Burlington Times-News August 6, 1929

 

Winningham Reunion Held At Asheboro Sunday

 

 Asheboro, Aug. 5 – The reunion of the Winningham families of Randolph, Alamance, and Guilford counties was held yesterday with a large gathering present on the old Winningham home place located between Cedar Falls and Asheboro.  Numerous friends of the various families were present for the exercises of the day, together with most of the relatives of the various family lines.  Greensboro and Burlington especially furnished large delegations for such a purpose, and when the crowd (sic) the occasion.  The day was ideal for the assembled under the shade of the large oaks for the sumptuous dinner on the lawn it was voted that is was the best of the many occasions that had brought the family together in their annual gatherings.

     The address of the day was by Dr. W. T. Whitsett, of Whitsett, historian for Guilford County, and for many years greatly interested in gathering and preserving local tradition and history.  He has devoted much time to such matters, and has accumulated a large fund of information concerning the story of the past throughout all this Piedmont territory.

     Miss Alma M. Winningham has recently made extensive researches in Washington in the Congressional Library of family history, and has been able to gather much new information from that source concerning the Winningham family history.   She (illegible) for the gathering this year, but sent some very interesting documents for the day from Washington that added much to the knowledge already gathered.

     James Winningham, born in Virginia February 29, 1756 moved into North Carolina and was here during the Revolutionary war.  He is the founder of the North Carolina branch of this family.  He served two enlistments during the Revolution, and his full record is on file in the Pension Office in Washington.    He enlisted in 1680 (sic 1780) and was active against the Tories in Chatham, Randolph, Guilford and Rowan.  Later he was drafted in the county of Granville two months before the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, and was in a company of cavalry under command of Capt. John Henderson and others.  (Illegible) at Hillsboro when it was in the hands of the British.  After his service he obtained papers of honorable discharge from Captain Henderson.  This has the certificate of Hugh McClain, clerk of the court for Randolph County.

     When Sarah Winningham, his widow, made application for pension, she stated that she was born in Iredell County, October 18, 1768, married June 13, 1792 , in the County of Iredell.  She further stated that her oldest son, Gaines Winningham, was born February 11, 1794, and that her husband died August 26, 1836.  The certificate of Alfred Marsh (illegible) stated that James and Sarah Winningham kept at one time a tavern in Asheboro, NC.  Asheboro in those early days was known as Johnsonville.  This Sarah Winningham before marriage was Sarah Nichols.

     Joseph Winningham of Orange County, South Carolina, a relative, also served in the War of the Revolution.  Gerald Winningham was an ensign in the War of 1812 from the State of Kentucky.

     The local families trace back to this James Winningham through the line of his son, Gaines Winningham.  Large holdings of land in the triangle between Cedar Falls, Randleman and Asheboro were in the possession of the earlier families of this name, hence the annual family gatherings in this particular locality are of special interest, bringing the present members back to the scenes of the earlier days of their forefathers.