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(1801-1865) A native of Louisiana, Abraham Winfree first came to present Orange County in 1830. He purchased land by 1831, and in 1833 brought his wife Millie and their five children to Texas. Their homestead on Cow Bayou was near the Opelousas Trail (La Bahia Road), an important early Texas travel route. Winfree made his living as a rancher, cattle drover, shingle maker, and logger. The Winfree home was the site of an election in November 1836 in which Claiborne West was elected to represent local citizens in the Congress of the Republic of Texas. The following year, Winfree was appointed county commissioner for his precinct. Eventually, the community that grew up in this area became known as Winfree. Abraham Winfree died in 1865 and was buried on his homestead in the same family graveyard where his wife Millie was interred. He requested that no stone be placed on his grave, and it remains unmarked. The cemetery became known as Winfree No. 1 after another family graveyard was established in the area. Winfree descendants continue to reside in Orange County. The community which still bears his name is testimony to the life of this pioneer Texas settler. (1992) |
