Freestone County, Texas Towns Winkler The Winkler was located east of Streetman near Saint Elmo on the Navarro County line in the region known as "Gourd Neck". Named for Judge C. M. Winkler. About half of the community is in Navarro County and the other half in Freestone County. The area is drained by Sandy Creek on the east and Greenbriar Creek on the west. In March 1946, Winkler had two new businesses to open. One grocery is in the old Ferguson store under the management of Mr. and Mrs. Emmett Ferguson. The other is a new grocery and building managed by John Frederick Hagler, after serving in the Armed Services. *1* Churches: New Hope Baptist Church (see Saint Elmo community) Leonard Gordon Lee was pastor from 7 Apr 1946 to 15 Oct 1950. School: Probably listed in Navarro County. Professor Hill taught at Winkler School in 1888 Mrs. Bright ran a music school in 1888 Cemetery: St. Elmo Cemetery (white) Lee Cemetery Greenbriar Cemetery (black) Cemeteries Nearby: Birdston Cemetery (white) Birdston Valley Cemetery (black) Post Office: Established Apr 28, 1879. Discontinued about 1883. Voting Box: 1900 Social Organizations: Winkler Masonic Lodge #826, A. F. & A.M. - FTM Road 416 Businesses: Mr. Wolf's general store - 1888 Ferguson Grocery - 1905 Winkler Post Office & Walker Drug Store (same building) D. M. Knight Grocery & Blacksmith Shop - 1930s grist mill - 1930s Platt Gin - 1930s John Hagler Gin - 1930s Bryan Drug Store - 1930s Winkler Gin - 1930s Noel Turner Blacksmith Shop - 1930s Y. S. Allen Blacksmith - 1930s Farmer Alliance Store - 1930s M. D. Anderson Grocery - 1930s J. R. Ferguson Store - 1930s R. P. Beene Blacksmith Shop - 1930s Eden Anderson Grocery - 1930s Anderson Gin - 1930s Present Day: Only Anderson Grocery Store remains Nearby Churches: Pleasant Hall Baptist Church (African American, 1 mile NE) "Little Hope" Missionary Baptist Church (later "New Hope Baptist Church") (in St. Elmo) Nearby Communities: Saint Elmo (in Freestone County, 1.6 miles east) Nearby Cemeteries: Lee Cemetery (in Freestone County, 1.3 miles south) Sweatman Cemetery (in Navarro County, 1.5 miles northwest) Saint Elmo Cemetery (in Freestone County, 1.6 miles east) Greenbriar Cemetery (in Freestone County, 2.1 miles south) Known Residents: Anderson, Boon Bean, Bob Beavers, Roy Bigham, E. V. Bright, Mrs. Collins, Jim Goodman, William Grayson, Dr. Thomas Blackmon Grayson, Will Manning, Mr. McCown, Sampson Mitchell, Mrs. Newman, Jim Phipps, Cap Phipps, Ella Phipps, W. C. Richardson, Ruthie (near Winkler) Thorn, Guy Walker, Dick Wolf, Mr. ============================================================================ Published in Navarro Co. Historical Society newsletter "The Scroll" in 1956. This piece is by the former historian C. C. Jeffries. "Early Winkler History by C. C. Jeffries The early history of the Winkler community is wrapped in obscurity: as to whom and by whom the first settlement was made nothing whatever is known. The first inkling of white people living here came from the diary of a Mississippi man traveling through in 1846. The first certain date of settlement was on the work of man named Tisdale who here in 1849 and told of a man living at Walker Lake (a natural lake on Richland Creek now under the Tarrant Co. lake dam) Tisdale said the lake a common meeting place for hunters going on a bear hunt. Several places were settled before the Civil War, one of the most notable was the Blackmon field with nearly 300 cultivated acres, the main dwelling house stood on a high hill overlooking the bottom. The Blackmon water well though rather deep was as fine water as ever drawn out of the ground. This the largest of the early day places. After the Civil War the country began to fill rapidly. It took courage for a man to go into the woods and cut out 40 or 50 acres, and build a house, many did. These were hard times, women made peach pies without sugar, kept fires outside burning to save matches, rawhide was used for everything, dishwater skimmings were saved and used for axle grease. By 1880, 7 or 8 dwellings existed at Winkler near the good seep spring water. One store, two gins, a blacksmith shop and a doctor. Given a Post Office it was named after Navarro Co. Judge Winkler a Col. In Hoods Texas Brigade. There was legend of an awful Indian battle in the river bottom near the old White's Ferry Road. The tribes involved are not known. There was also a buried treasure legend very similar to the one in southern Freestone Co. There was a terrible rise on the river without any warning where the people had to climb to the roof tops to survive, a hunting horn blown day and night finally brought them help, heard three miles away." ============================================================================ *1* = The Fairfield Recorder = Thursday, March 7, 1946 Page: 1