Red River Ramble: Fall Fun in Fannin County

Randy and Caleb Bass fish at Bonham State Park Lake. Photo by Louis DeLucaBy Lou Ann Dean

There’s a little bit of Davy Crockett’s curiosity, wanderlust and zest for life in all of us. He once proclaimed northeast Texas “the richest country in the world” and praised a campsite here as “a honey grove.” And while the local legacy of this native Tennessean first beckoned me to Fannin County, music, history, nature, art, food, wine and kind-hearted folks will keep me coming back.

Texas 56 and US 82 bisect Fannin County, with Bonham, the county seat, situated at its center. A variety of specialty shops and eateries border the square, as does the Bonham Chamber of Commerce, which is inside the 1890 First National Bank building.
I headed a block south to the restored 1900 Texas and Pacific Railway depot, which houses the Fannin County Museum of History. In its heyday, the railroad fed Bonham’s economy, and numerous area Victorian homes and churches


The Creative Arts Center on West Fifth Street is also worth examining for its variety of content, collective spirit, and ongoing support of the county’s artists and their work.
The Sam Rayburn Library and Museum, featuring white Georgian marble columns, maple trees lining the drive, a field of wildflowers spread about the broad front lawn, and a prominent statue of Congressman Rayburn, designed by Mr. Sam himself.
With the afternoon waning, it was time to check into my accommodations, the Carleton House B&B, located north of the square. On this classic Victorian home’s landscaped half-acre, mature pecan trees surrounded by English ivy create a lush garden setting. This National Register home was expertly restored and decorated by current owners Steve and Karen Halbrook.
Another good choice for a night’s stay is Granny Lou’s B&B. It’s a beautifully restored, three-story, 19th-Century Victorian, just two blocks from downtown near the Rayburn library.
For dinner, I headed to Shumardii’s Steakhouse Restaurant and Bar, a popular eatery located west on Texas 121. In the fall, red oaks on the lawn make their seasonal change from green to deep red. Inside, aromas of Shumardii’s legendary honey-wheat bread fill the dining area. All the meals come with this hot, succulent staple, along with yummy honey butter.
The following day, I visited the Sam Rayburn House Museum. This 12-room clapboard structure dates to 1916. Operated by the Texas Historical Commission, the museum, replete with memorabilia of Rayburn’s civilian life and half-century political career, reminds visitors why he said, “When I get away from Washington, I don’t want to go anywhere else in the world but home.”
Though you could spend an entire weekend in Bonham, I wanted to experience some of the county’s outlying attractions, lakes, and countryside, as well. I enjoyed driving through 261-acre-Bonham State Park, two miles southeast of town. It includes a 65-acre lake for watercraft enthusiasts and a mountain trail for bikers. One-half mile from the recreational area, inside a big, red tin building, Joan Kelton’s Country Music Hoe-Down offers a variety of music most weekends.
My next destination, Lake Fannin, due north on Texas 78, near the Red River, is within the Caddo National Grasslands. Peace and serenity reign supreme here. S
By late afternoon, I headed east to Honey Grove, the city so-named by Davy Crockett himself, I took in its historic square. While driving around town, I marveled at the numerous, tastefully painted Queen Anne, Renaissance Revival, and Second Empire structures. I found myself imagining the clop-clop of horse hooves, as carriages filled with ornately dressed men and women went by on their way to the opera house. And although musical entertainment was on my agenda, it was vestiges of Davy Crockett I sought.

See the full article in the November 2008 issue.

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