Winchell, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Winchell, Texas
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 Winchell, Texas
Location in Texas
Winchell, Texas
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Brown |
| Elevation | 1,348 ft (411 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code(s) | 325 |
| GNIS feature ID | 13780793 |
Winchell is a small place in Brown County, Texas, United States. It's called an unincorporated community. This means it's a town that doesn't have its own local government like a city does. Instead, it's part of the wider county.
The Story of Winchell
Winchell started as a small community sometime before the year 1900. It was first known as Broadtown or Brown Town. This name came from a person named E.J. Broad, who built a store there.
In 1903, the name of the community changed to Winchell. This new name was probably chosen to honor B.L. Winchell. He was the president of the Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway. This railway built train tracks through the area, connecting Winchell to another town called Brady.
The first post office in Winchell was managed by Charles Wilson. More buildings soon appeared along the new railway tracks. These included a train station and several businesses. By 1914, Winchell had a cotton gin, many businesses, and about 300 people living there.
About ten years later, a big fire destroyed all the buildings in Winchell. They were never rebuilt. Even though the buildings were gone, the post office continued to operate until 1958.
In the early 1930s, Winchell still had two churches and three businesses. There were also several houses spread out along the main highway. Another business was built in 1940, and about 90 people lived there. By 1962, two businesses had closed, and by 1965, both were gone.
The number of people living in Winchell changed over time. In 2010, it was thought that only 10 people lived there. But by 2019, the population had grown a little to 20 people.
Where is Winchell?
Winchell is located in the southwestern part of Brown County, Texas. It is about 21 miles southwest of Brownwood. You can find it along U.S. Highway 377, close to the border of McCulloch County.
Learning in Winchell
In the 1920s, Winchell had a two-story school building. Four teachers worked there, helping students learn.
By the 1930s, the high school in Winchell joined the Brookesmith Independent School District. Later, in the 1940s, the elementary school also became part of this district.
Today, students from Winchell attend schools that are part of the Rochelle Independent School District.
