In February 1825, five commissioners were appointed by the State Legislature to discuss several sites and the potential of each to become the seat of the newly formed Edmonson County. Three of the commissioners were Maximillian Hailey from Barren County, James Cunningham of Breckinridge County, and Dr. John Pollard of Greenville. In addition to a place at Tum Hole, a candidate for the county seat was a plot of land consisting of 100 acres and located on the Green River at Pt. Pleasant. The land at Pt. Pleasant was owned by Joseph R. Underwood, a young Bowling Green lawyer, and Stephen F. Logan of Glasgow who was to become a law partner of Abraham Llncoln in Springfield, Illinois. The land was called Brownsville in honor of the Revolutionary War hero, General Jacob Brown. Brownsville was chosen as the seat of Edmonson County, and was established as such in 1828.
Brownsville's 100 acres were surveyed, divided into town lots, and sold by the newly appointed Sheriff John Rountree. Previously, Rountree had been serving as sheriff of Warren County. The sale took place over three days and the lots were sold to the highest bidders. The amounts paid for the lots ranged from $9 to $114. The highest price was paid by John Rhoads for the lot on the southwest comer of the parcel, and located at the corner of what were to become Main and Washington streets. The sales totaled $5,248.29. The money was divided between the county, Underwood and Logan.
Brownsville is located just southwest of the confluence of the Green and Nolin Rivers. The town is situated 30 miles northeast of Bowling Green, 100 miles southwest of Louisville, and 291 miles southeast of St. Louis, Missouri. In 1990, the population of Brownsville was 897, and that of Edmonson County was 10,357.