Bonham, Texas -- Saturday, May 3, 2025 was a day unlike any other in the history of a settlement first known as the Village of Bois d'Arc. And that is quite a statement considering that the village now known as Bonham was established in 1837 and is one of the oldest towns in Texas.
During the annual Bonham Heritage Day Festival, residents paid homage to the original inhabitants of this region -- the Caddo Nation -- and to the intrepid French trappers who ventured up from New Orleans in the 1700s in search of pelts. The trappers found Native Americans harvesting the yellow wood of a unique tree that was abundant along what the trappers would come to call Bois d'Arc Bayou. The yellow wood could be fashioned into powerful hunting bows, causing the Frenchmen to coin the phrase "bois d'arc" -- roughly translated as "wood of the arc."
On a picture-perfect Saturday morning with clear, blue skies and a cool breeze, the Bonham Heritage Day Festival crowd filled downtown. Another crowd that included representatives of the Caddo Nation and Eric M. Corticchiato, Consul Honoraire de France à Dallas and his lovely wife, gathered in the large courtroom of the 1888 Fannin County Courthouse for the inaugural Vive le Bois d'Arc ceremony.
It is noteworthy that this courthouse foundation is still supported, in part, by 30-foot bois d'arc pilings driven into the ground 138 years ago.
City of Bonham Municipal Judge Michael Evans gave the invocation, which was then translated into French by Lorie Clark, the CFO of Vector Systems.
Fannin County Court at-Law Judge Charles Butler welcomed the visitors to this auspicious occasion and invited David Keene to present writing pens he had fashioned from local bois d'arc wood to members of the Caddo Nation and the French Consul.
"Bonham's history is intertwined with this impressive tree's cultural significance," Judge Butler read from a letter sent by Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
Bonham Mayor Pro Tem John Burnett read a proclamation on behalf of the City of Bonham before the ceremony moved to the courthouse lawn for the planting of a special bois d'arc tree supplied by John Baecht, a master craftsman at working with bois d'arc wood.
Bonham Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sam Lumpkins took a moment to recognize the contribution of Dr. Fred Tarpley, the man who named this region the "Bois d'Arc Kingdom," and the author of Wood Eternal, a definitive work on the subject of all things bois d'arc.
According to archeologists, the first human excursions into this region thousands of years ago was by Native Americans harvesting bois d'arc for war clubs, dye and other uses.
Tarpley believed that Bois d'Arc Creek was the epicenter of this ancient kingdom.
Baecht, who is well known for the incredible bois d'arc bows he makes, singled out the Caddo Nation for being the first people to recognize the unique properties of this unusual wood. Baecht told of the many uses that Anglo settlers found for bois d'arc, including hedgerows and, later, fence posts. He said he was proud to bring a bois d'arc tree from his family farm to be the county's living symbol of its heritage -- the official Vive le Bois d'Arc tree.
As the Vive le Bois d'Arc ceremony ended, Bonham's honored guests from the Caddo Nation and Consul Honoraire de France à Dallas retired to Neighbors Place Winery for a special luncheon.
Meanwhile, the Heritage Day Festival was in full swing.
Amazing entries of the Red River Valley Car & Truck Show lined Main Street, the Red River Arts Fest was drawing a crowd to Creative Arts Center for art, music and shopping, and performers were getting ready to take their turn on the main stage.
Local favorites Colby Rogers and Colton Gilbreath were first in line, followed by Lane Bricker, Billie Jo Jones, Jon Stork, the Chad Cooke Band and headliner Josh Weathers.
At the Creative Arts Center, it was Gary Pond, Aunt Pearls Bisquits, Casandra Hashert, the Fiddes Family and Roger Branch taking turns on the Garden Stage.
Artist demonstrations were given by Jessie Bryant, Carrol Reese, Michelle Haynes, Chris Cravens, Kristi Dunbar, Caroline Blackwell, Patty Kreider, Sherry Hockett, JayeBella, Tatiana Murray, Wanda Oliver, Sandy Barber and Janet Vines at Creative Arts Center.
At the same time, Fannin County employees were giving tours of the historic Fannin County Courthouse and Cody Davis of AR Consultants, lead archeologist for the Bois d'Arc project, was giving a fascinating presentation regarding what was discovered in the lake's footprint.
The overwhelming success of events such as Heritage Day, Vive le Bois d'Arc, Red River Arts Fest and the recent Steaks on Main cook-off and free concert serve notice of the tantalizing potential of downtown Bonham. The future of Fannin County is shaping up to be as fascinating as its colorful past.
Honorary guests from the Caddo Nation
photos by Allen and Cindy Rich
