Lehnis Railroad Museum – making it a prime location for watching trains go by while planning your visit. The venue is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed on Sundays and holidays.

At the Visitors Center you will find a free visitor guide, maps and brochures, a knowledgeable and friendly staff to answer your questions, a comfortable atmosphere to relax and plan your time in Brownwood & Brown County, a wide selection of free Brownwood, Brown County, and Texas travel literature and large public restrooms.

The Lehnis Railroad Museum relives the railroad history of Brownwood, Central Texas, and the American Southwest.

Exhibits include a variety of railroad memorabilia and equipment, photos and stories of early railroads while vividly interpreting the importance of the railroad to this area and American life.

CULTURE & HISTORY

$59,950,000 Bond Passes Will Provide

Significant Upgrades To

Brownwood ISD

Following a recommendation from the district’s Facility Advisory Committee on February 13, 2023 the Brownwood ISD Board of Trustees unanimously called a bond election for May 6, 2023 to fund district-wide improvements, including but not limited to Safety and Security Upgrades, ADA/Code Improvements, and a Multi-Purpose Indoor Student Activity Center.

All three propositions on the ballot passed as just over 1,580 residents cast their vote in each of the elections. The $59,950,000, 20-year bond was broken into three propositions and three, two, one, or none could have been approved by the voters.

Proposition A, at $27,650,000, features the following district-wide projects:

• Safety and security upgrades across the district

• Renovate Snodgrass Facility

• New field house at high school (locker rooms, weight room, training room, conference room, offices, storage, laundry)

• Accessible seating in high school gym

• Renovate middle school locker rooms

• New gym flooring at all elementary campuses

• New intermediate school auditorium seats

Proposition B, at $16,300,000, revolves around the following improvements to Gordon Wood Stadium:

• Home bleacher addition (1,000 seats)

• ADA/code improvements (Ramp access, aisles and stairs renovated for code compliance, ADA parking)

• New lights

• New concessions/restrooms

• New press box with elevator

• New turf and track resurface

Proposition C, at $16,000,000, calls for the construction of an indoor student activity center at BHS and additional facility upgrades that will feature:

• Use by band, baseball, softball, football, soccer, PE, and others

• 80 yards of turf

• Training room, dressing rooms, storage, offices

• Tennis improvements (Remove/replace courts, new scoreboard, new lights, new bleachers, windscreen)

• Baseball/Softball improvements (renovation of baseball field with new bleachers, dugouts, backstop, canopy over batting cages); New lights for baseball and softball fields

Security upgrades, the replacement of elementary gym floors, new seats for Coggin Auditorium, and tennis court renovations have already taken place. Work on the Snodgrass building and the Student Activity Center will start in the spring of 2024. New lights and turf are expected to be installed at Gordon Wood Stadium by the end of the 2023-24 school year, with the rest of the improvements to begin after the conclusion of the 2024 high school football season.

HOWARD PAYNE UNIVERSITY: BE A PART OF THE YELLOW JACKET EXPERIENCE

Howard Payne University has called Brown County home since the founding of the school more than 130 years ago. A Christian liberal arts institution, HPU prides itself on fostering a close-knit campus community where personal connection is valued, with a vast network of alumni and rich traditions passed down through the years. Through teaching, learning and service, the faculty and staff truly invest in students’ success.

At HPU, students choose from more than 100 majors, minors and pre-professional programs. The Guy D. Newman Honors Academy challenges students with a multidisciplinary curriculum and exciting travel opportunities. Co-curricular organizations include Model United Nations, Moot Court and Student Speaker Bureau, and numerous student organizations round out the school’s extracurricular options.

Students who enjoy athletics take part in well-attended intramural sports competitions. Student-athletes at HPU compete in six men’s and six women’s sports through the American Southwest Conference. Men’s sports are baseball, basketball, football, golf, soccer and tennis, while women’s sports are basketball, golf, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. HPU also offers cheerleading and esports as non-NCAA sports.

Each year, HPU hosts sporting events, lectures, concerts, recitals and theatre productions that are supported by the local community. Annual campus events include Homecoming, HPU Fest, Christmas on the Plaza and more.

Howard Payne University is a Christ-centered, close-knit academic community located in the heart of Texas since 1889.

Howard Payne College was founded at Indian Creek on June 20, 1889, by members of the Pecan Valley Baptist Association and Rev. Noah Turner Byars and Dr. John David Robnett. They named the college after the first major benefactor, Edward Howard Payne, the brother-in-law of Dr. Robnett. HPC held its first classes in 1890. In 1915, the yellow jacket was chosen as the university mascot. In 1974, Howard Payne College became Howard Payne University.

While much has changed since the founding of Howard Payne University 135 years ago, HPU’s vision has remained the same: To provide Christ-centered higher education in the heart of Texas.

For more information or to apply, visit www.hputx.edu.

You don’t have to go very far to get an authentic college experience. Find all the benefits of going away to college – active campus life, new friends, strong academic programs, exciting sports and more – right here in the Heart of Texas!

HPU also offers a special bonus just for students from our area – the Heart of Texas Scholarship, $60,000 over four years to students from Brown County and surrounding counties.

A great college experience is waiting for you right around the corner! Visit www.hputx.edu/closer to find out more.

District of Choice

Sizes

Success

BROWNWOOD ISD

From behind-the-scenes support staff to award-winning teachers, counselors, and administrators, Brownwood ISD is filled with professional staff who are at the top in their fields. The commitment to our future leaders does not stop at the district door. Our parents and guardians, business owners, local government leaders, and members of the community are all working together to make Brownwood, and its schools, the best in the nation.

Brownwood ISD offers students experience with the latest technology and educational opportunities from primary grades through high school where a growing variety of pathways, dual credit courses, and industry certifications make Brownwood ISD the District of Choice

The district also offers an exciting summer learning experience for Brownwood PK-5th grade students.

Camp Adventure: Roar on the Shore features fun enrichment activities, along with opportunities to dig deeper into academic subjects and field trips designed to give children a summer to remember.

Camp Adventure: Roar on the Shore is free and will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Thursday, June 10-27 and July 8-18. Participating students will receive free meals, transportation, and access to their favorite teachers and other Brownwood ISD staff.

These additional school days will help to ignite students’ strengths, eliminate learning gaps, and will provide more time for enrichment and experiences that feel different from a typical school day.

For registration and more information, scan the QR code or visit https://www.brownwoodisd.org and click on Summer Learning Program

WHAT STARTS HERE CHANGES THE WORLD

Early Independent School district is a mid-sized district located in Brown County in the heart of Texas. Early ISD focuses on students, families, and community. Small class sizes and a well-rounded student experience is what EISD prides itself on. With a 15-1 student to teacher ratio and due to small class sizes Early ISD can offer numerous options to its students. Our students find value in participating in numerous extra and co-curricular events. Early ISD was ranked the #1 school district in Brown County in U.S. News and World Report. The state of Texas has a very rigorous accountability system. The Early school district has obtained an A rating in back-to-back years from the state’s accountability system. If you are looking for a small town family-oriented school district that allows all kids to grow and flourish, Early ISD is your place. What Starts Here Changes the World!

IT’S

A GREAT DAY TO BE A DRAGON

Sitting on top of the hill in Brown County is Bangs ISD, the home of the Dragons. It is the center of a tight-knit and supportive community where roots often run deep, but it is always welcoming to newcomers. Bangs ISD offers the charm only a small district can while affording our students many of the opportunities found at larger districts.

Bangs ISD prides itself on offering multiple pathways by which our students can be successful once they graduate and begin their adult lives. We have pathway options leading to industry-based certifications in animal science, welding, business management, nursing, culinary, drone piloting, education, EMT, and pharmacy tech. In addition, we offer two pathways leading to associate degrees.

While providing a premier educational experience, Bangs ISD also realizes the importance of extracurricular programs. Our students are highly competitive in a wide range of activities including sports, theater, band, art, debate, UIL academics, FCCLA, and FFA. In every event, our Dragons strive for excellence and are proud to wear our green and white colors.

Bangs ISD is also particularly proud of our top-notch facilities. In recent years, Bangs ISD has updated our stadium and track, and we have added a wellness center to go along with our indoor workout facility. Future projects include adding security vestibules to all campuses and renovating the current middle school. Furthermore, we provide our teachers with the technology and tools they need so they can provide the best instruction possible. Above all else, we emphasize the safety of our students and are constantly working to ensure our students have a safe environment in which to learn.

Bangs ISD gives our students a sense of belonging and pride in our hometown school. We invite you to visit our district and experience why we always say “It’s a GREAT day to be a DRAGON!”

BROOKESMITH INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

Brookesmith Independent School District is thriving and innovative. Brookesmith ISD has been around since 1902.

What is different about this district, and why is it still here?

The answer is opportunity, quality education and the ability to learn in an academic setting that’s safe, caring, and supportive.

Any student can participate in most activities, like basketball, track and field, tennis, football, one act play, and FFA.

The district has a field house where students can lift weights, two fully functional gymnasiums, and a football field.

The district has a strong agricultural education program with its own livestock pens. The Brookesmith School Chapter is a part of the Texas FFA association and the National FFA organization. Agricultural education students engage in a wide range of projects and activities.

Student safety is a district priority. Campus security is another aspect of safety which is of the utmost importance to students, employees, and families. That’s why the district has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into video surveillance, communications equipment, transportation, medical provisions, and law enforcement assistance. Brookesmith ISD has a full-time nurse in residence. In

addition to providing care, she screens students for hearing and eyesight, dispenses medications, and provides comfort and support for little ones.

The food service at Brookesmith is noteworthy, exceptional even. Food Service has a continuing commitment to providing the most delicious, nutritious meals, and personal service.

Brookesmith ISD is a quality educational institution that prioritizes student success while seeking to maintain a safe, caring, and supportive environment.

100%

Small

Industry

Career

Dual

Clubs

Welcome to Early, Texas, and Brown County!

WELCOME to Early, Texas, and Brown County! We love our community and know you will enjoy all it offers as a visitor, tourist, resident, or businessperson. I appreciate this opportunity to extend a warm and hearty welcome to you.

Early is located where the Texas Hill County meets West Texas near the geographic center of Texas. Our prime location draws thousands of visitors each year. If you are a visitor or new to our area, please stop by our Visitors and Events Center for the latest information about our community and surrounding area. The City of Early is a caring community where neighbors support each other, and families grow and prosper in a safe and healthy environment. Please enjoy yourself whether you are here briefly or choose to make this your home. If you are visiting, we hope you will experience our community’s warmth and hospitality and return many more times. If you choose to make Early your home, we hope you will feel community pride and fully appreciate the value of being part of our City.

Sincerely,

Robert Mangrum Mayor

The History of Early, Texas

Around 1869 water supply issues arose and a disputed land title induced many citizens of Brownwood to move from the west side of the Pecan Bayou to the east. Early is named after Walter U. Early, an attorney who donated land in 1928 for several school buildings. Early incorporated on December 15, 1951. Heartland Mall, the first mall in Brown County opened in 1980, a city hall was built in 1982, and a post office was opened in 1985. In 2019, the Early Visitors and Events Center opened. Early continues to grow today and has the largest traffic count intersections in Brown County. Early City Park and McDonald Park are gathering spots for families and the community. On any given day, you will find Early Citizens/Visitors enjoying the beautiful parks and friendly neighborhoods! Shopping, Dining, Hunting & Fishing –Come see what you have been missing! Early Visitors and Events Center @ 419 Garmon Drive (Hwy 183 S & Hwy 84/67 E), 325-649-9300, dhudson-brian@earlytx.net

Early Town Center Project Coming To Life

By Mike Blagg

About five years ago the City of Early purchased sixty acres of land on the northwest side of Early Boulevard/Hwy 377 as it passes through town. At the time the City had no immediate need for the land, but according to Early City Administrator Tony Aaron the City saw “a good opportunity for recreational and commercial growth” there.

The City of Early engaged the architectural firm of Schwarz Hanson and began developing a plan. Now in 2024 the plan is being implemented one step at a time. A 7-acre lake has been built and stocked with fish, including Rainbow Trout, Bass, and Perch. The lake has two fishing docks and a kayak launch. There is also a pedestrian bridge across the lake. Also complete is a lighted walking trail of about one mile, a batting cage for baseball and softball, and an “outdoor classroom.” The classroom is built to look something like the original Early School building. It can be used for outdoor school instruction, as its name suggests, and for other things like church groups, book clubs, acoustic music, even weddings. And there is a giant sundial called “Time to Shine,” designed by Early High School students Aryn Lesley and Reese Estes. The sundial is about 30-ft in diameter with thirteen hour pillars ranging from 6-ft to 12-ft in height, and the shadow-casting gnomon stands at 24-feet tall. This giant sundial may remind you of Stonehenge.

Still to come in the western part of the project are a putting green, a golf playground, a dog park, a picnic area, and

perhaps a few holes of golf. Also proposed, but not committed to as yet, is a bridge across the Pecan Bayou. It would link Early’s Town Center with Brownwood’s Riverside Park, which is undergoing major renovations and upgrades this year.

Next to be built will be a Boardwalk along the eastern edge of the lake, complete with lighting, tables and chairs, firepits, etc. It will serve as a public space that will transition from the recreational area on the western half of Town Center to the commercial area on the eastern half.

The commercial area will have restaurants, retail stores, office space, multi-family housing, and a hotel, Towneplace Suites by Marriott. The Hutchins Brothers have committed to building an 18,000- square feet building which will house a restaurant and retail space. The proposed YMCA gym will be located here also, subject to voter approval in November of a bond issue.

“The recreational side of the Town Center project is mostly about the quality of life,” said Tony Aaron. He pointed out that the quality of life portion of the project will feed the growth of the commercial portion of the project. “It’s the best of both worlds because we are able to provide something that people enjoy and take their families to. Right now everything is free, or low-cost. Then the businesses will come in and you will see the financial payback in the economic growth, the jobs, and the housing.”

VISIT EARLY

McDonald Park

McDonald Park is the local city of Early park which many people come visit for outdoor walks, recreation, pickup basketball/volleyball games, and several city events. The park was named after the McDonald family who originally donated the land to Early ISD long ago. The park used to be Early ISD‘s main football field and locker room. But in 2007, the school district built a new football field, leaving the old one behind.

Years later in 2015 the City of Early purchased the land to build a new park for the local area. One of the most notable things about the park is the different amenities around that have been donated overtime from the community. The park track has been resurfaced, and the land is now a beautiful scene to spend time outside. The park also has wellconditioned basketball courts that see many players come in the evenings or when the weather is nice.

The City of Early also hosts different annual events at the park. The city utilizes the basketball courts for their annual Courts and Controllers event each year. This is a 3-on-3 basketball tournament that coincides with a gaming trailer for esports. Additionally, the 2024 event also featured a 3-on-3 volleyball tournament, a Super Smash Brothers video game tournament, and many other outside games.

The City of Early also hosts a Smart City Expo each year giving the community an opportunity to meet the people that work for their local government. The different departments

for the City set up booths around the track, plus the Chamber of Commerce, energy providers, and the finance department will have tables for people to understand the different aspects of city government and how different entities work for the city. It’s a good afternoon for people to connect with their local government and service providers. Additionally, this is a very

fun event for children with the park filled with all different types of city vehicles: fire trucks, police cars, tractors, trash trucks, street sweepers, and many more.

The City of Early also has an annual movie in the park in October, which is free to the public and includes food trucks, fire pits, and is a family friendly event for the whole community.

A unique aspect of McDonald Park is the sound garden, which is the only one of its kind for many miles. It was pushed by the local TMCN student leadership group and includes pipes, drums, xylophones, etc. It’s an inclusive play area that is helpful for people with sensory disorders. The park is a wonderful area for a stroll, events, family gatherings, and fun recreation. Information about the dedication of this park is on page 40.

Making Houses Into Homes

Dart Furniture is a family-owned discount Furniture, Appliances, Electronics, and Mattresses store based in Brady and Early, Texas. Since 1984. With low prices on Furniture, Appliances, Electronics, Mattresses and products and top notch customer service.

909 EARLY BLVD IN EARLY, TX

Welcome to BangsTexas! Where Small Town Spirit Shines

Nestled in the heart of Central Texas, Bangs may not be a household name, but much like its hometown baseball legend Debs Garms, our town packs a punch that goes beyond its size. Just like Garms, who defied expectations by winning the National League batting title in 1940, an era of all-time greats including Jimmie Foxx and Babe Ruth, Bangs, Texas offers a surprising depth of experiences waiting to be discovered. Embark on a journey through our charming town, where small-town spirit thrives and hidden gems are waiting to be unearthed.

Welcome from the Mayor

On behalf of the Bangs community, I extend a warm welcome to you. Nestled in the heart of Texas, just 22 miles almost due north of the state’s geographical center, Bangs offers a unique blend of rich history and friendly charm. While our town may be unassuming at first glance, it holds a surprising depth of experiences and history waiting to be discovered.

Did you know? Bangs shares its name with Samuel Bangs, a printer who received the land grant for his contributions to the Texas Revolution, though he never set foot in the town itself. This unique origin story is just one of the many fascinating facets of our local heritage.

Our community boasts a rich history dating back to the early 20th century, evidenced by the chartering of the Masonic Lodge in 1908 and the Odd Fellow Lodge in 1909. Interestingly, Bangs predates our neighboring city of Brownwood (chartered in 1916), having been officially established in 1909 and chartered in 1915.

Beyond its historical significance, Bangs thrives as a vibrant and welcoming community. We are proud to have fostered the talents of individuals like baseball legend Debs Garms, Country Music artist Coffey Anderson, and MLB players Bryan “Slimm” Harriss and William Garms. Additionally, Bangs was once home to the renowned Texans Incorporated ceramics and lamp manufacturer, further solidifying our connection to creativity and innovation.

As you explore Bangs, you will discover a variety of options to suit your interests. Relax and cool off at our brand-new splash pad, catch a baseball game, attend a BBQ cookoff, or host your own activity at our Event Center. Enjoy a Second Saturday morning browsing the many unique offerings at the farmers market (Mar - Oct). Throughout the year we also host movie nights in the park, providing opportunities to connect with the community under the Texas sky.

Our beautiful city park and recently refinished basketball court offer additional spaces for recreation and relaxation.

Sincerely,

The Mayor of Bangs, Texas

Bangs Thrift Mart

Bangs Community Event Center: Your Perfect Venue for Any Event!

Looking for a versatile and exciting space to host your next event? Look no further than the Bangs Community Event Center! This vibrant hub offers a variety of amenities that can cater to any gathering, big or small.

Host Your Dream Event:

Sports Tournaments: The two baseball fields and one softball field are perfect for hosting tournaments, team practices, or friendly games. There are two batting cages on site.

• Family Fun Days: The playscape and splash pad provide a delightful setting for birthday parties, family reunions, or school outings. Benches are being installed and shade structures are in the works.

• Festivals and Fairs: The expansive open area with electric hookups is ideal for festivals, fairs, or vendor markets. Let your creativity flow and set up booths, tents, or even stages for live entertainment.

• Corporate Events: Impress your colleagues with a unique event at the center. The open area is perfect for team-building activities, company picnics, or outdoor presentations.

Beyond the Space:

The Bangs Community Center offers more than just a venue. Their convenient concession stand can provide refreshments for your guests, while ample parking ensures a stress-free arrival for everyone.

Memorable Events Made Easy:

The Bangs Community Center has a proven track record of hosting successful events. From movie nights under the stars to thrilling bike races and delicious BBQ cookoffs, they’ve seen it all! Their dedicated team is here to help you plan and execute your event flawlessly.

Ready to Get Started?

Contact Bangs City Hall today to discuss your event needs and rental options. With its flexible space, convenient amenities, and good parking, the center is the perfect place to create lasting memories for your next gathering.

Rackin’ Up Dreams

“

Giving a hands up for those in need and rackin’ up dreams for special kids in Brown County and the surrounding area!”

By Derrick Stuckly

For the past 17 years everyone has known the charity organization Buckmasters Heart of Texas Chapter. In the summer of 2023, the Brownwood Chapter was notified that Buckmasters in Montgomery, Alabama had sold and the new owners were no longer going to continue their national 501c3 charity that had been helping communities through their organization for over 30 years.

Larry Hart, the National Director of Buckmasters American Deer Foundation, said, “It was sad to notify all the chapters across the country that the decision of the Buckmasters home office was to end the organization.” He went on to say that these were the chapters he had been closely involved with for over 17 years and they were more like family to him and lots of tears were shed when they were told.

Tim Schoen, local president of Buckmasters Brownwood Chapter, Connie and Larry Hart, chapter volunteers, ranches, businesses and supporters knew that it was not over for our

local charity organization that has helped so many over the past 17-plus year with their hundreds of charitable projects. The officers quickly went into action mode to start making plans to organize their own 501c3 and keep on making dreams come true.

Schoen said, “We started in August of 2023 and acquired help from Scott Morelock, a local attorney that has helped many organizations in getting 501c3 status. We also reached out to Jennifer Robison, CPA, for her assistance with the forms and accounting it was going to take to get started.”

He added, “The first order of business was to pick a name of the new organization. We all met and went over several new names, but the one that stuck in everyone’s mind was presented by Erica Delgado. Erica has been with the chapter for 17 years and heads up the wait staff at their charity banquet held each year. She said ‘What about Rackin’ Up Dreams Outdoors?’ Everyone looked at her and said ‘Perfect!’”

The name changed, but nothing will change in the way we have helped with our charitable projects, other than we will be able to help more and broaden our outreach due to 100 percent of the proceeds raised by Rackin’ Up Dreams Outdoors will stay here to fund them all, Schoen added.

Disabled Hunters Services were established by Buckmasters in 1993 to assist people with severe physical handicaps who enjoy hunting and shooting sports, and will be continued through Rackin’ Up Dreams Outdoors.

Some of the things that can be taken for granted by the able bodied sportsman are life-changing events for this segment of the population: learning to shoot again, being in the wilderness, or just witnessing animals in the wild. Rackin’ Up Dreams Outdoors knows the importance of outdoor recreation and how it can have a tremendous impact on the quality of life for people with disabilities. They have developed a wide range of programs and resources for helping challenged individuals with their outdoor adventure ambitions.

Donations of equipment are available to qualified persons with disabilities. They make dreams come true by providing much needed adaptive shooting equipment for many disabled hunters each year. Although expensive, this equipment makes it possible for the recipient to be able to shoot and target practice for recreation, and to hunt right where they live!

Donations may include the purchase of mechanical gun rests and trigger systems that allow quadriplegics to shoot a firearm or crossbow. They do not provide any individual money funding for mobility or track chairs.

“It’s not just hunting equipment, we have specially modified fishing equipment as well to allow anyone with a disability to again catch a fish,” Hart said. “These kids never expected to ever to be able to hunt or fish ever again.”

This program creates environments where people with disabilities and illnesses can offer peer support to one another. The camaraderie facilitates hope and fosters confidence, self-esteem and independence among our participants. Injured hunters can once again take part in something that was a very important part of their lives.

Life hunts grant hunting trips to critically ill and extremely disable children and young adults up to age 21. Life Hunts was created in 1998 after mainstream foundations stopped granting hunting wishes or requests that involved hunting, firearms or archery equipment. The Life Hunt program gives children with questionable futures a glimmer of hope, and something to look forward to through their medical trials. These hunts are also offered to severely disabled children who have diseases known to shorten their life span.

“Our life hunts are our No. 1 thing,” Schoen said. “Every year I have people ask me, ‘what do you make off of this?’

We make friends and family. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done with my life bar none. We get to go to some beautiful places, meet wonderful people, make life long friends and make memories. A lot of the time we are just pushing the record button on a camera filming the hunt but it probably later gets on TV. Those kids are battling things that most of us can’t imagine. Then every year at our banquet, we have all of our hunters and families back and present mounts and recognize them and the landowners.”

Brownwood Country Club

Brownwood Country Club provides a quality golf experience, varied recreational activities and a social and family environment that fosters camaraderie for our members and their guests. We strive to create a fun and comfortable family-friendly environment.

Brownwood Makes Major Improvements To Parks

As we wrote in last year’s Area Guide, we have lots of parks in Brownwood, especially for a town of our size. The City of Brownwood operates nineteen different parks with a total of 317 acres. These parks include 105 picnic sites, eleven playgrounds, eight basketball courts, tennis and pickleball courts, a modern aquatic center plus several more swimming pools, and three splashpads. For youth sports the City has a 22-field soccer complex, plus the Bert V. Massey Sports Complex which contains twelve baseball and softball fields.

But the City of Brownwood is not resting with all of that. In 2023 the City adopted a Parks Master Plan. The first big project was Coggin Park, where the City spent $400,000 on a new ½-mile walking trail, new fencing, and completely rebuilt tennis/pickleball courts. This year trees will be planted along the walking trail. In the coming years the plan calls for some new playground equipment and updates to the basketball court.

This year the biggest city park, Riverside Park, is undergoing a complete renovation, necessitating closure of the park while under construction. Phase One is budgeted at $3,113,912, and is being paid for primarily with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.

This phase includes:

1. Demolish and replace roadways with new asphalt roads

2. 180 parking spaces

3. New fencing

4. New pavilion

5. New landscaping

6. New electrical and lighting

7. Food truck hookups

8. Improved sidewalks

9. New signage

Phase Two will cost $1,500,000, funded primarily by a grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and will prioritize recreation and amenities.

This phase will include:

1. Improvements of native landscaping

2. Playground improvements with inclusive elements

3. Paved trail improvements

4. River view picnic facilities

5. Sand volleyball court improvements

6. Public art

7. Restroom improvements

8. Additional lightning.

Both phases are expected to be completed this year with a re-opening of the park in the Fall of 2024.

Other park improvements coming in the next few years include improved electrical service and ADA ramps at Wiggins Park and improvements to the tennis courts at Allcorn Park.

Brownwood Parks and Recreation

A total of 19 parks are spread out over 317 acres within the City of Brownwood. This includes 105 picnic sites, 15 restroom facilities, 11 playgrounds, 8 basketball courts, 2 municipal swimming Pools, 12 baseball and softball fields at the Massey Sports Complex, and 22 fields at the Camp Bowie Soccer Complex.

Brownwood is also home to disc golf, hike trails, boat ramps, fishing, pavilions, nature trail, paddling trail, RV areas, tennis courts, volleyball courts and more. For more information on any park, please call 325-646-0146.

Allcorn Park

9.34 acres bordered by 4th Street & Indian Creek Drive. Pavilion built by Brownwood Rotary Club with four Picnic tables and a sitting capacity of 76. The Pavilion also has a covered cooking grill. Basketball half-court, 2 practice baseball/softball fields, 2 lighted tennis courts, playground equipment, 2 practice soccer goals, 9 picnic tables, 3 BBQ grills, restroom facilities, water fountains, and 36 parking spaces.

Bert V Massey II Sports Complex

2301 Dickman Dr. Located on 66 acres off Milam Drive and Calvert Road, across from Gordon Wood Stadium. This features the Camp Bowie Aquatic Center, 3 concession stands, 4 boys baseball fields, 4 girls softball fields, 2 teenage baseball fields, and 2 adult softball fields. All fields have bleachers.

Bunin Park

2001 Waco

Waco Street behind the Belle Plain Baptist Church (1974 EDA Project) – Environment Development. Basketball half-court, picnic table, parking spaces.

Camp Bowie Memorial Park

2500 Morris Sheppard

Morris Shepherd at Burnett Road across from Hendrick Medical Center-Brownwood. 2 practice baseball/softball fields, building leased to Jaycees, picnic table, RV parking, artillery equipment from Japan, Germany, and USA.

Camp Bowie Soccer Complex

2201 Calvert Road

For players and spectators using fields #14 - #22, we encourage parking along the curve on Calvert Road (head-in, not parallel) for maximum spaces, as well as a newly cleared lot at the intersection of Calvert Road and Milam Drive. The lot is a temporary solution to expand parking on the south side of the complex, but is not paved. It will not be usable if it rains and becomes wet. Parking on Calvert Road is allowed, as long as it is parallel parking, and not in front of private driveways or mailboxes. Parking along the north side of the complex on the park road (extension of Longhorn Lane) is not allowed, and is posted as such with “No Parking” signage.

Cecil Holman Park and Pavilion

1100 Hall St.

3.04 acres off Cordell and Hall Street right next to Austin Avenue.(1974 EDA Project) – Environment Develop. 1 baseball/softball field with bleachers, pavilion area (4 tables @ 10’) with sitting capacity of 72, which include 2 game tables. 1 basketball half-court, 1 basketball full-court lighted, sand volleyball pit, 1 lighted tennis court, large playground area, picnic tables, 320 square inch open BBQ grill, park benches, restroom facilities, and parking area. Bennie Houston Recreation Center is also part of the park.

Coggin Park

2001 Austin Ave.

15.15 acres on Austin Avenue between Parkway and Roselawn.(1974 EDA Project) – Environment Develop. 4 baseball/softball practice fields, 3 soccer fields, sand volleyball pit, 2 pavilion areas, each pavilion has 4 picnic tables and has a sitting capacity of 38 with a 500 square inch covered grill. Lighted Full size basketball/inline hockey court. Pecan orchard, large playground area, lighted asphalt walking trail is 1/2 mile, winding through the park. Exercise stations, picnic tables, BBQ pits, water fountains, and parking area. Each pavilion can be reserved by calling Adams St. Community Center at 325-646-0146.

Fabis Primative Park

FM 212, 2 miles out on Farm Market 2125 toward Lake Brownwood Dam. 3 overnight camping sites, each with 300 square inch tilt fire ring grill, 14 foot picnic table, must have a permit to stay overnight, visit the Adams St Community Center at 511 E. Adams Street for permit. River Trail map. Fishing and boat ramp available from 8 a.m. till dusk. Large pecan orchard along Jim Ned Creek.

Festival Park

3100 Milam Dr.

Approximately 25 acres located on Milam Drive next to Corinne T. Smith Animal Center. Volleyball area, 2 baseball/ softball practice fields, pavilion area, pavilion sitting capacity is 40 with 4 picnic tables and restroom facilities.

Gladys Seward Park

702 Walnut

Combination basketball/tennis court, 2 picnic tables, slide, swing, merry go round, 2 spring toys, climbing toy, and water fountains.

Kiwanis Park

800 W. Baker

1.95 acres located at the corner of West Baker and Romines. 2 baseball/softball practice fields, soccer field, and parking.

Letbetter Park

700 Sharp

Playground equipment, picnic tables, water fountain, and parking.

Mayes Park

2700 Austin

Adjacent to East Elementary School, at Idlewild and Austin Avenue. Includes a skate park and splash pad.

Pat Coursey Park

200 Center Ave

This downtown park was built in 2003 on the location of the old J.C. Penney’s. The park has a beautiful water wall with rock walls that provide seating. Renamed in February 2012 from Center Park to Pat Coursey Park, in honor of Former Brownwood City Councilman Pat Coursey.

Riverside Park

46.43 acres adjacent to Pecan Bayou on East Commerce

Large playground area, sand volleyball court, boat ramp, nature trail, picnic tables, BBQ pits, restroom facilities, large pavilion that will seat 240 with a 720 square inch open grill, and RV hookups. In 2005 the Recreation Trails Program of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department help fund the one mile by 8 foot wide concrete walking trail, the 7/10th of a mile nature trail, and new restrooms. The Havins unit helped with in-kind labor. 18 hole Frisbee Disc Golf Course - 5,873 ft long. 15 holes at par 3, 2 at par 4 and 1 hole at par 5.

Snider Park

1701 11th St

Playground equipment, picnic table, BBQ pit, and parking

Taber Park

800 Ave I

Thomason Park

2.07 acres at the corner of Avenue B and 12th St. Playground equipment, 2 baseball/softball practice fields, large open area for flag football, and soccer. Picnic table, BBQ pit, and parking.

Trigg Park

307 Bluffview

4 baseball/softball practice fields, playground area, splash pad, large open area, picnic tables, BBQ pit, and parking.

Wiggins Park

1100 Victoria

Mexican style architecture pavilion (2 picnic tables) that has a seating capacity of 32 with a 320 square inch open grill, Wiggins Pool (80’x44”), plaza area, basketball half-court, baseball/softball practice field, 4 practice soccer goals, playground area, picnic tables, benches, and BBQ pit.

Splash Pads

Splash pads, located at Mayes, Trigg, and Allcorn Parks, provide a fun activity for children and families and are free, allowing all residents to enjoy. The splash pads will be activated from 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. and the dates of operation are expected to continue through October but will be extended depending on warm weather.

Mayes Park: 2700 Austin Avenue

Allcorn Park: 1501 Indian Creek Drive

Trigg Park: 307 Bluffview Drive

Col. Burns Ranch Restored To

By Mike Blagg

Have you ever wondered what Texas was like 200 years ago, when the Comanche Indians lived here and before the European settlers arrived? You won’t have to go far to find out. Dr. Paul Burns has spent some thirty years restoring the family land known as the Colonel Burns Ranch to its original condition, and has received an award from the State of Texas for his accomplishment.

Dr. Burns’ great-grandfather Simon Pierce Burns was born in Ohio in 1834 and moved to Texas as a child. When the Civil War began he joined the Confederate Army and rose to the rank of Colonel. After the war, he purchased some land in northeast Brown County in 1873. At the time, Brown County was about as far west as the white man would go, because the Comanche Indians were plentiful to the west.

Over the next two decades Col. Burns built up the ranch, and was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1894. He died of a heart attack four years later.

The ranch then went to his two sons, S.P. Burns II (Dr. Paul Burns’ grandfather) and Uncle Billy Burns. Through the following years and generations, the fortunes of the Burns

Ranch went up and down, as the economy and the agriculture markets went boom and bust. Some portions of the ranch were sold off over the years through necessity. Uncle Billy’s portion was sold to McGillivray Muse from Fort Worth. Years later it was donated to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and is now the Muse Wildlife Management Area.

Over time the remainder of the Burns Ranch went to the third generation. George Pierce Burns worked the ranch the best he could, while holding down a full-time job in Brownwood, and sending his children off to college. Pierce became an engineer, younger brother Paul became a doctor, and sister Mary Margaret became an educator.

In the 1970’s Pierce, Paul, and Mary Margaret began reacquiring portions of the ranch that had been sold over the years. Pierce moved home and took over management of the ranch in 1987. For several years they tried running cattle on the land, but that didn’t work out. After Paul retired from his medical practice in Austin, he got more involved in the ranch. Some years were spent trying to make improvements to the land, but their hit-or-miss approach wasn’t working.

“I decided to try to restore the land, and make it back the way it used to be,” said Dr. Burns. “I picked an arbitrary time, about 1840. I went back and read all the original journals I could find, from all over the world.” Burns traveled to Europe and read the journals of early explorers such as Jacob De Cordova, Ferdinand von Roemer, George Kendall, and Randolph Marcy. He took classes and attended seminars at Texas A&M, the University of Texas, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. He also received a lot of help from Devin Erxleben, the then wildlife biologist at the Muse Wildlife Management Area (now the Area Manager). After five years of study “I decided that I would go all out and try to restore the ranch the way it was before it was settled in the 1860’s and 1870’s.”

The first step was taking the cattle off the ranch. “I decided I would not restore it for any deer or quail, or recreation. But I would restore it just for the plants and the animals and the water. So that’s what we’ve tried to do now for about thirty years. It has been a very difficult thing to do.”

They removed any mesquite trees less than 70 years old, and planted by hand (on thousands of acres) five types of tall prairie grass: Big Blue Stem, Little Blue Stem, Side Oat Grama, Switch Grass, and Indian Grass. They re-arranged trees to be in the gulleys and along streams, resulting in areas where the land is

To 19th Century Environment

open and areas where it is wooded. “After twenty years of removing livestock and planting grasses, we have beautiful grass, where we once had bare ground… In addition to mesquite, the ranch now has oak, elm, pecan, and walnut trees…. I have created an old-growth forest, making our ranch look different from any other in the county.”

On the ranch is a house that was built in 1898, and at one time was home to a family with eleven children. It was later used as a hay barn, and fell into disrepair. Dr. Burns restored it to a beautiful house once again.

In 2012 Dr. Burns was honored with the Land Steward Award from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. This prestigious award is given to private landowners to recognize their “contributions to land, water, and wildlife stewardship.”

The Colonel Burns Ranch is bordered on the east by the Muse Wildlife Management Area. Recently Burns agreed to transfer 2,000 acres of the ranch to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. It is now the Paul and Toni Fox Burns Wildlife Management Area, and will be operated by the same staff at the neighboring Muse WMA. “We poured our life into this ranch, restoring it. And we wanted it to continue. When they proposed to transfer it to Parks and Wildlife the whole family was ecstatic. We have had a close working relationship with Parks and Wildlife for decades now. This will double the size of the Muse WMA, and the ranch will be scientifically and properly managed forever.”

Sometimes visitors tell Burns that it looks like he hasn’t done anything. “That is the greatest compliment I can receive.” Indeed, that was the point of his efforts. The Burns WMA looks like the land in this area did two hundred years ago.

Before

After

Fabis Primitive Park A Diamond in the Rough

By Diane Adams

Fabis Primitive Park, with its giant pecan trees that dot the landscape above the banks of the slow moving Pecan Bayou, is a virtually undeveloped parkland that was donated to the City of Brownwood by a grateful resident. If you’re looking for a quiet spot where you can fish, paddle a boat or just watch the clouds go by with relatively little bustle or interference, Fabis Park is for you. With several primitive campsites, a popular boat launch and great fishing spots along the bayou, this park is a hidden gem for those who enjoy a peaceful day in a natural setting.

Pecan Bayou Paddling Trail at Fabis Park provides an opportunity for visitors to wend their way down the Bayou for 5-7 miles, depending on how the mood strikes. This leisurely water tour of Pecan Bayou is noted for its rich wildlife, many of which are easily spotted along the way. The campsites are a great place to host a weekend barbeque or to stay overnight, but you must have a reservation for overnight stays.

Adolph Fabis, who once owned the slightly over 22 acres of land that now make up the park, was an entomologist assigned to the Brownwood area by the US Department of Agriculture in 1917. He loved the Brownwood area, and refused a transfer to another area, instead resigning his position to take up pecan farming. Fabis was a renowned pecan grower whose trees experienced remarkable success, and he took great pride in his groves. He once wrote, “I would not trade my farm for all of Manhattan Island.”

Fabis lived alone on his pecan farm, except for his dog. In 1976, a strong storm producing tornadoes moved over the area. Fabis and his dog hid inside a claw footed bathtub until the storm passed. When he and the dog came out, there was nothing left of his home but a concrete slab. People from the City of Brownwood banded together to come to the aid of Mr. Fabis, helping him to rebuild his house free of charge. Mr. Fabis had no close family, so when he died he left the land that is now Fabis Primitive Park to the City of Brownwood as a token of gratitude towards the people of the Brownwood area.

Pat Chesser, attorney for the City of Brownwood, provided some details on the grant Mr. Fabis made of the land to the City of Brownwood. It reads in part:

THAT I, ADOLPH I. FABIS, a single man, of the County of Brown, State of Texas, for and in consideration of the love and affection I have for my lands and pecan orchards and my desire to share them in perpetuity with the citizens of my community and country, have granted, given and conveyed, and by these presents do grant, give and convey unto the City of Brownwood, a municipal corporation of the State of Texas, for the use and benefit of the general public and as a place of recreation for the general public and the beautification of the City of Brownwood, all of the following… [including a description of what would become the park lands]

Mr. Fabis’ gift of land to the City was the result of a gift the residents of Brownwood gave to him, but it became something even greater. The beauty of the park is its natural and unrefined areas. There are no playgrounds, soccer fields or tennis courts or walking trails, but a park experience there is a closer to nature feel than one often finds in an average park. The park is home to many different bird species, some of which are rare and highly coveted by bird watching enthusiasts. The lonesome call of a wandering hawk is heard more often than a car engine and the sound of the wind through the branches of its massive old pecan trees is more common than the chatter of human voices.

There’s a sense of timelessness at Fabis Park, a peaceful feeling that everything you’re seeing looks pretty much the way it has for a hundred years or more. The driveway to the park is a winding trail lined by pecan trees and dappled with light, with fences covered in tangled vines that attract wild turkey and deer. This hidden treasure is a time warp back to the days before industrial development changed the surrounding landscape.

A storm out there caused Fabis’ neighbors to come together and help a storm victim. Out of the kindness that the citizens of Brownwood showed to a man in times of trouble, came Fabis Primitive Park, an off the beaten track ‘diamond in the rough’ preserved for generations of visitors and locals alike.

Claybird Club

Welcome to the Brownwood Claybird Club, a public sporting clays retreat in Brownwood, TX.

As you navigate to The Claybird, you will down Claybird Road providing you with beautiful views of Country Club Lake and the 18th fairway of the Brownwood Country Club. Once arriving you will notice first our expansive modernly rustic event center. Our event center grants beautiful pine paneling, glass roll up doors that draw you to the views of the delightful native oak trees that surround the venue. Give us a call today to inquire about your next celebration venue.

When visiting our pro shop you will be greeted by a friendly face, eager to assist with your sporting clay needs. The shop is fully stocked with novelty items, apparel and ammo.

Our sporting clay facility is truly one of a kind. The grounds offer numerous terrains to simulate bird (& rabbit) hunting of all sorts. You approach stations with obstacles including water, tree cover, speed, overhead, below your feet and more. Spend the day taking on the views of Brownwood and the 25 sporting clay stations, along with stations set up for your sub gauge guns. Target presentations are changed bi-weekly.

The Claybird takes pride in hosting tournaments, fundraisers and being the home of local youth 4H and SCTP teams. Including, the sought after Future Champions Camp. We are very excited to have been voted to host the 2024 TEXAS STATE SUPER SPORTING CHAMPIONSHIP!

Sporting Clays is the perfect activity for families or for your next business retreat!

Whether you’re just wanting to get outside to enjoy your shotgun or training to get to the next level, the Brownwood Claybird Club is the sporting clays destination to suit your desires

Lake Brownwood

Photo taken by Scott Coers in 2021 of Lake Brownwood flowing over the spillway after heavy rains.

Lake Brownwood is a beautiful and rustic lake that attracts people from miles and miles around. The lake itself was formed by damming the Pecan Bayou and Jim Ned Creek in 1933. The lake is situated 70 miles southeast of Abilene and about 10 miles north of Brownwood.

The surface area is 6,490 acres with a drainage area of 1,535 square miles. The lake’s normal capacity is 118,900 acre-feet with a maximum capacity of 448,200 acre-feet. The spillway elevation is 1,425 feet. Lake Brownwood contains two named islands, both located towards the northern half of the lake: Goat Island and McCartney Island.

LAKE BROWNWOOD STATE PARK

Lake Brownwood State Park is located 16 miles northwest of Brownwood on TX 279. Take TX 279 to PR 15, then head east on PR 15 for 6 miles. Located on Lake Brownwood, a 7,300-surface-acre reservoir, the park offers a variety of outdoor activities, camping and lodging. The park features 87 camping sites, & other campgrounds in the lake area include Flat Rock Park and Sandy Beach.

In 1934, the Texas State Parks Board acquired 538 acres from the Brown County Water Improvement District No. 1 for a state park on the lake. The board paid $1. Construction on the park began under the Civil Works Administration. The CWA employed local men who were part of Emergency Conservation Work programs. These were the forerunners of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Many structures in use today were constructed with timber and native rock found in the park by the CCC in the early 1930s including the historic clubhouse (pictured above).

RECREATION

With nearly 100 miles of shoreline and 537 acres available for recreation, activities include picnicking, camping, hiking (6 miles of hiking trails), boating (motors allowed), water skiing (jet skis allowed), fishing, nature study, swimming, and birdwatching.

WILDLIFE

Visitors can enjoy an atmosphere of rustic beauty and tranquility with miles of shoreline where wildflowers, White-tailed Deer, ducks, raccoons, armadillos, squirrels, and a variety of birds can be observed in a natural setting. Common birds that can be seen in the park and around the lake include: mallard, northern bobwhite, great blue heron turkey vulture, killdeer white-winged dove, mourning dove, eastern phoebe, ladder-backed woodpecker, blue jay, Carolina chickadee, black-crested titmouse, cactus wren, Bewick’s wren, eastern bluebird, northern mockingbird, European starling, canyon towhee, rufous-crowned sparrow, northern cardinal, red-winged blackbird, brown-headed cowbird and house sparrow.

LAKE BROWNWOOD

FISHING

For anglers, largemouth bass and white bass fishing are rated good to excellent. Summer and early fall are particularly good for white bass. Florida largemouth bass were introduced in 1975. Catfish, crappie, and freshwater drum can also be found in this lake.

Lake Brownwood has many small coves, bays, and creeks with a variety of habitat. The lake is primarily lined by rocky structure and boat docks. The upper end of the Jim Ned and Pecan Bayou arms have standing timber, black willow trees and buttonbush. Water willow and bulrush are scattered throughout the lake, but water willow is most abundant in Sowell Creek.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has placed fish habitat structures in the lake, with funding from the Largemouth Bass Conservation License Plate and support from local governments and fishing clubs. Anglers may use GPS in conjunction with a fish finder to locate these structures.

The name says it all!

White bass are most easily caught from early May through October when they school in the main lake area. During this time, they can be caught on the surface. Largemouth bass fishing is best from September through May. Fishing rocks and points with crankbaits, jigs, spinnerbaits, and topwater will produce.

HIKING TRAILS

Lake Brownwood State Park Trail Map

LAKE BROWNWOOD STATE PARK CABINS AND LODGING

LAKESIDE BAR & GRILL

Located across the street from the water shores of Lake Brownwood, locals and visitors will enjoy the beauty of the lake from their table inside or from our outdoor seating in one of our gazebos. While enjoying the beauty of Lake Brownwood, you may even see deer in the area.

While relaxing and enjoying the beauty of the lake, you can enjoy one of our tasty appetizers, followed by a big juicy homemade hamburger and homemade french fries. Or how about a chili cheese dog, a pizza or a fish and chip basket? Wash it all down with an ice cold draft beer from our BottomsUp system or have a refreshing cocktail from our full service bar.

Friday nights will be dedicated to Karaoke with Dave. We will be having special theme nights, such as Hopping 50’s and Roaring 20’s etc. We will be having all you can eat nights as well.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Look for our Lakeside Bar and Grill Mobile Unit in and around the Brownwood area.

Robert and Sheila Cotham moved to Lake Brownwood about a year and a half ago from Albuquerque, New Mexico to start their retirement and be closer to their family in Abilene. When the opportunity to purchase the building fell into their laps, they decided to step out of retirement and roll up their sleeves to create a great relaxing dining experience for the lake area.

Our mission is to have a family-friendly restaurant serving delicious food and beverages for our community for years to come!

Come on out and join us for great food, great drinks and great times!

Building Lake Brownwood’s Dam

By Diane Adams

The flood of 1900 was literally the flood to end all floods in Brownwood, as it was the genesis of serious plans to build a dam on Pecan Bayou above the town. The City of Brownwood was devastated by this flood. The downtown district was underwater, and surrounding areas cut off from any communication with the outside world. An article in the September 24, 1900 edition of The Tennessean described the carnage. “Many bridges in Brownwood have been wrecked or injured. It is also feared many lives have been lost. The last information from Brownwood, sent out at about 10 AM, stated that the town was flooded and entirely submerged by water, and that people and goods were being removed to places of safety in boats and rafts.” A floodwater depth of 10 feet in town was reported, and up to 15 feet south of Brownwood. “Nothing can be heard from places up the line. The rain is pouring down and streams still rising. The country districts cannot be heard from.”

The flood was a major economic blow for Brownwood, although severe droughts were even more common and often as devastating, making a controlled yet reliable water source paramount. Debates raged between those upstream in Brownwood and downstream interests controlled by out-ofstate entities claiming water rights along the Colorado River. The dam was projected to be built along Pecan Bayou, just a few miles north of the city, thus restricting some of the water flow into the Colorado. This battle for water rights, which affected many other small towns in West Texas along with Brownwood, was finally won by the towns concerned after a lengthy legal battle, and the path was cleared for the project to begin. Construction on the dam that would eventually form Lake Brownwood began in December 1929 under the direction of the Brown County Water Improvement District Number 1. A parcel of land consisting of 7,200 acres was acquired by the water district on which to construct the lake and dam.

Engineers recommended a 1,600-foot long earthen dam 116 feet high above Pecan Bayou, and that advice was followed, meaning expensive and long term construction was needed. This ambitious and complicated project was paid for in part by bonds levied against property owners in the area. Dire predictions were made by those in opposition of the project, claiming that the lake would never fill and that the project

would be a failure. Nevertheless, the work continued, as tons of dirt were scraped out and hauled away from the site. The dam at the lake was designed to hold 16,800 acre-feet of water for industry and municipalities, as well as 50,590 acre-feet for the purposes of irrigation. Much of the moving of dirt required for the lake was done by teams of mules dragging scrapers, while other work was carried out by machines.

Lake Brownwood dam was completed in 1933. Shortly after the completion, a heavy rain fell in the area, entirely filling the watershed and solidifying the views of the dam project’s supporters that the idea was going to work. The town was now protected from all but the worst flooding rains and all but the most virulent droughts. In June 1936, the Brownwood Bulletin ran a story updating the public regarding the success of the undertaking. “With the building of the dam, Brownwood’s dream of a half century came true,” the article stated. “The value of the reservoir as a means of preventing the flooding of Pecan Bayou was fully demonstrated during the great flood of July 1932. The run-off following the rain, which fell the night

of July 2, filled the reservoir to spillway level in 24 hours. Records kept on the flood by district engineers show this total run-off from the rain was 212,000 acre-feet, or nearly one and one-half times the average mean annual run-off: also that had the dam not existed there would have been a flood peak of 315,000 acre-feet, which would have flooded Brownwood and the entire Bayou valley.” Seven thousand acres were filled overnight. The dam was not yet completed, and a few houses were flooded as a result of the storm, but a potential area-wide catastrophe had been averted.

Shortly after the completion of the dam, in 1934, 538 acres of land surrounding the dam project was sold to the Texas State Parks Board for one dollar. Along with providing protection from flooding and drought, the dam project created one of the area’s few and thus precious water recreation opportunities, and it was designated as a Texas state park. The Civil Works Administration created many additions inside the park to enhance the lake as a place where people can camp, fish, engage in water sports and hike. The CWA, forerunner of President Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Work program, hired local workers as part of the Emergency Conservation Work program.

The first unit under the CWA arrived in 1934 and began construction on a number of projects during a year-long assignment. They, and subsequent workers under the Civilian Conservation Work program, built lakeside cabins with stone fireplaces using local materials. They also designed outdoor stairs and patios, fire pits, benches and picnic tables. A recreation hall built under the program still stands on a small hill in the park, and is often rented by private parties for celebrations and reunions. The Conservation Work Program hired more units in 1936, and began or completed most of the facilities in the park that are still in use today.

“With the building of the dam, Brownwood’s dream of a half century came true,” the article stated.

Construction on the park amenities continued until 1942. At the end of the project, 17 cabins were completed, along with almost 100 additional structures. The stone materials used in the construction process add a rustic, charming feel to the whole park.

Lake Brownwood State Park is a lovely oasis amid the often dry and hot summers West Central Texas can dish out to residents and visitors alike. The dam project is one of the most successful in the County’s history, serving dual purposes that both contribute to the quality of life for residents and visitors in Brown County. Whether it’s fishing, boating or just getting away from it all with a stay in one of the private lakeside cabins, there’s something for every sort of vacationer at Lake Brownwood. The City of Brownwood is eight short miles away from the lake, and thanks to the dam, it’s safe from a repeat performance of a devastating flood similar to the flood of 1900.

The Golf. The Lake. The Views. It’s

All Here

The Hideout is the perfect place for weekend getaways or everyday escapes. Discover cabin rentals and lodging accommodations.

Get ready to experience paradise.

LOCAL REAL ESTATE MARKET

Is Attractive to Newcomers

By Mike Blagg

Folks from bigger cities in Texas or from other states, looking to move to Brown County, are pleased with what they find here. Part of that is the price of real estate locally. In 2023 the median price per square foot of homes sold was $124, and while that is up a bit from 2022, it is still much lower than many parts of the state and the country. Across the state of Texas the median sales price for homes was $334,000 in 2023, but only $219,000 in Brown County, some 35% lower. And the lower value of the house means lower property taxes too.

Sheri Wells, President of the Heartland Association of Realtors, explained that the attractive real estate market locally is about more than just price. “The attraction is the community. The way of life here is more of an attraction than the style of the house.” She said customers have remarked positively about many things here: schools, parks, churches, entertainment, restaurants, volunteer opportunities, sports, hunting and fishing… The list goes on and on.

In parks, customers have mentioned McDonald Park in Early, and the new Early Town Center under development. Also praised in Brownwood are Riverside Park, currently being upgraded, and Coggin Park, which was upgraded in 2023.

The biggest park in the area is the Lake Brownwood State Park, and that brings up Lake Brownwood itself. “Lake Brownwood is always an attraction,” said Wells. “I think people who come in and stay at the lake decide to come here and make it a permanent residence, because they had such a great time.”

That leads to the numerous fishing and hunting opportunities in Brown County, as well as sports. High school and youth sports are plentiful, well organized, and successful here. All of that is important to incoming families.

Entertainment begins with the Lyric Theatre in downtown Brownwood, which leads to numerous other entertainment venues, restaurants, and bars. Newcomers have remarked that they were surprised to find so many unique and very good local restaurants in the area. The Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce hosts annual events like Sip-n-Stroll, Corks and Caps, and numerous business training seminars, which have proven to be popular.

Howard Payne University is also a magnet for people looking for a good place to live. “A lot of Howard Payne students come here, and they want to stay here. Others go away to the metro areas, and then they realize what Brownwood did have to offer,” said Wells.

And a big part of the attraction is just the lifestyle here. “The people who want a slower pace, the lifestyle, get to know your neighbor, go to the local football games or sports events, they will like it here.” Laura Tilley, Association Executive of the Heartland Association of Realtors, said “We embody what Texas is, and that is The Friendly State.”

Also a big part of the formula is simply geography. “Our central Texas location is key,” explained Wells. “People say ‘I have kids in Houston and Amarillo, Dallas and San Angelo.’ So they are looking here.” And while Brown County is not near any large city, we are not far from many of them: Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, Waco, Abilene and San Angelo can all be reached in three hours or less. “We’re in the middle of nowhere, but we’re also in the center of everything. It’s all how you look at it,” said Tilley.

So pricing, community, lifestyle, and geography add up to great value for real estate in Brown County.

Below are data from real estate sales in Brown County in 2023.

Median Price: $194,000

Median Price per Square Foot: $124.04

Median Home Size: 1,602 square feet Days on Market: 62 to contract, plus 34 to closing

Sales Price Distribution:

Less than $100,000: 14.6%

$100,000 – 199,999: 37.6%

$200,000 – 299,999: 21.9%

$300,000 – 399,999: 12.2%

$400,000 – 499,999: 5.3%

More than $500,000: 9.3%

Real Estate

For more information on local realtors, property listings and open houses

Dallas Huston

THE Voice of the Brownwood Lions

By Derrick Stuckly

The pictures in the minds of Brownwood High School and Howard Payne University sports fans were painted through the words of Dallas Huston over local air waves for nearly 60 years.

A member of a plethora of Halls of Fame, Huston began announcing Brownwood High School football games in 1963, and Howard Payne sports in 1964 – spans of 58 and 57 years, respectively, until his retirement in 2021.

Huston was on the call for six of Brownwood’s seven football state championships while also broadcasting Howard Payne’s lone national championship in 2008 in women’s basketball.

Known as “The Voice of the Brownwood Lions,” Huston’s career in radio may have taken a drastically different path, or possibly not happened at all, had it not been for a health issue.

Upon graduation from Brownwood High School in 1960, Huston’s initially plan was to join the military.

“I had a real good friend that was going into the Air Force, and at that time they were publicizing the buddy system, where if you went in with somebody you can stay with them,” Huston said.

After passing all the initial tests, the closing interview included questions regarding potential illnesses, and Huston had suffered from Asthma – one of the conditions on the checklist. Having Asthma disqualified Huston from joining the Air Force, but the Army, Navy and Marines were still an option. Heartbroken that he couldn’t join the Air Force with his friend, Huston instead opted not to enlist in a branch of the military at that time and instead began his career in radio just days later.

Huston’s radio career at KBWD began by delivering radiograms and he eventually was allowed to play music on air. Soon after that, the infancy of his sports broadcasting legend took shape.

“I started working at the station when I was 19 and the first two years I’d go with someone and do a softball game or baseball game, or watch a basketball game,” Huston said. “That’s about all I did. I went to football games like Rising Star, Blanket and Early, but I never got on the air. They had a play by play guy and the color guy and I was just keeping stats. Once a quarter I would hand them a stat sheet.”

Deep down, however, Huston was craving an opportunity to call the action – a craft he was honing on his own in his free time.

“I did play by play in my imagination,” Huston said. “I’d go up in the old press box, the upper deck held together by toothpicks, and do the ball games and practice. I’d take a tape recorder with me, and it finally paid off.”

Huston recalls the exact moment when announcing football games became most appealing.

“Some friends and I from high school had gone to Abilene. Shotwell Stadium was brand new, and Howard Payne was playing,” Huston said. “It was pouring rain and the only thing I see across the way was the press box. I don’t know how many people were in there, but I remember being soaked to the bone and cold and everybody in the press box was in T-shirts and laughing, drinking colas and eating popcorn and I said, ‘I think the smart ones are up there.’ That’s where I wanted to go.”

Out of nowhere in 1963, Huston’s opportunity finally knocked.

“Ken Schulze was the program director at KBWD and in 1963 he became the ‘Voice of the Lions,’” Huston said. “I was happy he got the job. Ken came in about a month later and asked if I wanted to be the color man for the Brownwood Lions. He said he knew it had been a dream of mine and that I would do a good job. We worked together for 12 years.”

Around that same time, Huston’s relationship with Howard Payne began as well.

“The Brownwood Coliseum was being built in 1963 and Howard Payne wasn’t on the air,” Huston said. “I talked to the bosses at the radio station. I would take them tapes and told them they could hire who they wanted, but I could do it. When the Coliseum opened in 1964, I got the job with Howard Payne for whatever they needed me for.

“It so happened, Howard Payne had a great basketball team their first year in the Coliseum. Lo and behold they end up going to Kansas City for the national tournament, and everybody said you have to have those games on the air. They put those games on the air and I was in Kansas City. They decided to do Howard Payne football after that – 10 football games and 20ish basketball games. And I got to do that for about 50ish years.”

While reflecting on the most successful stint of Brownwood Lions football – the seven state championships from 1960-81 – Huston feels the program was on the verge of even greater success on multiple occasions.

“I was a part of six of them,” Huston said of the state championship teams. “In 1960 I tried to get in the Air Force, but then there was 1965, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1978 and 1981. It’s absolutely mind boggling to me when I look at some of the teams that didn’t win more state championships. Maybe it’s because we got so many early on that the football gods weren’t going to bless us again for a long time. In ‘98, we had a great shot and got upset. The team in ‘03 was a great football team, and in 2010 I thought we had a great shot to win state again. We were still lurking in the upper half.”

Through nearly 60 years in the broadcast booth and with countless accolades to his credit, Huston never once thought about leaving his native Brownwood.

“I never went and applied for jobs, never asked for or begged for a job, I just had Brownwood, but Brownwood was my hometown,” Huston said. “I never really gave serious thought about leaving.”

Huston had stated prior to his retirement as “Voice of the Lions,” he would continue to fill that role as long as his health allowed – and he was true to his word.

Brownwood County Area Guide | BrownwoodNews.com

“I never thought about quitting but I started having medical issues about 20 years before I retired,” Huston said. “I couldn’t hold anything, I couldn’t set the equipment up. I have trouble with my hands and my eyes aren’t very good, I have some physical problems. The broadcast crew at the time said I shouldn’t quit, didn’t want me to quit and said to tell them what to do and they would help. I had some great people working on the broadcast. The last 10-15 years I never hooked up equipment again. I literally went to the stadium and everything I needed was sitting in front of me. Basically all I had to do was put my glasses on and broadcast the ball game. All of those guys, and my wife the last many years, took care of me because I could not have done a ball game without them.”

In 2020 and 2021, a bout with COVID, a broken hip, a quadruple by-pass, the progression of white matter disease, and changes to his voice signaled the end of the line for Huston’s play-by-play days.

“I had all that stuff happen and I knew that was it,” Huston said. “I remember being in the hospital and I called the radio station one day and told them I couldn’t do ball games anymore. I was done.”

Though Huston no longer calls ball games, his still provides a Christians in the World of Sports broadcast on KOXE and KBWD each Sunday, writes a column for BrownwoodNews.com that is published each Monday and hosts a Men’s Bible Study each Monday night at Fort Lemons.

Of all the accomplishments in Huston’s life, the one that is most rewarding and prideful to him – and the opportunity he will not walk away from – is serving the Lord by sharing His word. Huston began preaching at Center City Baptist Church in 2008, but originally started leading revivals as early as 1997.

“I got saved in 1988 and from then on I knew I was supposed to preach,” Huston said. “Only because of my broadcasting, I got invited to every church in this area. The crowds were probably a little bigger because of my sportscasting, but that was very important to me. I preach now, I have a church, Center City Baptist. I didn’t know I would ever have a friend again but my friends stuck with me. I knew I was doing what the Lord wanted me to do. I told people very plainly that if I have to give up one, I’m going to give up the ball games because I know I am doing what He wants me to do.”

Dallas and his wife, Linda, have 4 children, 11 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren.

Reflecting on where life has taken him, Huston said, “Because of the Lord I love where I am now. I wish I could preach to more people. I look back on the ball games and have unbelievable memories. The easiest thing for me, and I really thought there was no way, but the easiest thing for me is not doing the ball games. I’m glad I went as far as I did because I was to the point that I couldn’t do it. I still listen and, at the first part of each season, yeah, I’d like to be up there, but I’m a realist and know I can’t do it anymore. I enjoyed it so much when I did do the games, but I love what I do now.”

Dallas Huston Accolades

“Voice of the Brownwood Lions” from 1963-2020

“Voice of Howard Payne Yellow Jackets” from 1964-2020

Named “Sportscaster of the Year” four times by the Lone Star Conference

Inducted into the Howard Payne Sports Hall of Fame in 1998

Named best high school sportscaster in Texas in 1999 by Texas Monthly Magazine.

Twice honored by the Texas High School Coaches Association.

Dallas Huston Walk of Champions constructed and named in his honor at Gordon Wood Stadium in 2003

Awarded 2004 “Extra Inning” award by the Texas Teenage Baseball Association

Texas Country Reporter feature in 2006

Inducted into Big Country Hall of Fame in 2007

Began serving as Pastor at Center City Baptist Church in 2008

Received Doctor of Humanities degree from HPU in 2008

Received HPU Alumni Medal of Service Award in 2008

Inducted into Gordon Wood Hall of Champions in 2012

Named Howard Payne University 50-year letterman honoree in 2013

Named 2013 MaxPreps Hometown Hero

Dallas Huston Day was declared in November 2015

The Big Country FCA Dallas Huston Christ in the Media Award started in 2015

Received the Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizen Award in 2015, and was presented the North Star Award and received a Certificate of Congressional Recognition

Received the Brownwood Chamber of Commerce Groner Pitts Lifetime of Service Award in 2018

Received the Harriett Graves Memorial Person of the Year in 2020

Currently hosts Christian sports shows on KOXE and KBWD

Currently hosts a weekly men’s Bible study and fellowship every Monday

Currently writes a weekly column that appears Mondays on BrownwoodNews.com

Retired from broadcasting after 2020 season

SERVICES

CARTER SHARPE BART JOHNSON

JEFF SMITH

Overhead Door Company of Brownwood provides expert garage door services for the entire Big Country area in Texas which includes the cities of Abilene, Brownwood, and Stephenville. They are a leading source for residential garage door commercial door installation, service, and repair.

EARLY TRAILER SALES

When it comes to anything and everything to do with trailers, you don’t have to look any further than Early Trailer Sales. Founded in 2009, Early Trailer Sales has set the standard for quality service, selection, and sales in the Central Texas trailer industry. They carry a wideranging stock of both new and used utility trailers, goosenecks, dump trailers, car haulers, livestock trailers, refrigerated trailers, cargo trailers and much more. If that is not enough, they also are a dealer for carports, metal storage buildings, garages, and loafing sheds.

Only twenty trailers covered the lot along with a small shed for an office when they first purchased the business. Since then, the business has flourished thanks to quality products and superior customer service.

In December of 2023, they moved out of that original small shed to a massive 6,000 square foot facility. This new expansion offers a large showroom, extra offices for their sales family, a parts warehouse, and a two-bay service department to get trailers in and out as quickly as possible.

Prior to the new building, they purchased an acre of land directly across the street to handle overflow inventory. A sign of great things to come!

The new facility has allowed Early Trailer Sales to provide a more pleasant shopping experience for the customer, hire additional employees to keep up with growth, and offer an extensive selection of parts.

Early Trailers Sales is genuinely a locally, family owned and operated business. Owners Kevin and Anne Caten work side by side along with their three children.

Their eldest daughter, Emily is a 2019 Early HS graduate and attended Sul Ross State University. After graduating in 2022 she decided to come back and work in the family business while completing her MBA.

Their middle child, Preston, a 2023 Early HS graduate, is mechanically minded and works in the service department.

Their youngest child, Andrew, is currently a Senior at Early High School and works with his family on a parttime basis when he’s not participating in sports and school activities.

Needless to say, Early Trailer Sales is invested in the community in more ways than one.

Not only do they sell to the Brown County area, but their reputation of excellent customer service and products has expanded their business all over the state of Texas. Even reaching into Mexico and Canada.

At Early Trailer Sales, their focus has always been to provide the best customer service possible and to treat their patrons like family. They consider it an honor and a pleasure to serve their customer’s needs.

They have a rent-to-own program and will finance or lease a trailer that will get their customer the trailer they want as soon as possible.

Visit Anne, Kevin, Emily, Preston, and Andrew out at Early Trailer Sales. They are sure to treat you like family, and help you find exactly what you are looking for in service or sales.

We Got That

by Todd Howey

I have spent a lot of time in the big city. I grew up in Houston, lived in San Antonio for several years, and I make frequent trips to Austin to see my grandkids. There are some things I really like about “big city life,” but there are also some things I don’t care for at all. Traffic, to mention just one, also having to sit on a waiting list for an hour or two to get a table in a restaurant.

Since moving back to Brownwood a few years ago, I have slowly learned that Brown County has everything the big city has to offer, and a few things they don’t. Affordable housing, we got that. Quality public schools with successful academics and extracurricular programs, we got that also. Do you have an itch to go hunt whitetail deer, shoot some birds or maybe an exotic? Well, we got that.

How about landing a largemouth bass or skipping across a lake on a jet ski or getting dragged behind a boat on a wakeboard? We got you covered there as well.

Is history your thing? Brown County offers multiple museums that exhibit the rich and surprising history of Brown County. One could spend a week visiting museums in and around Brownwood.

Looking for a spot to drink coffee with friends and work off your laptop? We got spots for that. Need funky bookstores and restaurants where you can sip wine and drink craft beer while visiting your eclectic side? There are a few of those to choose from as well.

Do you want to shoot some eight ball with good ol boys and do a little two-step dancing? It’s available in Brown County.

Looking for a good church home? Got plenty here to choose from. How about a well-established University that is beautiful and offers a full slate of athletic programs along with a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degrees? We got a good one.

Are you looking for quality city parks with well-manicured playing fields for youth sports? A safe place where the names of local businesses are plastered across the back of their jerseys. We got it.

How about a place to cool off in the summer? A modern water park is available and splash pads at city parks are plentiful.

Good hospital? Got it.

Looking to catch a live play at a theater? Got it.

Skateboard park? Got it.

Technical schools? Got em.

Do you like to go antiquing and rummaging through junk stores for great finds and prices? Few places are better.

Is exercise your thing? Brown County offers paved and well-lit walking trails and a number of fitness clubs. No reason not to stay in shape.

Need a modern spot to hold community events, festivals, and outdoor concerts? I do believe we have that as well.

Looking for a place where the police and fire department arrive quickly when needed? We certainly have that.

Do you want to watch real cowboys and cowgirls do some bull riding and barrel racing? Some of the best in Texas is done right here in Brown County.

Do you like to go for a country drive on the weekends with your windows rolled down and music blaring? We got Country roads for miles. You’ll even get a windshield wave from an oncoming vehicle.

Looking to live where people know your name when you walk into a store? Happens here.

I am certain I missed a few things that Brown County has to offer, but I made my point. We may not be the “big city,” but we do offer many of the same things heavily populated areas do, just possibly at a smaller scale. And that is not a bad thing.

Remember that next time you are in a big city and sitting in traffic. Hoping to make your restaurant reservation on time.

HENDRICK INVESTING HEAVILY IN BROWNWOOD HOSPITAL

In July 1969, while Neil Armstrong was walking around on the moon, a big event was happening in Brownwood. A brand new hospital was built and opened that month.

In the 50-plus years since, the hospital has grown, evolved, and changed ownership. In 2020 our hospital was acquired by Hendrick Health of Abilene, and joined their network of hospitals and clinics.

Now known as Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood, our hospital has grown and modernized under the new ownership and management of Administrator Krista Baty. Visitors to the hospital have noticed the remodel to the Entryway and Lobby of the hospital. Also remodeled were the Outpatient Physical Therapy Building, the Day Surgery Waiting Room, the MRI Suite, the Sleep Lab, and the Non-Invasive Cardiology Unit.

Hendrick has also spent over $13 million on new medical equipment and Information Technology. This includes a new MRI system, Intellivue patient monitors, ventilators, neonatal warmers, nuclear medicine camera, Vivid ultrasound, bladder scanner, fetal monitoring software, GI lab software, sleep system software, as well as new laboratory and surgical instruments and new beds and furniture for patient rooms. In October 2023 Hendrick added a new Linear Accelerator in its Walker Cancer Center.

Special services provided by Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood include a Level IV Trauma Center, a Wound and Hyperbaric Center, a Gastroenterology Lab, a Sleep Lab, a Heart Center, a Women’s Center/OB Unit, robotic orthopedic surgery, and a Level II Nursery.

In 2022 Hendrick recruited new doctors to provide medical services in the fields of Gastroenterology, Radiology, Orthopedics, Cardiology, and Internal Medicine. And new doctors are coming this year in the areas of Internal Medicine, Infectious Disease, and Hospitalist.

The people of Central Texas have responded to these enhancements at the hospital. In 2022 Hendrick Brownwood performed 2,982 surgeries (up 25%), 1,337 GI procedures (up 61%), 1,533 MRI exams (up 21%), and 4,382 Radiation Therapy procedures (up 18%).

Hendrick Brownwood is also a major employer in our area, with about 550 employees (431 full-time equivalents) in 2022. Brownwood is fortunate to have a larger and more modern hospital than many towns of our size. Hendrick Health is committed to the continued growth and modern development of Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood.

DEMAND STAFF INC.

Greetings and Welcome to Brownwood, At Demand Staff, we are your first stop when it comes to starting your new career. We pride ourselves in partnering with the best local employers and no matter what industry you are hoping to work in, we have positions available for you. We specialize in temp-to-hire positions but also provide short/long term temporary work, seasonal part-time work and Direct Hire opportunities. Applying with us is easy & completely free! Visit our website to complete your application. This will expand your job search to include all current job openings as well as letting you monitor future job opportunities when they become available. Our services are free to you, so begin your application today!

Your new career starts now!

Sincerely,

Francie Clark President

Demand Staff, Inc. - 1200 Looney St. - Brownwood, TX 76801

A place to connect, grow and belong, not just a place to go!

&

18955 Cunningham St. May, TX

Mid Tex Federal Credit Union

Since 1961 Mid Tex Federal Credit Union has provided, superior financial products and down right friendly service. If you live or work in Brown County, join their credit union family and experience the credit union difference.

3808 Hwy 377 South in Brownwood Member NCUA.

Thornhill Trucking Company

For over 50 years, Thornhill Trucking Company has been family owned and operated. They specialize in hauling high quality materials to the job site, as well as hauling off and disposing of materials. Serving the Central Texas area, give Micheal Thornhill a call at 325-646-9232 or on his cell at 325-642-0475.

Lives of teen girls are restored at Hope Home Ministry as they experience holistic care in a safe home environment. We believe every girl deserves the opportunity to heal, grow, and achieve her dreams. Connect with us at www.hopehomeministry.org

Blaylock Funeral Home

Locally owned and operated, Blaylock Funeral Home is proud to serve Brownwood and Brown County for 14 years. It is our privilege to assist you through the difficult process of making a loved one’s final arrangements. We are neighbors serving

We believe God is doing new and exciting work in our church family. We are a church that is Bible-focused, disciple-making driven, and family-centered. We prayerfully invite you to come and see if May First Baptist Church is where God’s leading you and your family to connect. FBC May is: “A Place to Connect, Belong, and Grow, not just a place to Go!”

Heartland Funeral Home

Heartland Funeral and Cremation Services is dedicated to providing services with care and compassion to the families of the Brown County area for over 30 years.

Life inBrown County

Experience small-town charm and Texas sized hospitality while calling Brownwood home during your next visit! Paddle the Pecan Bayou, savor legendary BBQ, shop local boutiques, explore museums, catch a performance in a historic theatre, tee off at a stunning lakefront golf resort, sip on over 30+ Texas beers on tap, or raise a glass of award-winning wine with friends.

Runaway Train Cafe

Lehnis Railroad Museum @chettripper

1080 Locomotive Display

Tr3s Leches Bakery

Underwood’s Cafeteria

Lucille + Mabel Kitchen and Libations

FPO