Welcome William Chandler

Chandler's farm lay on the east bank of Pecan Bayou, and in 1856 his land was part of the first Brownwood townsite. In 1858 Brown County's first post office was set up in his home. Around 1869 water troubles and a disputed land title sent many residents across the bayou, though some stayed. The Handbook of Texas says the east side was not considered a separate community until the mid-twentieth century, when it became the town of Early. Heartland Mall, the first mall in the Brownwood area, opened there in 1980.

What the plaque says

Credited with being the first permanent settler and first farmer in Brown County, Welcome William Chandler (1813-1870) arrived in 1856 with his wife Sarah, their children and several slaves. Their log cabin was a gathering place for other area pioneers and was the site of the county's original post office and store. Chandler served as Brown County judge from 1858 to 1860 and as postmaster for 7 years, although his daughter Jane in fact ran the post office. About 1868 Chandler moved north of Brownwood to a site which has remained in the family for over 100 years. (1983)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Lake Brownwood State Park — 9.6 mi
  A CCC park on a reservoir that filled in a single flood before its dam was done, with stone cabins, a hilltop dance pavilion and a grand staircase climbed by dancers arriving by boat.

More markers nearby

• Greenleaf Fisk — steps away
• Camp Collier, C.S.A. — steps away
• Brooke Smith — 0.5 mi
• The Rev. Noah Turner Byars — 0.5 mi