DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Wynne and Wynne Law Office in Van Zandt County. Now, some law firms come and go like tumbleweeds — here today, blown three counties over by Tuesday. But then there are the ones that put down roots so deep you'd need a backhoe and a court order to move 'em.
The Wynne firm is that second kind. It starts in 1877, when William B. Wynne came to Wills Point and opened a law practice with his older brother, Richard M.
Wynne. Richard, the elder of the two, would go on to become a state senator — so right from the start, you knew this was not a family content to stay small. W.B. must've had something in him too, because four of his sons would eventually be associated with that same firm.
Four. Same shingle, same name, new generation of Wynnes ready to argue your case. Now the firm didn't just work for its clients — it worked for the town itself.
W.B. Wynne rolled up his sleeves and put in the effort to locate a brick Texas and Pacific Railroad depot right there in Wills Point. And this wasn't some modest little platform with a bench and a coffee can for donations.
This was the most substantial depot between Marshall and Dallas. Let that sink in for a second — between Marshall and Dallas. Then there's Buck Jim Wynne, who sat down at the negotiating table and came away with something the whole town could drink from: a contract giving Wills Point access to Lake Tawakoni Reservoir water.
Vital contributions, the marker calls them, and it's hard to argue with that. Firm members have also been noted for their involvement in community activities beyond the courtroom, because apparently just being the backbone of the local legal world wasn't quite enough to keep them busy. And here's where the story lands: today, the fourth generation of Wynnes is still at it, still serving the Wills Point community, still carrying that name forward.
One of Texas's oldest law firms — started by two brothers in 1877 — and the Wynnes are still there. Some roots, it turns out, you really can't pull up.
What the marker says
In 1877, William B. Wynne came to Wills Point and opened a law practice with his older brother, Richard M. Wynne, who later became a state senator. Four of W.B. Wynne's sons were associated with the firm. In addition to serving clients, the office made vital contributions to Wills Point through Buck Jim Wynne's negotiations for Wills Point to receive a contract for access to Lake Tawakoni Reservoir water and W.B. Wynne's work locating a brick T&P Railroad depot here. This was the most substantial depot between Marshall and Dallas. Firm members have also been noted for their involvement in community activities. Today, as one of Texas" oldest law firms, the fourth generation of Wynnes continues to serve the Wills Point community.