Shankleville, Texas

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The community of Shankleville in Newton County Texas was named after Jim and Winnie (Brush) Shankle. Jim and Winnie were the first African Americans to purchase their own land and became leaders of the community after emancipation.

Born in 1814, Winnie Brush lived as a slave on the Rollings estate in Mississippi. Jim born in 1811, was also a slave. When Winnie and her 3 children were sold to her owner's daughter and son-in-law in Texas, Jim embarked on a harrowing journey to be with his wife.

He ran away from his owner, traveling by night, foraging for food, swam the waters of the Mississippi River and traveled more than 400 miles to East Texas. He found Winnie beside her new Master's well. For days, Winnie stole away and provided Jim with food before telling her master, who eventually arranged to buy Jim.

Stephen was an enterprising man who began buying land, acquiring more than 4,000 acres (16 km²) of what would become Shankleville. He also owned the cotton gin, saw mill, grist mill, syrup mill, a store and blacksmith shop. He would travel by ox cart to Orange, Texas to purchase supplies for the store and for the community. When he purchased shoes for his children, he purchased shoes for all of the children in the community. As the community leader, he gave the land for the Shankleville Community Cemetery (he and his mother Hannah McBride are buried there), land for the school (Enterprise School and for a church (Church of God in Christ).

Jim and Winnie are both buried in Jim Shankle cemetery. A great-grandson, A. T. Odom, has worked hard to keep the memory of the family's story alive and several great-great grandchildren now contribute in the research of the family genealogy. Annual homecomings have been held since 1941 on the first weekend of August each year.

Texas Historical Marker 1973 HWY 63 West, 3.5 miles; FM 1415 South (across from cemetery); Burkeville.