May is an unincorporated community in Brown County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had an estimated population of 285 in 2000.[1] Designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1981, Marker number 5377. [2]
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May is located at (31.9795899, -98.9200555). It is situated at the intersection of U.S. Highway 183 and FM 1689 in northeastern Brown County, approximately 20 miles north of Brownwood and 36 miles south of Eastland.[3]
The area was originally part of a Mexican land grant given to empresario John Cameron in 1827.[4] The community itself was developed in the 1870s and was named for pioneer settler W.D. May. May's brother, Nathan, opened a store at the site in 1879. A post office was established two years later. In 1907, May had a blacksmith shop, general store, newspaper, and a bank.[4] That same year, the community became a stop on the Brownwood North and South Railway.[3] The line was abandoned in 1927. The population had grown to approximately 500 by 1940. During the following years, May began to slowly decline. The community was home to around 285 residents by 1980. That figure remained steady through 2000.[1]
Although May is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 76857.[5].
Public education in the community of May is provided by the May Independent School District.
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