Winnsboro (Images of America)

From its meager beginnings as The Crossroads, Winnsboro has become a bustling small town situated in the heart of the beautiful Piney Woods of East Texas. Settled in 1854, when the railroad came in 1876, Winnsboro became a major shipping center for goods going west to the frontier. At one time, the area was one of the top producers of fruit for Bama Pies; one local grower referred to his business as My Slice of the Pie. From 1932 to 1934, Winnsboro was a destination stop for Bonnie and Clyde when they traveled from central Texas to Louisiana. Because of their friendship with a local resident, the couple promised never to rob anyone in Winnsboro. Home to the Bowery, the town had as many as eight saloons from 1893 to 1910, and people still talk about the shoot-out at Massels Saloon. With a thriving community arts center as well as galleries and venues for live theater and music, Winnsboro has been named a State of Texas Cultural Arts District.