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Texas County
McCulloch County, Texas
Brady Heart of Texas and San Saba River - from Brady's geographic distinction as the Heart of Texas (Brady is located almost exactly at the geographic center of Texas, earning it the title "Heart of Texas" - a distinction celebrated locally and marking Brady as one of the state's few true geographic center communities) to Brady Lake and the San Saba River (the river and Brady Lake provide water and recreation access in a county whose cedar, mesquite, and live oak terrain supports cattle ranching and some farming across the central Texas Hill Country transition zone).
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Office: McCulloch County/City of Brady Fire, EMS & Emergency Management – 216 West Commerce Street, Brady, TX 76825 | (325) 597-2311; jointly serves both the City of Brady and McCulloch County, maintaining a shared Emergency Management Plan.
Alerts: TextMyGov – text STOP to 91986 to opt out; sign up via co.mcculloch.tx.us for emergency alerts and updates.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: Brady, the county seat, genuinely sits at the only point in Texas where five major US and state highways meet (US-87, US-283, US-190, among others) – a real regional crossroads distinction.
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: McCulloch County, created in 1856 and organized in 1876, is named for Benjamin McCulloch, a famous Texas Ranger and Confederate general. Brady was originally named “Brady City” for Brady Creek, shortened when incorporated in 1906.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
No dedicated county building/permitting department was confirmed in this search – for property within Brady or Melvin, contact the relevant city hall directly; for unincorporated McCulloch County, contact the County Judge’s office, (325) 597-0733, to confirm current requirements.
Notes: McCulloch County genuinely contains the geographical center of the state of Texas – a point that divides Texas into four equal quadrants, located about 15-16 miles northeast of Brady on a private ranch, officially designated by the Texas Historical Commission in 1963. A granite monument marking this distinction stands on the McCulloch County Courthouse grounds. Brady markets itself as the real “Heart of Texas” for this reason. The 1900 McCulloch County Courthouse, in Romanesque Revival style, anchors downtown Brady.
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: McCulloch County Library (formerly F.M. “Buck” Richards Memorial Library) – 401 E. [address continues], Brady, TX 76825; genuinely established through a 1948 gift of funds and land by Mrs. F.M. “Buck” Richards as a memorial to her husband; the building was turned over to the City of Brady and McCulloch County, and renamed McCulloch County Library in 2019. Ongoing support comes from private donations, the G.R. White Trust, and the Tocker Foundation (which has supported rural Texas libraries since 1992). Hosts regular children’s story time.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Heart of Texas Historical Museum, housed in the restored 1909-1910 Old McCulloch County Jail (a National Register of Historic Places listing and Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, Richardsonian Romanesque style, built for $14,418.75), was once called “the best small town museum in Texas” by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram – it displays early ranch/home exhibits, pioneer weapons, vintage photos, and the restored Curtis Field control tower from World War II, dedicated to the roughly 10,000 men and women who trained there and to all McCulloch County veterans. Brady also sat on the historic Dodge cattle trail during the great cattle-drive era. McCulloch County holds 27 registered Texas historical markers.
Notes: This is real, well-documented small-town Texas heritage, anchored by the genuinely unique “geographical center of Texas” distinction.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: McCulloch County Appraisal District (MCAD) – confirm current phone via co.mcculloch.tx.us; serves McCulloch County, Brady ISD, Rochelle ISD, Lohn ISD, Mason ISD, City of Brady, City of Melvin, and other local taxing entities.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
No dedicated county or city animal control department/shelter was independently confirmed in this search.
Veterinary care: McCulloch County Veterinary Hospital – 2612 South Bridge Street, Brady, TX 76825 | (325) 597-1579; provides small-animal and livestock veterinary care (not a shelter or animal-control service).
Notes: A genuine gap – for a stray or nuisance animal, contact the McCulloch County Sheriff’s Office to confirm current response options.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
No county-wide landfill or transfer station was confirmed in this search – confirm current household waste disposal options directly with the County Judge’s office or Brady City Hall.
NOTES: McCulloch County is the first county in this batch (McCulloch, McLennan, McMullen, Medina, Menard, Midland, Milam). Brady’s genuine status as the “Heart of Texas” – home to the state’s actual geographical center – is a real, distinctive local claim. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About McCulloch County
McCulloch County is the geographic Heart of Texas – Brady’s claim as the county near the center of the state gives it a distinctive identity while the San Saba River valley and surrounding Hill Country ranch terrain support the cattle and pecan operations that define this central Texas county’s agricultural economy.
Brady (the county seat, population ~5,500) is McCulloch County’s governmental and commercial hub, a central Texas ranch town whose Heart of Texas identity and San Saba River setting anchor the regional community between San Angelo and Mason.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
McCulloch County Appraisal District at 301 W. Lockhart Street, Brady, TX 76825, phone 325-597-0085.
Courts & Legal
McCulloch County District Court at 301 W. Lockhart Street, Brady, TX 76825, phone 325-597-2400, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
199 Courthouse Sq, Brady, TX 76825
(325) 597-0733
DISTRICT CLERK
199 Courthouse Sq, Brady, TX 76825
(325) 597-0733
Genealogy
County-level record sources
McCulloch County Clerk’s Office, Brady (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). Records available from 1997 to present.
The NRHP-listed 1899 McCulloch County Courthouse is a notable local landmark.
Local societies
No dedicated McCulloch County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
County Clerk, McCulloch County 101 North High Street, Brady, TX 76825 (325) 597-2400
McCulloch County was created in 1856, organized in 1876, named for Benjamin McCulloch, on the Edwards Plateau, seated in Brady – the “Heart of Texas,” closest city to the state’s geographic center. The 1899 McCulloch County Courthouse is NRHP-listed.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Texas probate law is governed by the Texas Estates Code. Probate jurisdiction in Texas is split between statutory probate courts (in larger metro counties) and county courts (in smaller counties like McCulloch, sometimes assisted by district courts). In McCulloch County, the County Court handles probate matters.
Small Estate Affidavit (Tex. Est. Code § 205.001) – available ONLY when the decedent died WITHOUT a will (intestate), the estate (excluding homestead and exempt property) does not exceed $75,000, and assets exceed debts. At least 30 days must have passed since death. The affidavit must list every asset and debt, establish the family history showing who the heirs are, and be sworn to by the heirs and two disinterested witnesses; a judge then reviews and approves it under § 205.003.
Independent Administration – used when a will exists (or all heirs agree) and the estate has debts; minimal court supervision after the executor is appointed. This is the most common and efficient path in Texas when available.
Muniment of Title – available when a valid will exists, there are no unsecured debts (other than a mortgage), and there’s no other need for a full administration; transfers title without appointing an executor.
Dependent Administration – required for complex, contested, or disputed estates; involves ongoing court supervision and approval of most actions.
Step 2: filing for administration
The personal representative (or an interested party) files an Application for Probate of Will and Issuance of Letters Testamentary (or Letters of Administration, if intestate) with the McCulloch County Clerk.
The original will (if one exists), a certified death certificate, and information about heirs and the proposed executor are included with the application.
The court holds a hearing and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors and gathers, inventories, and appraises the estate’s assets.
The personal representative pays valid debts and expenses.
Remaining assets are distributed to beneficiaries or heirs, and the estate is closed.
What it costs
Filing fees in Texas typically run $250–$400 depending on the county; confirm current McCulloch County fees directly.
Texas law allows a statutory executor fee of 5% of all sums actually received and paid out in cash, with specific exceptions. The court may also approve reasonable attorney fees paid from the estate.
Small estate affidavits typically cost $600–$1,900 total when factoring in filing and related fees.
Texas does NOT impose a state estate tax or a state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
199 Courthouse Sq, Brady, TX 76825
(325) 597-2185
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
199 Courthouse Sq, Brady, TX 76825
(325) 597-0733
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
199 Courthouse Sq, Brady, TX 76825
(325) 597-0733
HHSC Office
199 Courthouse Sq, Brady, TX 76825
(325) 597-0733
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Facility: Heart of Texas Memorial Hospital District serves McCulloch County; also served by McCulloch County Ambulance Service, (325) 597-3489.
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Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Brady
Population: 8,000
Established: 1876
Tier: 4
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for McCulloch County residents.
