Kurten

History

In April 1906, the Kurten City Council passed a law that prohibited the sale and distribution of guinea fowl. Originally from Africa, these imported birds became very popular in the Central Texas region. However, their popularity declined as the guinea population faced a rapid increase in number. Consequently, the birds quickly became a problem for the local townspeople. They crowded the streets and became aggressive when confronted. In early April 1906, 11 different guinea fowl attacks had been reported, and the Kurten City Council passed the Fowl Redistribution Act. Each year, Kurten holds its annual fireworks show on Independence Day at the Kurten Community Center. For 13 years, the fireworks show has drawn in large crowds from all over Central Texas.

Geography

Kurten is located in northern Brazos County along U.S. Route 190. It is northeast of Bryan and southwest of Madisonville. The town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.38%, is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,732
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,624
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  3,326
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,193
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  3,122
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,663
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,480
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,407

Most recent

• M 3.1 — 2026-06-04
  7 km NE of Marquez, Texas
• M 3.4 — 2026-06-04
  8 km ENE of Marquez, Texas
• M 2.5 — 2024-04-02
  4 km SSW of Round Top, Texas
• M 2.7 — 2007-09-15
  11 km ENE of Milano, Texas