May 21, 2007

The Cross County town of Wynne, shown in this early 1900s photo, was settled in 1882 when a train derailed in the area. A boxcar left behind was turned upright and 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 name was shortened to Wynne, and in 1903, the growing town became the county seat.