November 24, 2009

The town of Wynne (Cross County), shown in this early 1900s photo, was settled in 1882 after a train derailed in the area. A boxcar left behind was turned upright, and the town was named Wynne Station in honor of Captain Jesse Wynne of Forrest City (St. Francis County). The town quickly grew when it became the headquarters for the construction of railroad tracks from Memphis, Tennessee, to Bald Knob (White County) in 1885. By 1888, the town’s name was shortened to Wynne, and, in 1903, the growing town became the county seat.