kids encyclopedia robot

Bonham, Texas facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Bonham, Texas
Downtown Bonham, Texas (2020)
Downtown Bonham, Texas (2020)
Motto(s): 
"The Star of North Texas"
Location of Bonham, Texas
Location of Bonham, Texas
Fannin County Bonham.svg
Country United States
State Texas
County Fannin
Area
 • Total 9.83 sq mi (25.47 km2)
 • Land 9.83 sq mi (25.47 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
610 ft (186 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 10,127
 • Estimate 
(2019)
10,386
 • Density 1,056.24/sq mi (407.81/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
75418
Area codes 430, 903
FIPS code 48-09328
GNIS feature ID 1352653

Bonham is a city and the county seat of Fannin County, Texas. The population was 10,408 at the 2020 census. James Bonham (the city's namesake) sought the aid of James Fannin (the county's namesake) at the Battle of the Alamo. Bonham is part of the Texoma region in north Texas and south Oklahoma.

Geography

Bonham is located slightly west of the center of Fannin County in northeastern Texas. U.S. Route 82, a two-lane bypass, crosses the northern part of the city, leading east 37 miles (60 km) to Paris and west 27 miles (43 km) to Sherman. Texas State Highway 78 passes through the center of Bonham, leading north 12 miles (19 km) to the Oklahoma border at the Red River and south 10 miles (16 km) to Bailey. Texas State Highway 56, following an old routing of US 82, crosses Highway 78 in the center of Bonham, leading east 6 miles (10 km) to Dodd City and west 6 miles to Ector. Texas State Highway 121 leads southwest from Bonham 41 miles (66 km) to McKinney. Dallas is 72 miles (116 km) to the southwest via McKinney.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Bonham has a total area of 9.8 square miles (25.3 km2), all of it land.

History

Bonham, one of the oldest cities in Texas, dates back to 1837 when Bailey Inglish built a two-story blockhouse 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 Texas 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. A 1936 statue of Bonham by Texas sculptor Allie Tennant graces the courthouse grounds.

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 about 2,300 inhabitants. 1890 saw the addition of streetcars, an ice plant, and the opening of the Texas Power and Light Company, the 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 United States Army Air Forces in the vicinity of Bonham, as well as a prisoner-of-war camp for captured German soldiers. Parts of the camp, located approximately 0.5 miles north of US 82, can still be visited today.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 211
1860 477 126.1%
1870 928 94.5%
1880 1,889 103.6%
1890 3,361 77.9%
1900 5,042 50.0%
1910 4,844 −3.9%
1920 6,008 24.0%
1930 5,655 −5.9%
1940 6,349 12.3%
1950 7,049 11.0%
1960 7,357 4.4%
1970 7,698 4.6%
1980 7,338 −4.7%
1990 6,686 −8.9%
2000 9,990 49.4%
2010 10,127 1.4%
2020 10,408 2.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2020, there were 10,408 people, 3,400 households, and 3,052 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,067.1 people per square mile (412.1/km2). There were 3,400 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 75.4% White, 14.8% African American, 1% Native American, .4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 6.7% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.4% of the population.

There were 2,884 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 32.3% had someone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 21% under the age of 19, 9% from 20 to 24, 31% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years.

The median income for a household in the city was $43,793, and the median income for a family was $52,334. Males had a median income of $26,035 versus $21,897 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,874. About 14.9% of the population were below the poverty line.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Bonham has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.



Education

Bonham July 2016 35 (Bonham High School)
Bonham High School

The city is served by the Bonham Independent School District. The city's high school is Bonham High School.

In addition, Grayson County College serves Bonham. It once operated a branch campus in Bonham, its only campus outside its namesake county, but it ceased operations in Bonham after 2012 due to small enrollment numbers. Texas A&M University-Commerce, a university of over 12,000 students, is Commerce, 35 minutes southeast of Bonham.

Notable people

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Bonham (Texas) para niños

kids search engine
Bonham, Texas Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.