Created on Aug. 27, 1856, McCulloch County was one of 128 counties formed from Bexar County, which extended from the Rio Grande to the Panhandle and as far west as El Paso. It was named for Texas hero Ben McCulloch, who fought in the Texas Revolution, Indian, Mexican, and Civil Wars. Indian and frontier hazards made growth slow, and 20 years passed before buffalo were hunted off and ranches established. The county was organized on Aug. 4, 1876, with Brady as county seat. It became a ranch, farm, and recreation center and is the geographical center of Texas. It was also the site of the 1831 Calf Creek battle, where James Bowie, Alamo hero, and his party defeated 100 Indians.