Bonham is a city in northeast Texas and the seat of Fannin County, set in the Prairies and Lakes region just south of the Red River and the Oklahoma border. Founded in 1836, the city takes its name from James Bonham, the Alamo courier who sought the aid of James Fannin—the county's namesake—during the Texas Revolution. Bonham has served as the county seat since 1838, and its history is written into a classic Texas courthouse square and a collection of Victorian and early-twentieth-century homes near downtown. The city's most celebrated figure is Sam Rayburn, the longtime Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives known as "Mr. Sam." His 1916 home is preserved as the Sam Rayburn House museum and anchors the city's heritage tourism, alongside the Sam Rayburn Library and the annual Fannin County Fair. That blend of history and small-town civic life gives Bonham a character distinct from the fast-growing North Texas suburbs around it. Bonham's population was 10,408 in the 2020 census. Recreation centers on Bonham State Park, a Civilian Conservation Corps-era park with a 65-acre lake and hilly trails, and the 1,020-acre Lake Bonham recreation area northeast of town, which offers boating, camping, and shoreline access. The Bonham Independent School District serves local families, and the city's position on State Highway 121 and State Highway 56 places Sherman, Paris, and the McKinney suburbs of the Dallas metro within a practical drive. Local commerce and public life revolve around county government, retail, healthcare, and the annual Fannin County Fair, giving the city a working small-town economy beneath its historic surface. For buyers seeking historic homes, lake access, and a lower-cost alternative to the metroplex, Bonham is a distinctive Northeast Texas option.