Historical Marker Program

Brinkman

Greer County
Location: one mile west of US-283 on E1380 Rd in Brinkman Cemetery
Coordinates: 35.016636, -99.509926
Material: Granite
Sponsor(s): Brinkman Historical Marker Committee
Topics: Agriculture ; Early Statehood, 1907–1941; Ethnic Diversity; Settlement Patterns

Settlers from Texas and immigrants from Lebanon began homesteading in the area in the 1890s. The town of Brinkman was platted in 1910 upon the arrival of the Wichita Falls and Northwest Railroad. Originally known as Kell, the town was renamed after resident John Brinkman. The town’s population peaked in the 1920s as a marketing center for wheat, cotton, and livestock. The combination of a devastating fire in 1929, the Great Depression, and drought prompted a significant decline in the town’s fortunes. Brinkman School closed in 1957, followed by the post office in 1965. A single grain elevator continues to serve the community today.