Nor did we have to skim over the snow in a sleigh on our way through the woods; an easy drive straight up 121 took us to our destination.
We weren’t going to Grandmother’s house, either, but the recent day trip we took to Bonham held all the excitement and anticipation that the old Christmas song evokes.
A bustling commercial and agricultural center in years past, Bonham is Fannin’s county seat. Named in honor of James Butler Bonham, who died at the Alamo, this quaint and historic town with a lovely, well-preserved square is famous as the home of “Mr. Sam” Rayburn, former national Democratic party leader and Speaker of the House.
Bonham’s settlement began when Bailey Inglish arrived from
We didn’t have to wait long – almost immediately we stumbled across something I never in my lifetime thought I would see: an honest-to-goodness working saddle shop. Twister Saddles on
No computerized machinery, no laser-driven etching: all designing, cutting, tooling, detail painting and finishing is done by hand, on site.
This eye-opening combination of raw leather and fine art is run by proprietor Elton Cain, whose son Twister is an award-winning PRCA heeler (or for rodeo laymen like me, a prizewinning team roper who successfully cinches the back feet of a steer).
Shop manager Nathan was Southern-gentleman-polite, welcoming and informative. He estimated that the shop produces a whopping 1000 saddles per year, no small feat when all the laborious and artistic steps that go into the making of each are considered. A handful of expert craftsmen and women were busy maneuvering between tall stacks of saddles in all stages of finish. Some were cutting the curved shapes, others were focused on a dizzying array of designs, and one concentrated with a tiny artist’s liner brush, giving the hand-tooled leather its added dimension by deftly painting the recessed areas black.
We saw saddles made for roping champions and rodeo queens, steer wrestlers and even cowboy churches. Fine skins like alligator and stingray (stingray!), in glorious hues from caramel brown to bright turquoise, graced these works of hand-tooled heaven. These are saddles for the horses and riders who have everything. Twister Saddles ships all around
A little further down
Miss Dorothy, the owner’s mother, was there to gently guide us through rows of colorful fabrics and specialty Texas-themed yardage. I couldn’t possibly decide which was my favorite: the large crazy quilt done up in a Gone-To-Texas array of Lone Star fabrics bursting with bluebonnets, broncos, conchos and fringe; the life-sized fabric cowboy boots in the window (too cute!); or the quilt shop window itself, advertising fabric, classes and gossip. Bless their hearts, they’re honest, too.
Next we met up with history expert and area guide Allen Rich of
We knew we were in the right place, though: the rustic family-owned cafeteria-style eatery was crowded and busy and, best of all, smelled like a fragrant campfire. Mouth-watering smoked meats, sausages that pop, and all kinds of country fixins filled us up as we tried to make room for the still-warm peach cobbler.
Needing to walk off our hearty lunch, little did we know the best was yet to come. The Creative Arts Center (CAC), a short two blocks off the square in a lovely residential area, is a former home donated by local philanthropists who stipulated that it be used as an arts venue.
The CAC boasts (but never brags…it is too genteel for that) spacious galleries, meeting rooms, and a large, bright art classroom. The back garden was the icing: complete with lighted sound stage and melodic fountain, it will be the site of artists’ receptions and garden parties when complete in 2009. Assistant Judy Hall enthusiastically guided us through the CAC and invited us back to view upcoming collections and make art.
If
Twister Saddles, 113 W.
Yards of Fun, 202 E. Sam Rayburn Dr., Bonham, TX 75418 903.583.8342
The Hickory Bar-B-Q,
Bonham Area Chamber of Commerce, 327 N.
