Biohazard Cleanup Near West Bonham Bonham, TX

Bonham is the county seat of Fannin County and one of the oldest cities in Texas, dating to 1837, when Bailey Inglish built a two-story blockhouse called Fort Inglish near the present downtown.

Bonham is named for James Butler Bonham, the Alamo defender who rode out seeking reinforcements, while the county around it is named for James Fannin — the very commander Bonham was sent to plead with for help.

Bonham was incorporated on February 2, 1848, after the Congress of the Republic of Texas first named the town Bloomington in 1843 and then renamed it for Bonham.

Bonham was the longtime home of Sam Rayburn, who represented the area in Congress from 1913 to 1961 and served 17 years as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives — longer than anyone else in American history.

The Sam Rayburn House Museum preserves the 1916 home Rayburn built on a farm just west of Bonham; it is a National Historic Landmark and is operated by the Texas Historical Commission.

President Harry S. Truman traveled to Bonham in 1957 to dedicate the Sam Rayburn Library and Museum, which holds a replica of Rayburn's Speaker's office and the white marble rostrum that stood in the U.S. House from 1857 to 1950.

Bonham counted 10,408 residents in the 2020 census, up from 10,127 in 2010, and the Census Bureau estimated the population at about 11,263 by 2025.

Bonham has roughly 2,875 households averaging about 2.72 people each, and about 63.6% of its homes are owner-occupied.

Bonham sits in the Texoma region of North Texas, within easy reach of Lake Bonham, a popular local spot for fishing, boating, and camping.