Frank Winn was born about 1859, in Dallas, and was presumably the son of George W. (shown as "Wash" on the 1870 census) Winn, who hailed from Tennessee, and migrated to Mississippi by 1843. George and family arrived in Dallas by 1857.1 George was listed in the 1880-1881 Dallas city directory as a laborer, residing in Freedmantown, northeast of the city limits.2 Frank could not read or write, according to the 1870 census.

     Frank was listed in the 1886-87 Dallas city directory as a locksmith, residing on the east side of the Houston & Texas Central Railway, between Bryan and Montezuma. His father, George W. was listed in the same directory as a laborer, residing on the south side of Cochran, between Allen and the H. & T. C. railroad; living in George's household at the time, were George, Samuel and Edmond Winn,4 presumably George's sons.

     In the 1891-1892 Dallas city directory, Frank was enumerated as working at the Sun Hotel, and resided there. The hotel was located at 484 Elm (now 2012 Elm), with Mrs. W. L. Young (formerly Mrs. G. W. Patrick) listed as the proprietress. George W. Winn was listed as a gardener, and resided at 628 Cochran.5

     Frank married Lucinda Taylor, in Dallas on November 5, 1881,9 his wife filing for divorce in March 1891.6 They were the parents of two children -- an unnamed daughter, who died in infancy, in June 1882,3 and a daughter, Birdie, who was born about 1888.6  Lucinda was listed in the 1891-1892 Dallas city directory as being employed by Henry Hamilton, and resided in his household.5

     A Frank W. Winn, was listed in the 1894-95 Dallas city directory, as an "electrical," and resided at 292 Peabody ave.8

     Frank Winn's whereabouts after February 1895 have not been determined.

     Transcribed below are the Dallas Herald and The Dallas Morning News articles that pertain to Frank Winn, along with copies of his patent for his "Direct Acting Steam Engine," filed with the U. S. Patent Office in 1887.7

     Frank Wynn is a colored man, a native of Dallas, and a mechanical genius of a lofty order. When only ten years old, he invented a rat trap, and from that time, until this year of grace, his mind has been occupied upon the conversion of the materials and forces of nature, into machines of some sort or other, many of which, are very well worthy of examination. Frank has brains, but it takes a white man, with or without brains, to enter a Dallas machine shop, and so, when Frank, years ago, offered his services gratuitous to a machinist in this city, in order to secure the advantages of a mechanical training, he was answered that they could not be accepted, for the reason that the machinists would strike before working with a man of his color. Thus rebuffed, this colored genius did not lose heart, and in course of time, he succeeded in opening a repair shop in the east end of the city, near the Central Railroad, where he works and starves, alternately. Beyond a lathe, a few tools, some scraps of iron and brass, and mechanical drawing executed by his own hand, yet perfect, his shop is bare, but parties in the city say that he can regulate the most complicated and delicate machinery, the knowledge of it seeming to come to him by inspiration. Recently, he has found a friend in Mr. Haley, the contractor for transporting State convicts to the penitentiaries, and who has been furnishing him money to get out patents, several of which, he has applied for, including one for a straight line engine. A test of his engine was made yesterday at the Empire Mills, and its success demonstrated by 1600 revolutions to the minute. It does away with the crank entirely, for which is substituted a gearing, consisting of a wheel connected with the fly wheel, which works inside of an indented plate at the end of the piston rod, and without friction, moves the latter in a straight line, thus insuring full power at any position. There is no dead center, no friction by the pressure of steam at the top or bottom -- only slight friction in the cylinder, no guide bars to cause friction, and no wear of the cylinder by the plunger. It is claimed that the engine can be built for one-half of what a crank engine of the same power costs, and that it can be run with one third the amount of steam required by the crank engine.
     Silver-plated and perfect in every part, the model exhibited yesterday looked pretty; but, the amount of time and labor consumed on its construction, and the genius of the inventor, may be estimated from the following statement made by him:
     "This balance valve," he proceeded, "I made from a piece of a lamp; this safety pin, I made of a diaper pin; this main piston rod once did service as a spoke of a velocipede; this here screw, which connects the gearing of the fly wheel, was once a part of a telegraph instrument; the fly wheel, I made from a piece of a clock, surmounting it with a piece of a globe lamp, and this here rod came out of an umbrella. While I was getting it up, I once fasted for three days, and the niggers would come around and laugh at me, but I had my eye on a bright future, which, with Mr. Haley's help, I know will come some day, and then I'll have the satisfaction of knowing that I did something for my race. I saw you at the fair, writing up the machinery, and I wanted to show you this, but I felt that it would be too bold for a nigger to put himself that far forward, and my heart failed me."
     "Frank, what was your first big exploit in invention?"
     "My first exploit was when I was a coon, and it consisted of an engine to kill fish by electricity. I just said that there was nothing impossible in this world, except for a nigger to faint, and God to tell a lie, and so, I went to work and took my primary and secondary, and I insulated the wire by parafening it, then covering it with paper, and then varnishing the paper with resin. On the end of that wire, I put a small copper ball, which I covered with dough, to answer for bait, and I covered the whole thing with paper boiled in linseed oil and parafene, which made it a non-conductor. From the copper ball, pointed wires touched the paper, so that when the fish nibbled the paper, would easily break. Then, the other end of the wire being uninsulated and touching the water, the circuit would be established, and the fish would be struck dead by lightning and rise to the surface. On the bank, in the shade, I had a galvanometer with twenty-five Bulson jars, and when the fish bit, completing the circuit, the battery would commence revolving."
     "Have you experimented with that machine?"
     "Oh yes, sir, I took it down on the bank of the Trainity and laid out the fish by the dozen. You see, there is nothing at all about it to scare them, and they nibbled at it as they came along, like fish will, at a strange object that tastes good. Every fish that experimented did not have a chance to try it again, and all I had to do, was to repair the bait. I tell you, I felt good, because I didn't think the law was in danger till a white man came along, and he saw the fish, and he saw the battery, and he says:
     " 'Look here, nigger, what are you doing here?' "
     "I says, 'I'se killing fish by electricity.' "
     " 'You are,' says he, 'and, in the hatching season, at that. Why, if that was known, they'd hang you.' "
     "I told him that I was only doing it for the sake of an experiment, just to prove my machine, and he said it made no difference. I got scared, and I compromised by giving him all my fish. I have the machine now up in my shop, and you can see for yourself. I guess the white folks will not interfere with you."
     The reporter called on Mr. Mosher, the proprietor of the Star Iron Works, on the corner of Market and Pacific avenue, to ascertain what he knew about Wynn and his invention.
     "That colored man," proceeded Mr. Mosher, "is more than a genius -- he is a veritable Blind Tom in mechanics. I have seen his engine. It deserves all that is claimed for it; but, of course, everything of that kind has got to be advertised, and it takes time for the public to see through it. That engine, however, shows for itself."

     Frank Winn, the colored boy who has developed into a prodigy at invention, is believed by the more superstitious of his race to be in league with the devil. Some of the superstitious tried to route Satan out of the inventor's dwelling last Friday night by nailing up the door and suspending in front of it, negro hair, broken glass and a rabbit's foot.

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     Frank Wynne, the colored inventive genius of Dallas, claims to have invented a street-car propeller that will do away with the use of mules and prove a much less expensive utility.
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     Frank Wynn, the colored genius of Dallas, has returned from Washington, where he started a move for securing patents for a number of inventions with which he proposes to startle the mechanical world.

     Perhaps the busiest man on the grounds yesterday, was good brother Howell, who has labored hard to make a success of the colored exposition, of which he has charge. The display, of course, is not so elaborate as that of the white brethren, but what is there, is equally as good, as far as it went. There were exhibits from Waco, Fort Worth, Sherman, Corpus Christi, Galveston, Houston, Tyler and other leading cities from all over the state. There were nightmares of needle work, crazy quilts and other doings that no mortal man could recollect the names of -- rich laces, elegantly painted figures on cloth, china and other things; cleverly executed oil and crayon work, all of which had merit enough to hold its own with the exhibits in the big hall. The born inventor, Frank Wynn (colored) was there with his many wonders. Inventors from Collin county, creditably claimed space, and the genuine rag-carpets from White Rock made one feel that nothing would be better than stretching at full length on one of them for a snooze, as in the long ago, when youth bade defiance to dust. Wright Cuney's boys had a good display of cigars made by themselves, which attracted much attention, as well for the intrinsic value of the work, as for the prominence of the boys' father. The best works of art, perhaps, were furnished by a colored man who lives here in Dallas. He is not a teacher, nor a preacher, nor a lawyer, nor an editor, but merely a porter in a bank building. He has a strong strain of pure art in his make-up, which ought to be cultivated. The colored department was crowded all day with well-pleased white visitors.

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     Frank Wynn, the colored inventor of Dallas, has obtained a patent on a new engine.
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- December 7, 1888, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 5, col. 1.
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     Frank Winn, colored, employed at Clower & Harris' at No. 6 Griffin street, as a day laborer, has invented and patented an electric time lock for safes, doors, windows, etc., that is a marvel in its way. Can be operated with combination or key, and insures safety as well as making a handsome lock. The patentee discovered and worked out the novelty of this lock in his odd hours. It will certainly be a success, as his experiments demonstrate. This lock can be used through the day as any ordinary lock by throwing off the current. The combination can be changed as often as that of any safe. This is a wonderful invention and a credit to the inventor. Richmond Miles, colored, is joint owner of the new patent.

     Frank Winn, the colored inventor of Dallas, who styles himself, "the negro Edison," has invented, and applied for, a patent for an electric safe lock. A battery is placed on the inside of the safe. To open it, the combination has first to be worked, and then a current is turned on from the outside, which lifts an armature and releases the bolt, when the knob can be turned, and the door swings open. He has also invented a burglar alarm for doors and windows. When one is opened, it breaks a current, which rings a bell, indicating which window or door is opened. The electric apparatus is arranged, so that it can be thrown off or on, at will.
     Frank was born in Dallas, and is now 32 years old. From boyhood, he has been an inventor. His attention was first turned to electricity, ten years ago, and he is now a thorough electrician. Among other things, he has learned telegraphy.
     He says that he has made $5000 off of his inventions, though he has spent his money in getting material for making others. He says that he is so much in love with his inventions, that he spends money in this direction, which his wife wants to spend for clothes, and on this account, they are now living apart. He claims that he is going to revolutionize the whole system of locks and keys, making it only necessary to press a hidden button to lock or unlock anything.

     Lucinda Winn vs. Frank Winn; divorce granted and custody of her child, Birdie, awarded to plaintiff.

     Frank Winn, the colored inventor, who, like Blind Tom, lays claims to inspiration, dropped into The News editorial rooms yesterday with the model of a machine that, he says, came to him in a dream. By way of a preface to a description of the machine, it is in order to state that this is not Winn's only invention. Not by any means. Years ago, he invented an electrical fishing machine. For a hook, a little copper ball, at the end of a small copper wire, connected with a local battery on the bank, answered. As soon as the fish's teeth, having pierced the thin bait of meat or worm, came in contact with the ball, the fish, struck by lightning, turned up its belly and floated to the bank. But, every possible contingency was provided for. The same current that killed the fish, rang a bell and awoke the fisherman, if, as is often the case, he happened to be asleep. Winn is a friend of his race, and this time, he undertook to furnish it a paradise. The machine completed, he tried it on a neighbor's cat, and it worked like a charm. Then, one Sunday afternoon, he went fishing, to Miller's ferry. Having located his battery and himself in the shade of a weeping willow, he cast the little baited copper ball into the Trinity river and awaited results. They were not long in coming. Within ten minutes, he had caught forty-seven catfish, and he was as happy as a clam at high tide. He did not have time to go to sleep; bagging the fish kept him on the dead run, but the bell rang all the same. While Winn's eyes were popping out of his head in the agony of enjoyment, a thrifty-looking farmer came along. After gazing a moment, or so, on the dead fish, the farmer said:
     "What are you doing, nigger?"
     "Jes slaying them, boss," replied Winn.
     "Don't you know that you're fishing on Sunday, against the law, and don't you know that you ought to be sent to the pen for slaughtering fish out of season? That's what comes to we'uns for freeing you niggers. Now, about face, and if I ever catch you at this trick again, I'll put you behind the bars. Run, and be sure you don't look back, like Lot's wife did."
     Scared out of his wits, Winn obeyed all but the latter part of the injunction. As he ran through the bushes, he ventured to look over his left shoulder and saw the religious, law-abiding farmer walking off with his bag of fish.
     Winn next invented a rotary engine with 500 revolutions to the minute, but without a guidebar, flywheel, deadcenter or governor, the machinery being largely composed of cranks. He called it "Texas," in honor of his state, and a Clark politician, who viewed it at the state fair, remarked that it was properly named. He has applied this invention to a curious purpose. Placed on a stove, it works the fans in a dining-room, at one end of which, is a funnel with a powerful suction. Flies and mosquitoes are gradually drawn into the funnel and then they are carried as on the wings of a cyclone through a pneumatic tube, into the stove, where they are consumed. In this way, the engine helps to furnish its own fuel.
     But, to the invention that Winn exhibited yesterday, in The News editorial rooms: It is a machine for blacking shoes. It is no ordinary fruit of the brain, for Winn says: "I cotched it in a dream in order to break up the business of little nigger bootblacks, so that they can go to school and grow up to be something. Boss, let me show you how it works: Here is a comfortable chair. You sit in it, and your weight releases a brake on this here guide-wheel. The machinery is now ready to move, but the electricity is not ready to start it. You have to put a nickel in the slot, here by your elbow. The nickel, in dropping into this little iron bank under the chair, releases the electric switch, and away she goes. The nickel does more than that. Before dropping your nickel, you move the slot to The Dallas News notch, the chewing gum notch, or the postage stamp notch. Here is a cylinder with three apartments; one contains The Dallas News, another, a piece of chewing gum, and the third, a postage stamp. The business man wants to read The News, the boy wants a piece of chewing gum, and the dude wants to write to his girl. The nickel, in falling, causes a wire to open this cylinder, where you want it, and you get one of these things thrown in free. That is bound to run the little niggers off the street and start them to school, isn't it? A copper cent won't start the machinery, nor open the cylinder; neither will a dime. It is an honest machine. It will neither rob, nor be robbed. It says, give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give unto the nigger what belongs to the nigger. Now, we have the machinery in motion. Here in front, are oval brushes that work backward and forward at the rate of 600 motions to the minute. After a few seconds, the feet are pushed backward, and the heel brushes complete the job. Here is a reservoir that contains the contents of fifty bottles of liquid blacking. This blacking leaks through a sponge at the end of the brushes, but so gradually, that the rapid friction, at once, converts it into a polish. The shoes shine like patent leather -- they shine like a looking-glass, boss. If you see Edison, tell him that a Dallas coon is camping on his trail."
     The machine is a curiosity, and seems to do all that is claimed for it.