The History of Brownlee, Texas: A Once-Thriving Community
By: Noel Wiggins
Published: November 1, 1994
The now-deserted community of Brownlee was on State Highway 137 in central Martin County. In 1908 a townsite was laid out there, and lots were sold in the expectation that a railroad to be built from Lamesa to Sterling City would pass through the town. A man named Allen built a grocery store, and when a post office was established, he became postmaster. Brownlee acquired a second grocery store and a school, which was moved from nearby Sulphur Valley. The town even made a bid to take the place of Stanton as county seat. But the planned railroad was never built, the bid failed, and in 1915 the Brownlee school was consolidated with the Plainview school.
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The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this entry.
Noel Wiggins, “Brownlee, TX,” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed March 09, 2026, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/brownlee-tx.
Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
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HVBBA
- November 1, 1994
