Winnie and Stowell are two communities in northeastern Chambers County founded in the mid-1890s on the Gulf & Interstate Railway. Sharing a common economic history and cultural heritage, they often are referred to simply as Winnie-Stowell. Winnie was organized by the Winnie Loan and Improvement Co. of Galveston, which promoted settlement in the townsite, and by 1910 a school and bank were operating there as Winnie became the retail center for the surrounding area. Early settlers in Stowell included the W. W. Gregory and Spencer families and F. W. Schwettman, who in 1899 helped build the Farmers Canal to meet local irrigation needs. The canal was very successful until a 1915 storm ruined it and most of the surrounding rice fields. During the 20th century, improved irrigation systems allowed successful commercial production of oranges, figs, and rice in the area. In 1931 the school systems of Winnie and Stowell were combined into one district, and together with the establishment of Winnie-Stowell Park in 1957, these shared institutions and interests brought the two towns together over the years.