Walter U. Early
Early, Brown County, Texas
Marker Inscription
A native of Kentucky, Walter Urie Early (1868-1939) moved to Brownwood in 1893. He became a respected local attorney and in 1895 was elected city attorney. He was county attorney from 1900 to 1906, and served as district attorney from 1906 to 1930. A leader in numerous civic groups, he donated land east of Brownwood to the Jones Chapel Rural School District in 1929. The school built there was named Early in 1930, as was the community when the citizens voted to incorporate in 1951. Walter Early died in 1939 and was buried in Brownwood's Greenleaf Cemetery. (1994)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Walter Urie Early left Kentucky for Brownwood in 1893 and built a long career in the law, serving as city, county, and finally district attorney across three decades. Active in civic life, in 1929 he donated land east of town to the local rural school district; the school built there took his name in 1930, and so did the community that incorporated as Early in 1951. He died in 1939, well before the town that bears his name officially existed.
Why it matters
The marker shows how a respected local official's small act of generosity — a gift of land for a country school — could seed an entire named community for generations to come.
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Related people
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Themes & tags
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