Fannin

Formed June 12, 1837 (24^th county)

Fannin County (35,661), Bonham (10,407)

The Art Deco building was actually first erected in 1889.  A major remodeling in 1965 transformed the old limestone courthouse in the current building.  Wesley C. Dodson and Dudley were the original architects but their design was hidden by the 1965 efforts.  The courthouse was also restored in 1930 after a fire.  The courthouse is under renovation in 2019 and a temporary building is in use.  United States Highway (Business) 82 and Texas State Highway 78 intersect at the square where the courthouse is located.  Bonham has been the home for all five courthouses (1838, 1840, 1843, 1881, and 1889) that have served Fannin County since its founding on June 12, 1837.  The county was originally part of Red River County as the 24^th county.  James W. Fannin gave his name to the county.  He is the leader of the Texans killed at the Battle of Goliad.  Bonham is named for James Butler Bonham, of Alamo fame.  

Fannin County government consists of a sheriff, a County Judge, and 4 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge serves Fannin, Lamar, and Red River counties and One District Court Judge and Two County Court Judges serve Fannin County.  The county is situated in northeast Texas just to the northeast of the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas Metroplex.  Across its north border of the Red River is Oklahoma.  The county center is 2.7 miles Southeast of Bonham.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Oklahoma and Lamar, Delta, Hunt, Collin, and Grayson counties. 

The area of the county is 892 square miles.  It is 163 out of 254 in the state.  It ranks 87 out of 254 in population in the state.  It has a density of 40.0 persons per square mile making it 88 out of 254 in the state.  Bonham County has 50.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 69 crosses the southwest corner from west to south, Grayson County to Hunt County.  United States Highway 82 goes east to west, Lamar County to Grayson County.  The northern border winds back and forth with the river while the remainder of the county is a rectangle shape skewed slightly at the southwest corner.  Bonham is slightly west of the county center.  Bonham is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 29.2% of the county population.  This county is in the Bonham Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Whitewright