Callahan

Formed January 22, 1858 (123^rd county)

Callahan County (13,703), Baird (1,472), Clyde (3,806)                

The tan brick Texas Renaissance structure was built in 1929.  It sits at the corner 4^th Street (United States Highway 80) and Market Street.  The original building’s architect was Voelcker and Dixon, Inc.  The first county courthouse was located in Belle Plain on January 22, 1858 when the county organized.  Three courthouses have been in Baird in 1883, 1900, and 1929.  The county was formed from parts of Bexar, Travis, and Bosque counties as the 123^rd county.  Callahan County is named for James Hughes Callahan who was fought for Texas independence and was a survivor of the Goliad Massacre.  Baird was named for Matthew Baird, one of railroad officers establishing the railroad in this county. 

Callahan County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge serves Callahan, Coleman, and Taylor counties and One County Court Judge serves Callahan County.  The county is just east of Abilene, Texas.  The county center is 10 miles South of Baird nearer Belle Plain.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Shackelford, Eastland, Brown, Coleman, Taylor, and Jones counties. 

The area of the county is 899 square miles.  It is 156 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 144 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 15.2 persons per square mile making it 147 out of 254 in the state.  Callahan County has 45.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 20 crosses east to west from Eastland County to Taylor County.  United States Highway 283 goes north to south from Shackelford County to Coleman County.  The county is square shaped.  Baird is slightly north of the county center.  Clyde is in the northwest quarter of the county.  Baird is the county seat and Clyde is the largest city.  Baird is 10.7% of the county population while Clyde is 27.8% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced BARED.  This county is in the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Putnam