Stonewall County was created in 1876 by the state legislature, but before the turn of the century the area was only sparsely settled by cattle ranchers. About 1900, a number of German families living in southeast Texas relocated to this vicinity and settled along the Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos River, where they bought land and began farming, often living in half-dugout structures until lumber could be brought in for houses and barns. In 1903, G.R. Spielhagen laid out a townsite 2 miles southeast and named it Brandenburg after a town in Germany. When the railroad was built through the area in 1908-09 and bypassed the small community, the town moved to this site along the rail line and became New Brandenburg. The community grew quickly, with a post office, school, cotton gin, stores, and homes. At the outbreak of World War I, residents petitioned the U.S. Postal Service to change the town's name to show patriotism and pride in their adopted country, and on August 9, 1918, the name officially became Old Glory. Although the town has declined, many descendants of the pioneer settlers still live in the area.