Jerry Lee Winder

Jerry Lee Winder, commonly known as “J. L.,” was born on April 4, 1875, in Carthage, Texas. He was the second child of C. F. Winder and his wife, whose family had come to the United States from Germany. Jerry had three brothers and three sisters.

Winder attended school at Pine Flat and Pleasant Hill, Texas. He later attended the University of Nacogdoches. After completing his education, he returned home and began teaching.

His first teaching position was at Alazan School. He later taught at Pine Flat and Pleasant Hill.

Winder's health began to decline when he was approximately 48 years old. Some of his children were also experiencing health problems that were attributed to the damp climate of East Texas.

In 1922, Winder traveled to Lubbock in search of a place where he could settle and open a mercantile store. He found a location just east of the future Texas Tech campus, on what is now University Avenue between Broadway and Main Street.

Winder placed $1,000 in escrow and planned to complete the purchase the following day. That night, while staying at the Merrell Hotel in Lubbock, he met Morton J. Smith.

Smith told Winder about a location approximately 60 miles west of Lubbock that he believed would eventually become the center of eastern New Mexico and the Texas Plains region.

Winder traveled with Smith to the location that would become Morton, Texas. After inspecting the area, Winder purchased a building that became the first building in Morton.

He lived in the rear portion of the building and operated his mercantile business from the front. The building served several important purposes during Cochran County's early history, including use as the county's first courthouse and first post office.

The building still stands on the west side of the Morton town square. It is owned by Cochran County and has been used as an extension of the Cochran County Clerk's records office.

The Cochran County Historical Commission and Cochran County Commissioners recognized the structure as a historic place. A commemorative plaque was dedicated on June 27, 2015.

In January 1923, Winder moved his family to the settlement that became Morton. His wife, Mary Neoma Harvey Winder, received the charter to serve as the first postmistress of Morton's first post office in 1924.

In 1928, Winder was encouraged to seek election as Cochran County judge. After considerable deliberation and persuasion from his friends, he entered the race and was elected.

Winder entered office on January 1, 1929. He became the first person in Cochran County history to serve three consecutive terms as county judge, remaining in office through December 31, 1934.

During his service, Cochran County's first hard-surfaced road was built, connecting Morton and Whiteface.

After leaving the county judge's office, Winder sold insurance and served as justice of the peace for Precinct 1.

Jerry Lee Winder died on February 3, 1960, in Morton, Texas. He was buried at Morton Memorial Cemetery.

Biography source: Adapted from Texas Sesquicentennial: Texas' Last Frontier, Cochran County, 1836–1986, Volume 1 . Copyright Cochran County Historical Commission. Written by Dorothy Barker circa 1985 and adapted by Mary Helen McKnight in 2016.