The Winn Hill Cemetery is located on the north side of the Jermyn-Berwick road, across from where the Winn Hill School House used to be about 5 miles east of Jermyn. To the south, the mountain called Winn Hill can be seen, where two brothers were buried after being killed by Indians many years ago.

The cemetery is named for William H. Wynne, who was killed by Indians in this vicinity in 1863. The community grew up around a rural church and school in the 1870s. The county purchased the cemetery property in 1904. Jack County records (Vol. 34, page 142) show that five acres of land was deeded in 1904 to R. S. Blair, County Judge of Jack County and his successors to be used as a burial ground by R.E. Chaddick and his wife, Delilah Drucilla McKinney Chaddick.  This five acres were out of the Alfred Benton Survey.  . There were already several graves on this property.

The first to be buried at Winn Hill were (1) Callie A. Beauchamp (Jan. 25, 1870 – July 22, 1884) daughter of H. A. and L. B. Beauchamp and (2) Leonard Pevehouse (April 9, 1874 – Dec. 1884) son of David and M. B. Pevehouse.

It is not known exactly when an organization was formed to take care of the cemetery and when the annual working and decoration days began.  It has been remembered that one can remember as far back as 1920 that it was well-organized at that time.

This has been the final resting place for the people of this community and the surrounding communities for many years and will continue to be for many of their descendants.

The Road Leading to Winn Hill Cemetery – Fort Belknap was the first settlement in this area of Texas being established in 1951.  Jack County was organized in 1857 and at the second meeting of the Commissioner’s Court, August 17, 1857, it was ordered that roads be established in each direction to the county seat in the adjoining counties by the straightest and most practical route.  The road west in the direction of Belknap which was the county seat of Young County.  The Overland mail route across the United States from St. Louis, Missouri, to San Francisco, California, was established in 1858.  It was routed through Jack County.  The Commissioner’s Court ordered that the road west from Jacksboro to Belknap be considerably improved and straightened as much as possible.  This road became known as the “Butterfield Trail” and was heavily traveled for many years.

The name, Winn Hill – Jack County was constantly terrorized by raiding Indians until 1875.  In October 1863, several men from Jacksboro were riding west on the Butterfield Trail or stage road to check on their land and cattle.  About ten miles west as they were going through a large gulley, they were ambushed by Indians.  When the shooting started, Doctor William H. Wynne was killed. The others stood behind their horses shooting back and retreated to some trees for protection.  Bud Sanders was wounded in the right arm by a rifle ball, and B.L. Ham was shot in the knee.  The Indians shortly withdrew, and the fight was over.  In his honor, the high hill just to the south was named Wynne Hill and to this day, this area has been known as Winn Hill.

The School and Church – In 1877, settlers began moving into the county rapidly.  As homes accumulated, they needed schools for their children.  The first record on the Winn Hill School, Number 31, is March 28, 1881.  The school closed in 1931 when it consolidated with the Jermyn school about five miles west.  In time, a Baptist Church was built east of the school house.

The Cemetery – After the school community was organized, Callie A. Beauchamp died July 22, 1884 and was buried across the road from the school on the north side of the Butterfield Trail.  She has the oldest legible stone in the cemetery.  Leonard Pevehouse was buried near Callie in December 1884.

In Jack County, there are over 2000 land surveys.  Many land certificates were located on vacant state land in Jack County by people that never lived here.  The Winn Hill Cemetery was on land that was owned by people who lived out of the state.  They did not know there was a cemetery on their land.  In 1904, the land owners sold the land.  The buyer seemed disappointed about the cemetery.  To settle the matter, Jack County purchased five acres “to be used by the Winn Hill Cemetery community as a burial ground”.   Prior to 1920, there was a well-organized Winn Hill Cemetery Association with records back to 1936.

Many of the original settlers with large families are gone, but the large Winn Hill Cemetery remains on Burwick Road.  Numerous oil wells and wind mills dot the area.