Bonham, Texas
Encyclopedia
Bonham is a city in Fannin County
, Texas
, United States
. The population was 10,127 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
of Fannin County. James Bonham
(the city's namesake) sought the aid of James Fannin
(the county's namesake) at the Battle of the Alamo
.
and has a total area of 9.4 square miles (24.3 km²), with negligible water cover. The distance to Dallas in the Southeast is about 68 miles (110 km).
assigned the name Bloomington to the city, but finally renamed it Bonham, in honor of James Butler Bonham, a hero and defender of the Alamo
. On February 2, 1848, Bonham was incorporated as a city.
After the connection to the Texas and Pacific Railway
the city began to grow, and in 1885 there were six churches, three colleges, two public schools, three weekly newspapers, a saw mill, two grain mills, a power plant and 2300 inhabitants. 1890 saw the addition of streetcars, an ice plant, and the opening of the Texas Power and Light Company, a utility provider to the area. In 1925, the city was connected to natural gas lines.
During the Second World War, there was a training camp and an aviation school for the US Air Force in the vicinity of Bonham, as well as a prisoner-of-war camp for Germans and German soldiers. Parts of the camp can still be visited today.
of 2000, there were 9,990 people, 2,884 households, and 1,848 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,067.1 people per square mile (412.1/km²). There were 3,381 housing units at an average density of 361.1 per square mile (139.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 42.27% White, 65.7% African American, 0.84% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 4.22% from other races
, and 1.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.75% of the population.
There were 2,884 households out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples
living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out with 17.8% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 164.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 179.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,131, and the median income for a family was $35,721. Males had a median income of $26,035 versus $21,897 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $11,840. About 12.6% of families and 18.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.9% of those under age 18 and 18.8% of those age 65 or over.
. In addition, Grayson County College
operates a branch campus in Bonham, its only campus outside its namesake county.
, the longtime Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
. Rayburn's house
and a library featuring memorabilia from his Congressional terms are popular museums in the city, and State Highway 56 through town (the former U.S. Highway 82) is named Sam Rayburn Boulevard (and runs beside both the house and library).
Other notable residents include:
Tom Scott, 77, a man who had come to embody the colorful history of Fannin County and its people through his dedication to the Fannin County Museum of History.
Tom Scott was a 1949 graduate of Bonham High school and considered by many to be one of the brightest students of his era. He backed up that assessment by earning his B.A. and M.A. in Communications from Baylor University, a M.S. Counseling Certificate from the University of Texas and Ed.S. in higher Education/Psychology from Auburn University.
Tom enjoyed telling people he fought at the "Battle of Lackland," which was his way of saying he was a drill instructor at Lackland Air Force Base from 1954-1958.
He also had an impressive career as a college professor before returning to his hometown to develop into an accomplished history detective. It was Tom's research that first indicated that some of the buildings on the east side of the Bonham Square are constructed from bricks kilned in 1859 to construct the ill-fated 1860 Fannin County Courthouse.
Mr. Scott taught at Temple College and Grayson College before returning to graduate school for training in counseling and psychology. He was then named Director of Student Guidance Services at Henry State College in Alabama. It was there that Tom had an opportunity to get to know Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird.
Tom returned to Bonham in 1982, served three terms as chairman of Fannin County Historical Commission and chaired Bonham's Main Street Committee. He became curator of Fannin County Museum of History in 1987 and is one of the primary reasons this museum enjoys a stellar reputation across the state.
Fannin County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 31,242 people, 11,105 households, and 7,984 families residing in the county. The population density was 35 people per square mile . There were 12,887 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 10,127 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Fannin County. James Bonham
James Bonham
James Butler Bonham was a 19th-century American soldier who died at the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution...
(the city's namesake) sought the aid of James Fannin
James Fannin
James Walker Fannin, Jr. was a 19th-century U.S. military figure on the Texas Army and leader during the Texas Revolution of 1835–36...
(the county's namesake) at the Battle of the Alamo
Battle of the Alamo
The Battle of the Alamo was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna launched an assault on the Alamo Mission near San Antonio de Béxar . All but two of the Texian defenders were killed...
.
Geography
Bonham is centrally located in Fannin County in Northeastern Texas, about 25 km south of OklahomaOklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
and has a total area of 9.4 square miles (24.3 km²), with negligible water cover. The distance to Dallas in the Southeast is about 68 miles (110 km).
History
Bonham, one of the oldest cities in Texas, dates back to 1837 when Bailey Inglish built a two-story block house named Fort Inglish. It was located about 2 miles (3 km) from the current downtown. Inglish and other acquaintances settled there in the summer of 1837 and the settlement was named Bois D'Arc. In 1843, the Congress of the Republic of TexasCongress of the Republic of Texas
The Congress of the Republic of Texas was the national legislature of the Republic of Texas established by the Constitution of the Republic of Texas in 1836. It was a bicameral legislature based on the model of the United States Congress...
assigned the name Bloomington to the city, but finally renamed it Bonham, in honor of James Butler Bonham, a hero and defender of the Alamo
Alamo
The Battle of the Alamo was a battle fought during the Texas Revolution.Alamo may also refer to:-Places:*Alamo Mission in San Antonio, Texas*Alamo, California*Alamo, Georgia*Alamo Township, Michigan*Alamo, Nevada*Alamo, New Mexico...
. On February 2, 1848, Bonham was incorporated as a city.
After the connection to the Texas and Pacific Railway
Texas and Pacific Railway
The Texas and Pacific Railway Company was created by federal charter in 1871 with the purpose of building a southern transcontinental railroad between Marshall, Texas, and San Diego, California....
the city began to grow, and in 1885 there were six churches, three colleges, two public schools, three weekly newspapers, a saw mill, two grain mills, a power plant and 2300 inhabitants. 1890 saw the addition of streetcars, an ice plant, and the opening of the Texas Power and Light Company, a utility provider to the area. In 1925, the city was connected to natural gas lines.
During the Second World War, there was a training camp and an aviation school for the US Air Force in the vicinity of Bonham, as well as a prisoner-of-war camp for Germans and German soldiers. Parts of the camp can still be visited today.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 9,990 people, 2,884 households, and 1,848 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,067.1 people per square mile (412.1/km²). There were 3,381 housing units at an average density of 361.1 per square mile (139.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 42.27% White, 65.7% African American, 0.84% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 4.22% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.75% of the population.
There were 2,884 households out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out with 17.8% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 164.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 179.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,131, and the median income for a family was $35,721. Males had a median income of $26,035 versus $21,897 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $11,840. About 12.6% of families and 18.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.9% of those under age 18 and 18.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The City of Bonham is served by the Bonham Independent School DistrictBonham Independent School District
Bonham Independent School District is a public school district based in Bonham, Texas . In addition to Bonham, the district also serves the cities of Bailey and Ravenna....
. In addition, Grayson County College
Grayson County College
Grayson County College is a community college located in Grayson County, Texas. GCC's main campus is located in Denison, with branch campuses in Sherman, Van Alstyne and Bonham ....
operates a branch campus in Bonham, its only campus outside its namesake county.
Notable people
By far Bonham's most famous resident was "Mr. Sam," Sam RayburnSam Rayburn
Samuel Taliaferro Rayburn , often called "Mr. Sam," or "Mr. Democrat," was a Democratic lawmaker from Bonham, Texas, who served as the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives for seventeen years, the longest tenure in U.S. history.- Background :Rayburn was born in Roane County, Tennessee, and...
, the longtime Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
. Rayburn's house
Samuel T. Rayburn House
Samuel T. Rayburn House, also known as The Home Place and Sam Rayburn House Museum, was home to Samuel T. Rayburn, a famously effective Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976....
and a library featuring memorabilia from his Congressional terms are popular museums in the city, and State Highway 56 through town (the former U.S. Highway 82) is named Sam Rayburn Boulevard (and runs beside both the house and library).
Other notable residents include:
- Erwin E.Smith
- John David Reeder
- Robert Chasen Williams
- Charlie ChristianCharlie ChristianCharles Henry "Charlie" Christian was an American swing and jazz guitarist.Christian was an important early performer on the electric guitar, and is cited as a key figure in the development of bebop and cool jazz. He gained national exposure as a member of the Benny Goodman Sextet and Orchestra...
- John Wesley HardinJohn Wesley HardinJohn Wesley Hardin was an American outlaw, gunfighter, and controversial folk hero of the Old West. He was born in Bonham, Texas. Hardin found himself in trouble with the law at an early age, and spent the majority of his life being pursued by both local lawmen and federal troops of the...
well-known outlawOutlawIn historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
and gunfighter in late 19th-century TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... - Thomas E. Locke (1930–2009) - LubbockLubbock, TexasLubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
banker - Roy McMillanRoy McMillanRoy David McMillan was a shortstop, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. From 1951 through 1966, McMillan played for the Cincinnati Reds , Milwaukee Braves and New York Mets . He batted and threw right-handed...
- Cincinnati RedsCincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
All-StarAll-starAll-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
shortstopShortstopShortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the... - Tom McBrideTom McBride (baseball)Thomas Raymond McBride was a professional baseball outfielder. He played all or part of six seasons in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators . He also played extensively in minor league baseball...
- Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielderOutfielderOutfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder... - LTG Michael D. MaplesMichael D. MaplesLieutenant General Michael David Maples, USA served as the 16th Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency , appointed on November 4, 2005. He received his third star on November 29. Maples also commanded the Joint Functional Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance ...
- Defense Intelligence Agency director - Joe MorganJoe MorganJoe Leonard Morgan is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. He won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named the...
- Baseball Hall of Fame second basemanSecond basemanSecond base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base... - B. A. WilsonB. A. WilsonB. A. Wilson is a former NASCAR driver. He competed in the Craftsman Truck Series from 1997-2000.-1997:...
, NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver - Danny DarwinDanny DarwinDaniel Wayne "Danny" Darwin , known as the "Bonham Bullet" and "Dr. Death," is a former pitcher of Major League Baseball. He amassed 171 wins and 182 losses over his career for 8 different Major League teams with a 3.84 earned run average...
, Professional baseball player - Jeff Darwin, Professional baseball player
- Pamela Martin, Fiction author Hard Whispers series, tv star, philanthropist
- LTG Herron N. Maples - former Inspector General of the U.S. Army
- Stephen FlowersStephen FlowersStephen Edred Flowers is an American Runologist and proponent of occultism and Germanic mysticism. The Bonham, Texas-born author has over two dozen published books and hundreds of published papers on a disparate range of subjects. He is also known by the pen-name Edred Thorsson...
- expert on the occult - Thomas "Red" Baugh - Entrepreneur, owner and creator of Hell on the Red INC
- Kenny MarchantKenny MarchantKenny Ewell Marchant is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes several wealthy areas around Dallas and Fort Worth.-Early life, education and career:...
- United States Representative, Texas 24th District - Jerry MooreJerry MooreGerald Hundley "Jerry" Moore is the current head football coach of the Appalachian State University Mountaineers located in the town of Boone in Watauga County, North Carolina. He has filled the position since 1989. Moore has had a winning record in 19 out of the last 20 seasons. He led the...
- head coach of the Appalachian State Mountaineers football team, who most famously beat then ranked #52007 Appalachian State vs. Michigan football gameThe 2007 Appalachian State-Michigan game was a college football game held on September 1 at Michigan Stadium on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It pitted the #5 ranked Michigan Wolverines against the two-time defending champions of the Division I FCS, the...
MichiganMichigan Wolverines footballThe Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
, 34-32, on September 1, 2007, in what is widely referred to as "one of the greatest upsets in college football history." - Jonita Bonham - Korean War flight nurse featured in the book Extraordinary People in Extraordinary Times: Heroes, Sheroes, and Villains http://www.amazon.com/Extraordinary-People-Times-Sheroes-Villains/dp/1563086115, and in the 1953 movie Flight Nurse http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046987/
- Homer BlankenshipHomer BlankenshipHomer "Si" Blankenship was a pitcher in Major League Baseball with the Chicago White Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates....
, Major League Baseball pitcher - Pastor Ernest E. Brown Minister and Life Coach--served the Church of God in Bonham, Texas for many years. Presently is the minister of The Christian Center of Arab, Alabama. He has served this church since 1995. He is a noted NCAA and ACUA softball official. Katie, was his HS prom date and is now his wife.
Tom Scott, 77, a man who had come to embody the colorful history of Fannin County and its people through his dedication to the Fannin County Museum of History.
Tom Scott was a 1949 graduate of Bonham High school and considered by many to be one of the brightest students of his era. He backed up that assessment by earning his B.A. and M.A. in Communications from Baylor University, a M.S. Counseling Certificate from the University of Texas and Ed.S. in higher Education/Psychology from Auburn University.
Tom enjoyed telling people he fought at the "Battle of Lackland," which was his way of saying he was a drill instructor at Lackland Air Force Base from 1954-1958.
He also had an impressive career as a college professor before returning to his hometown to develop into an accomplished history detective. It was Tom's research that first indicated that some of the buildings on the east side of the Bonham Square are constructed from bricks kilned in 1859 to construct the ill-fated 1860 Fannin County Courthouse.
Mr. Scott taught at Temple College and Grayson College before returning to graduate school for training in counseling and psychology. He was then named Director of Student Guidance Services at Henry State College in Alabama. It was there that Tom had an opportunity to get to know Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird.
Tom returned to Bonham in 1982, served three terms as chairman of Fannin County Historical Commission and chaired Bonham's Main Street Committee. He became curator of Fannin County Museum of History in 1987 and is one of the primary reasons this museum enjoys a stellar reputation across the state.