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B−History
History · Wynne

Wynne’s post office opened in 1882, and 10 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 51% of U.S. towns · #44 of 123 in Arkansas. What drives it

Most of Wynne was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1978. 10 places in town are on the National Register, among them three historic districts with 84 buildings between them. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1897 on, and the census since 1890.

1882first post office
10on the National Register
4%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
8famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Wynne’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Wynne began

When was Wynne founded?

1882

The Wynne post office opened in 1882, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 565 in 18902020 census: 8,314144 years

How historic is Wynne?

B−

More historic than 51% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first Wynne post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).
History grade

What drives Wynne’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Wynne is more historic than 51% of U.S. towns, #44 of 123 in Arkansas. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Wynne’s overall grade.
Founding era1882, from the first post office: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19403.7% of homes (±1.7) · typical AR town 3.1% · U.S. 8.4%CNational Register10 listings, 91 historic buildings, 112 per 10,000 residents · typical AR town 20.5 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 51%
NewerOlder
Arkansas towns of 2,500+ (123)Ahead of 65%

Arkansas towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Arkansas town has 20.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Wynne’s 112 sits above most of its state (87% of Arkansas towns have fewer) while its 91 historic buildings outnumber those of 89% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to B+. The pre-1940 share (±1.7 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.

Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Wynne’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.A historic districtThe East Hamilton Avenue Historic District takes in 48 historic buildings.Mapped building by building5 fire insurance maps, 1897 to 1919, drew every building in Wynne.Landmarks on the Register10 places on the National Register.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Wynne’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Wynne’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old view1950 Census Enumeration District Maps -…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the National Register

10 listings protect 91 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
10
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
91
each building in a district counts
first listed
1990
Woman's Progressive Club
Woman's Progressive Club, built 1935Grace Episcopal ChurchGiboney-Robertson-Stewart HouseWynne Post OfficeSouth Elementary SchoolWynne Commercial Historic DistrictWynne Wholesale Commercial Historic DistrictEast Hamilton Avenue Historic DistrictServetus W. Ogan HouseIsaac Block House
BuildingsDistricts
Woman's Progressive ClubBuilt 1935
Grace Episcopal ChurchBuilding
Giboney-Robertson-Stewart HouseBuilding
Wynne Post OfficeBuilding
South Elementary SchoolBuilding
Wynne Commercial Historic DistrictDistrict
Wynne Wholesale Commercial Historic DistrictDistrict
East Hamilton Avenue Historic DistrictDistrict
All 10 listings
Servetus W. Ogan HouseBuilding · listed 2015Isaac Block HouseBuilding · listed 1998

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Every building

Wynne, building by building, 1897–1919

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Wynne fire insurance map, 1897, sheet 11897Sheet 1 of 2
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

The story so far

Wynne, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Wynne yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Wynne (/ˈwɪn/) is the largest city in and the county seat of Cross County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 8,314 at the 2020 Census. Nestled between the Arkansas Delta and Crowley's Ridge, Wynne is the closest city to the second-largest state park in Arkansas, Village Creek State Park.

Its first post office opened in 1882. Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 8,367 in 2010, 8,314 in 2020.

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

Timeline

Wynne, 1880 to 1939

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1880In the archive1950 Census Enumeration District Maps - Arkansas - Cross County - Wynne - ED AR 19-30 to …
  3. 1882Post officeThe Wynne post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1923Born hereHugh Taylor is born here
  6. 1923Born hereWilliam H. Thomas is born here
  7. 1925Born hereBuddy Brown is born here
  8. 1935BuiltWoman's Progressive Club is built
  9. 1938Born hereClay Ford is born here
  10. 1939On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Wynne, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1880s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1880s1 item
1950 Census Enumeration District Maps - Arkansas - Cross County - Wynne - ED AR 19-30 to 3618801950 Census Enumeration District Maps - Arkansas - Cr…
1890s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today28 recent
Wynne AR 2014-03-08 0042014Wynne AR 2014-03-08 004Wynne AR 2014-03-08 0032014Wynne AR 2014-03-08 003Wynne AR 2014-03-08 0012014Wynne AR 2014-03-08 001NTIR Staff walks an autumn trail trace at Village Creek State Park in2014NTIR Staff walks an autumn trail trace at Village Cre…NTIR Staff walks a trail trace at Village Creek State Park in2014NTIR Staff walks a trail trace at Village Creek State…Leaves are falling in autumn as NTIR Staff walks a trail trace at Village Creek State Park in2014Leaves are falling in autumn as NTIR Staff walks a tr…Exposed tree roots at Village Creek State Park in2014Exposed tree roots at Village Creek State Park inA wooded trail trace at Village Creek State Park in2014A wooded trail trace at Village Creek State Park inWynne AR City With A Smile sign 2013-09-092013Wynne AR City With A Smile sign 2013-09-09Wynne AR helicopter display 0022012Wynne AR helicopter display 002Wynne AR helicopter display 0012012Wynne AR helicopter display 001Wynne AR 2012-04-07 0332012Wynne AR 2012-04-07 033Wynne AR 2012-04-07 0322012Wynne AR 2012-04-07 032Wynne AR 2012-04-07 0312012Wynne AR 2012-04-07 031Wynne AR 2012-04-07 0302012Wynne AR 2012-04-07 030Wynne AR 2012-04-07 0292012Wynne AR 2012-04-07 029Wynne AR 2012-04-07 0282012Wynne AR 2012-04-07 028Wynne AR 2012-04-07 0262012Wynne AR 2012-04-07 026Wynne AR 2012-04-07 0222012Wynne AR 2012-04-07 022Wynne AR 2012-04-07 0212012Wynne AR 2012-04-07 021Wynne AR 2012-04-07 0202012Wynne AR 2012-04-07 020Wynne AR 2012-04-07 0122012Wynne AR 2012-04-07 012Wynne AR 2012-04-07 0052012Wynne AR 2012-04-07 005Wynne AR 2012-04-07 0042012Wynne AR 2012-04-07 004Wynne AR 2012-04-07 0032012Wynne AR 2012-04-07 003Wynne AR 2012-04-07 0022012Wynne AR 2012-04-07 002Wynne AR 2012-04-07 0012012Wynne AR 2012-04-07 001ARMap-doton-Wynne2005ARMap-doton-Wynne
On the map

Wynne on the map, 1939 to 1984

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Wynne. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Wynne on the 1939 USGS mapWynne on the 1958 USGS mapWynne on the 1984 USGS map1939Wynne sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Wynne.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

1950 Census Enumeration District Maps - Arkansas - Cross County - Wynne - ED AR 19-30 to 36
Retake this view1950 Census Enumeration District Maps - Arkansas - Cross County - Wynne - ED AR 19-30 to 36, 1880

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Wynne’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Wynne, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,0001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 8,615

Between 565 and 8,615 people in every census since 1890.

14 censuses, 1890–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Wynne’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

8 famous people were born in Wynne

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Clay FordAmerican politician · b. 1938
Hugh TaylorAmerican football player and coach · b. 1923
Buddy BrownAmerican football player · b. 1925
W
William H. ThomasUnited States Army Medal of Honor recipient · b. 1923
R
Ronnie Lee SouthAmerican football player · b. 1945
B
Bob KelloggAmerican football player · b. 1917
Places that used to be

Places now gone and burying grounds

Wynne’s post office has been open since 1882.

Gone or out of use
Apostolic Holiness ChurchchurchWynne Municipal Airportairport
1cemetery inside Wynne
Cogbill

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Wynne’s history

What year was Wynne founded?

The Wynne post office opened in 1882, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

How does Wynne rank for history?

Wynne is more historic than 51% of U.S. towns, #44 of 123 in Arkansas. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Wynne?

10 listings: 7 buildings, among them the Woman's Progressive Club (listed 1990, the first), and 3 historic districts, the Wynne Commercial Historic District, the Wynne Wholesale Commercial Historic District and the East Hamilton Avenue Historic District, with 84 contributing buildings. 91 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Wynne?

4% of Wynne’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.7 points), against a typical 3.1% for an Arkansas town; the median home was built in 1978.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (29), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (10), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.