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Wynnsborough to Winnsborough to
Winnsboro, Texas
Heritage, History & Today
https://www.trailscountryreporter.com/historical-info.html
The modern first settlers are recorded as John E. Winn and W.R. McMillan, came to area prior to 1854. They came through an area known as the "Crossroads", the original name of the town for two Indian trails that crossed in the area and the headwaters of Indian Creek that passes under Texas State Highway 11 through downtown today and flows southward.
The migrating pioneers were attracted to the rich farming, forestry and clay land on the edge of the piney woods region of East Texas. There, the men purchased 351 acres in the Gray B. King tract. They opened the first post office in 1855, along with their mercantile business. “Uncle Henry” Robinson built McMillan’s house, the first in Winnsboro. It was located near the northeast corner of the crossroads.
The United States Post Office was first established 6 March 1855, so historians can rightfully claim that date as the official founding date of Winnsboro as a recognized town. W.R. McMillan was the first postmaster, and the post office ran until 7 February 1868, and later re-opened and re-established on 25 June 1874. During the time the town had no post office, citizens got their mail in either the communities of Webster (a few miles south) or Cornersville (a short two-miles distance to the east). Some historians report that area was known to have rich deposits of clay near Cornersville for making pottery by the earlier Indians who inhabited the area.
In 1876, Mrs. Ophelia Cook conveyed 100 acres of land interest and 200 foot of right away near the Crossroads to the East Line and Red River Railroad Company. Originally, the settlement was named Wynnsborough, but the name was changed to Winnsborough upon the post office's opening. People in Webster and Cornersville began their move to Winnsborough with the coming of the railroad. In 1878, the name of the town was changed to Winnsboro. John R. Wright was appointed post master on 16 September 1893.
The East Line (later part of the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad, or "Katy") and Red River railroad tracks crossed in 1878, enhancing economic growth and vitality of timber, cotton, and agricultural shipping.
Another historical record also indicates the town was first named “Crossroads” and then later named in 1854 after the town’s founder, John E. Winn. It is also told (by now deceased official town historian Bill Jones) that the original spelling of the official town name, Winnsborough, was changed because the newspaper masthead did not have the space to print the long name. Bill Jones, passed away in 2022, yet for years he wrote periodic columns in the town’s historic newspaper, the Winnsboro News. Many of the archived papers are now in the custody and preservation of the Winnsboro Historical Commission by the City of Winnsboro.
Two versions of The Winnsboro News have existed as a newspaper in Winnsboro, Texas, since the early 1900s.The first version, founded on September 24, 1908, as a weekly newspaper, merged the pro-alcohol "Winnsboro News" and anti-alcohol "Winnsboro Messenger" to unify local coverage.
It continued under various owners, including Judge R. M. Smith and later Grayford M. Jones, who built its plant. Archival records, like those from the Library of Congress, show it ran continuously from 1908 until it closed around 2021–2022, with some digitized issues from the 1920s listed as Winnsboro Weekly News, likely a subtitle variation rather than a separate entity. The second version is a new, independent online-news-focused (not in print "newspaper") launched after the original's closure to fill the local news gap. It provides community coverage on sports, government, schools, and events, but it's not connected to the original beyond the shared name and mission. Find the online Winnsboro News monthly at https://winnsboro-news.com/
Here's where to find some of the back issues of various iterations of The Winnsboro News. https://gilbreath.advantage-preservation.com/
Enjoy some pages from the 1920's Winnsboro News and pages from yesteryear in the comments at the Facebook social media page titled Winnsboro History & Heritage:
https://www.facebook.com/WinnsboroTexasHistory
(c) 2019 C.G. Willis | Trails Country Reporter Please provide Credit Citation to the author
cgwillis@TrailsCountryReporter.com
Article Originally published at
www.trailscountryreporter.com/history-of-winnsboro.html
ABOUT THE WINNSBORO HISTORY MUSEUM
==============================
The Winnsboro History Museum is located at the old Train Depot at 100 East Broadway (Hwy.11) at the intersection of Main Street (Hwy. 37) in Winnsboro, TX. Their mailing address is PO Box 357, Winnsboro, Tx, 75494/ Phone (903) 347-2668 OR Email is info@winnsbortxmuseum.com
Their website is www.winnsborotxmuseum.com/resources.
If you are interested in volunteering at the Museum, please contact the museum at winnsborotxmuseum@gmail.com or (903) 347-2634.
PLEASE ENJOY THE BEAUTY OF THE WINNSBORO, TEXAS AREA. This video is presented as a courtesy with a single license for use for WinnsboroTexas.org and AutumnTrails A's Association and C.G. Willis. All Rights Reserved of original copyright holder; please contact for use or redistribution. CONTACT US. Thank you.
TRAILS COUNTRY
TRAVEL TOURISM NEWS
Wood County Recognized with Award as “Best Weekend Road Trip” in Texas
Wood County, Texas [9/12/2023] — The Wood County Economic Development Commission (WCEDC) announced today that Wood County has been recognized with a prestigious award as a premier tourist destination for other Texans.
Official Best of America recognized Wood County as the “Best Weekend Road Trip” for other Texans, and memorialized the honor with a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCx3iOJdZeg&feature=youtu.be
"We are ecstatic to receive this award which is a reflection of all the hard work put forth by the people who live in Wood County,” said Christine Thomas, Executive Director of the WCEDC. “Everyone, residents, and businesses alike, has played a role, whether through their tax dollars or volunteerism at the many exciting events that we host throughout the year.
“It’s also important to recognize the businesses in Wood Country which have done a great job of welcoming visitors, in turn making Wood County a regular destination for people from Dallas and Houston and all points in between,” she added.
“These are exciting times. We look forward to building upon the recognition, doing everything we can to maintain our attraction to the tourist community.”
This is not the first time the county has been recognized. Last year, it was highlighted by CultureMap at https://sanantonio.culturemap.com/news/travel/07-19-22-travel-texas-wood-county/ [Read full release here]
WINNSBORO AREA EVENTS
2025 Art & Wine Festival
100 Market Street & Elm Street, Winnsboro, TX
at the Bowery
Friday, November 7th
(1-7 p.m. (wineries until 8:00 p.m.)
Saturday, November 8th (10 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.)
2025 Christmas Parade
"Frosty and Friends"
Winnsboro (Texas) Area Chamber of Commerce
THURSDAY Dec. 11, 2025 - 6-7 p.m.
Send email to info@winnsboro.com
(Registration required)
PLEASE SHARE THE BEAUTY OF THE WINNSBORO, TEXAS AREA. THIS PROMOTIONAL VIDEO SOURCED UNDER OPEN RECORDS AND PUBLIC DOMAIN ACCESS AT YOUTUBE.COM; PROMOTED BY THE CITY OF WINNSBORO AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; PAID FOR WITH PUBLIC FUNDS. THE OFFICIAL CITY OF WINNSBORO WEBSITE IS LOCATED AT WWW.CITYOFWINNSBORO.ORG.
Wood County Area. It's East Texas.
Wood County has a population of 45,000 plus
and Market Trade Area of 250,000 in an eight county contiguous radius census tract.
the East Texas area of Wood, Smith, Hopkins and Franklin, counties.
Over 90 named Lakes / Bodies of water, Dining, Shopping, Great Living.
It's Proximity: The Wood County Area is Rural yet is close enough
to major metropolitan. areas of the Dallas / Ft. Worth (85 Miles) Area and Tyler (40 miles).
It's just A tank away for a day!
It's laid back at a different pace than many suburban cities crawling with traffic, smog and lines.
It's Shovel Ready for Measured Growth.
Planned Potential. Good Folks. In the Right Corner
of Texas.
Click on the puppy dog to link to the
Winnsboro Animal Shelter.
Winnsboro History Museum
Be sure and visit the Winnsboro Historical Museum: The museum is open from 1-4pm on Fridays and 10am-4pm on Saturdays. Location is 100 Broadway at the old Train Depot, on the southeast corner of Broadway (Hwy. 11) and Main (Hwy 37) in Winnsboro, TX. Call (903) 347-2634 and schedule group visits by appointment.
TRAILS COUNTRY REPORTER & PRODUCTIONS
This is an event, tourism and "where is it" info packed site. It includes things to do, events, weather links, power outage links, emergency phone numbers, lakes access, tourism sites, Winnsboro and Wood County Texas CommUNITY info in the gateway to Piney Woods Forest Trails, Tourism, History, Heritage, Travel and Dining.
CLICK MOST ANY IMAGE TO LINK TO MORE INFORMATION.
Click here for Wood County Co-op (TX) and SWEPCO.)
Wood County TX Conditions @ NOW FROM WOOD COUNTY AIRPORT, TEMP, RAIN, WIND NOAA National Weather Service NOW
KETK Tyler - East Texas Matters KLTV Channel 7 Weather
WFAA Dallas Area Weather TXDOT Drive Texas Current Road Conditions
Internet & Phone Outages - Around the World
Things to See & Do
LOCAL EVENTS & AREA LAKES INFO
WOOD COUNTY & AREA LAKE INFO
Four County Lakes PLUS world renowned Lake Fork CLICK ON ANY BLUE LINK FOR LOCATION, MAPS, BOAT RAMPS, AMENTIES
- LAKE FORK - Lake Levels, Boat Access, Maps, Sabine River Authority Info, Lake Fork Chamber Links & Resources
- In the Counties of Wood, Hopkins & Rains
- Lake Winnsboro TPWD
- Lake Winnsboro ACCESS (points for boats)
- Lake Holbrook TPWD
- Lake Holbrook ACCESS (points for boats)
- Lake Quitman TPWD
- Lake Quitman ACCESS (points for boats)
Beach in Wood County
Come enjoy one of the most incredible white-sand beaches and some of the clearest water in the Pineywoods of Northeast Texas at beautiful Lake Hawkins.
https://lakehawkinsrvpark.com/facilities/beach/
Beach / Day Use, Open 8 am to dark
$5/person* (Cash, credit card, Apple Pay accepted)
Children 4 and under are free
* $10 per person for HOLIDAYS and holiday weekends (Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day). We reserve the right to shut the gate at any time due to capacity limits. No need to call and reserve a day pass. Just show up and pay at check-in window. Recreational Facilities, Beach Area, Picnic Area, Boat Ramp, Fishing Pier, Volleyball Courts, Dock, Swimming, Other Amenities & Services, Ice, Restrooms, Showers, Store.
LAKES OF WOOD COUNTY
Current Lake Levels, Access, Docks, Fishing, Marinas, Parking and More: www.trailscountryreporter.com/lakes-a-z-list.html;
Lake Winnsboro (get worms at Tractor Supply in town at 801 E Coke Rd · (903) 342-0009 (opens at 8 a.m.), or the Winnsboro Lake Store Marina at 630 Co Rd 4890 · (903) 629-3214 (Also opens at 8 a.m.)
It's good business here in the Piney Woods of East Texas!
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