South Carolina native Samuel K. Lewis married Marshall Ann Moore in 1830, and they settled on his Mississippi plantation. In 1838 the Lewis family was drawn to Texas. Originally a surveyor, Lewis served Austin County in the Republic of Texas House of Representatives in 1844-1845. In 1848 he learned of plans for a stage line to run through this area, bought 145 acres near this site, and settled his family there. The Lewis home became a stopping place for travelers later known as the Winedale Inn. Given to the University of Texas in the 1960s, it became a focal point of the nearby Winedale Historical Center.