Browning, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Browning, Texas
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 Browning, Texas
Location in Texas
Browning, Texas
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Smith |
| Elevation | 453 ft (138 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 430 & 903 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1378055 |
Browning is a small place in Smith County, Texas. It's called an unincorporated community. This means it's a settlement that isn't officially part of a city or town. It's governed by the county.
Contents
How Browning Got Started
Browning is located in Texas, about nine miles southeast of Winona. It's near a road called Farm to Market Road 2767. This road is also known as Old Kilgore Highway.
Early Settlers and the Name
The community is named after Isaiah Nicholas Browning. He was born in 1827 and passed away in 1915. Isaiah and his wife, Mary Ann Morrison, were among the very first people to settle here. They arrived around 1850.
In the early 1870s, the Browning family built the first big house in the area. This house was still standing in 1990.
First Businesses and Services
Browning got its first post office in 1879. William A. Owens was the first person in charge of the mail. By 1884, Isaiah Browning owned a gin and a gristmill. A gin is a machine that separates cotton fibers from their seeds. A gristmill grinds grain into flour. He also owned a general store with a partner named Bradshaw.
Changes Over Time
The post office in Browning moved a few times. In 1898, it moved to Starrville. It came back to Browning in 1899, but then moved back to Starrville in 1902.
During the 1890s, about fifty people lived in Browning. The community had a sawmill, a church, a school, and a saloon.
Schools in Browning
In 1903, Browning had two schools. Each school had one teacher. One school taught fifty-one white students. The other school taught forty-seven black students.
By 1933, the population of Browning was twenty-five people. There was only one business left. By 1936, there were no schools in the community. Students from Browning then went to classes in the Holts Independent School District by 1952.
