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City of Bonham
Bonham, one of the oldest towns in Texas, was settled in 1837 when Bailey Inglish built a two-story log fort, Fort Inglish, about a mile east of the present square. Inglish was joined by John P. Simpson, Mabel Gilbert, and other settlers in the summer of 1837. The community was called Bois D'Arc until 1843 when the name "Bloomington" was first requested in the Texas Congress. The name "Bonham" won over Bloomington in honor of James Butler Bonham, hero of the Alamo. Constantine Lodge No. 13, the fifth oldest Masonic lodge in Texas, was chartered in Bonham on February 2, 1840. Between 1843 and 1845 the county records from Fort Warren and the post office from Fort Inglish were moved to Bonham and the town was incorporated on February 2, 1848.
Although no major battles were fought in the area, for the Confederates, Bonham was still an important center for the war effort. Bonham became the headquarters for General Henry McCullough, who was appointed Commander of the Northern Subdistrict of Texas. A Confederate Commissary supplied clothing, blankets, harnesses, saddles, and food rations for the soldiers of at least seven different brigades.
In 1873, a charter was granted to Bonham incorporating all lands within a mile radius of the courthouse. In 1886, a general charter was adopted with a mayor, ten aldermen, a marshal, city secretary, tax assessor and collector, city attorney, and others that the council saw fit to appoint. In 1911, a special charter was granted Bonham and the city is still operating under this charter. Under this charter the Bonham Police Department was formally established replacing the marshal's office.
Growth of the community was slow until the building of the Texas and Pacific Railroad in 1873. By 1885, Bonham had eight churches, three colleges (Carlton College, Fannin College, and the Masonic Female Institute), two public schools, three weekly newspapers, a furniture factory, a saw mill, two grist mills, and gins; and a population of 2300. By 1890, an oil mill, street car line, and an ice plant were in operation, and the population had increased to 3361.
By 1889, the first telephone exchange came to Bonham proceeded by the first electric light plant in 1885. Bonham was one of the first cities in Texas to have electric light service. The first electric light plant was the old Bonham Electric Light and Power Company. In 1890, a competing electric plant, The Catron Electric Company, was established. Three years later the two plants consolidated and were successfully operated by Col. J. F. Strickland, pioneer electric utility builder in Texas. In 1912, Strickland established the Texas Power and Light Company, making Bonham one of the seven original electric properties. In 1925, the Lone Star Gas Company connected the main gas line at Denison with that of Paris and passed within two miles of Bonham.
Beginning in 1894, Bonham was known for several unusual markets. W. R. White began selling eggs and chickens brought to town by farmers outside of Bonham. In less than two years he was shipping eggs out of Bonham by big carloads. He also was able to make Bonham well-known for cotton-tail rabbits. He paid farmers five cents for all the rabbits brought to him and it was not unusual to see wagons loaded with as many as 1000 rabbits at a time. These rabbits were shipped to New Orleans and newspapers all over the United States commented on Bonham's rabbit market. Next to being famous as a rabbit market, Bonham was also known as a horse market. During the Boer War in South Africa, thousands of horses were brought to Bonham where a feeding station was set up to await boats in New Orleans on their way to South Africa. Col. Ed D. Steger created the horse market which attracted more visitors than any other living thing in Bonham's early history.
Bonham's population was 4844 in 1910, reached 5655 in 1930 and was 6349 in 1940. An air force training school was located at Bonham during World War II and helped increase the population to 7043 by 1950 when the town had some 20 manufacturing plants to make it an industrial area in the county. Also, during World War II Bonham was the site of a Pow camp which housed mostly German soldiers, fragments of the camp are still visible today.
Although no major battles were fought in the area, for the Confederates, Bonham was still an important center for the war effort. Bonham became the headquarters for General Henry McCullough, who was appointed Commander of the Northern Subdistrict of Texas. A Confederate Commissary supplied clothing, blankets, harnesses, saddles, and food rations for the soldiers of at least seven different brigades.
In 1873, a charter was granted to Bonham incorporating all lands within a mile radius of the courthouse. In 1886, a general charter was adopted with a mayor, ten aldermen, a marshal, city secretary, tax assessor and collector, city attorney, and others that the council saw fit to appoint. In 1911, a special charter was granted Bonham and the city is still operating under this charter. Under this charter the Bonham Police Department was formally established replacing the marshal's office.
Growth of the community was slow until the building of the Texas and Pacific Railroad in 1873. By 1885, Bonham had eight churches, three colleges (Carlton College, Fannin College, and the Masonic Female Institute), two public schools, three weekly newspapers, a furniture factory, a saw mill, two grist mills, and gins; and a population of 2300. By 1890, an oil mill, street car line, and an ice plant were in operation, and the population had increased to 3361.
By 1889, the first telephone exchange came to Bonham proceeded by the first electric light plant in 1885. Bonham was one of the first cities in Texas to have electric light service. The first electric light plant was the old Bonham Electric Light and Power Company. In 1890, a competing electric plant, The Catron Electric Company, was established. Three years later the two plants consolidated and were successfully operated by Col. J. F. Strickland, pioneer electric utility builder in Texas. In 1912, Strickland established the Texas Power and Light Company, making Bonham one of the seven original electric properties. In 1925, the Lone Star Gas Company connected the main gas line at Denison with that of Paris and passed within two miles of Bonham.
Beginning in 1894, Bonham was known for several unusual markets. W. R. White began selling eggs and chickens brought to town by farmers outside of Bonham. In less than two years he was shipping eggs out of Bonham by big carloads. He also was able to make Bonham well-known for cotton-tail rabbits. He paid farmers five cents for all the rabbits brought to him and it was not unusual to see wagons loaded with as many as 1000 rabbits at a time. These rabbits were shipped to New Orleans and newspapers all over the United States commented on Bonham's rabbit market. Next to being famous as a rabbit market, Bonham was also known as a horse market. During the Boer War in South Africa, thousands of horses were brought to Bonham where a feeding station was set up to await boats in New Orleans on their way to South Africa. Col. Ed D. Steger created the horse market which attracted more visitors than any other living thing in Bonham's early history.
Bonham's population was 4844 in 1910, reached 5655 in 1930 and was 6349 in 1940. An air force training school was located at Bonham during World War II and helped increase the population to 7043 by 1950 when the town had some 20 manufacturing plants to make it an industrial area in the county. Also, during World War II Bonham was the site of a Pow camp which housed mostly German soldiers, fragments of the camp are still visible today.