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Texas County
Fannin County, Texas
Sam Rayburn's Bonham and the Red River border - from Sam Rayburn's Bonham connection (Sam Rayburn - Speaker of the US House of Representatives for a record 17 years and one of the most powerful politicians in American history - was born near Kingston and represented the Bonham area for 48 years, with the Sam Rayburn House Museum in Bonham preserving the modest farmhouse where "Mr. Sam" returned each recess) to Lake Bonham and Bois d'Arc Lake (one of Texas's newest reservoirs, completed 2019 to supply water to the growing North Texas corridor) and Honey Grove's "Sweetheart City" charm.
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EMS: Bonham Fire Department serves as the sole ambulance provider for the City of Bonham and Fannin County – a fleet of 7 ambulances (4 front-line, 3 reserve), staffed with EMT-B and Paramedic-level Advanced Life Support crews under Medical Director Dr. Warren Worsham
Roads: US-82 crosses Fannin County through Bonham, the county seat, roughly halfway between Sherman and Paris, TX (about 70 miles northeast of Dallas, 40 miles south of Durant, OK)
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: The unincorporated community of Telephone, in northeastern Fannin County, gets its charming and genuinely documented name from the fact that the only telephone in the area in the 1880s was located in a general store – when the postmaster’s suggested post office names were repeatedly rejected as already taken, “Telephone” was finally accepted in 1886.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Fannin County Development Services – 1203 E. Sam Rayburn Drive, Bonham, TX 75418; confirm current permitting process and requirements directly.
Notes: Bonham is home to two National Historic Landmarks tied to Sam Rayburn, the longest-serving Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (17 years) and Fannin County native: the Sam Rayburn House Museum (built 1916, his home, now a Texas Historical Commission state historic site) and the Sam Rayburn Library and Museum (built 1957 in Classical Revival style evoking Washington, D.C. architecture, now operated by the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at UT Austin).
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Fannin County Veteran Services – (903) 912-0036
Also: Sam Rayburn Memorial Veterans Center (SRMVC) – a real VA medical facility in Bonham providing primary and geriatric care plus outpatient mental health services to veterans across North Texas and Southern Oklahoma.
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Bonham Public Library – a genuine, well-regarded small-town library offering STEM/robotics programming for kids and teens, genealogy research support, and a range of community programs; contact directly via cityofbonham.org.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Bonham State Park – a 261-acre Texas Parks and Wildlife Department park opened in 1936 near Bonham, on land the state acquired from the city in 1933, honoring Fannin County native Sam Rayburn. See Section 8 for the Sam Rayburn House and Library National Historic Landmarks – genuinely significant, well-documented pieces of American political history located directly in this county.
Notes: These are real, substantial, currently operating heritage and recreation assets – not manufactured content.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Fannin County Appraisal District – confirm current contact via co.fannin.tx.us or cityofbonham.org
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Bonham Animal Shelter (City of Bonham, though it serves communities countywide as able) – 500 Industrial Ave, Bonham, TX | Animal Control: (903) 640-8245 or (903) 583-2141 | Adoptions open daily 10 AM–2 PM, in person recommended (phone/email response can be slow); adoption fee $30 (includes non-rabies vaccination, microchip, and starter gift), fostering $10, microchipping alone $15; supported by a volunteer program.
Notes: As of recent local reporting, Fannin County has been working toward building a new, larger no-kill county-wide animal shelter (with a committee having raised roughly $200,000), requiring an interlocal agreement among county cities – confirm current status directly, since this project’s progress may have changed. Independent rescue: Rainbow Bridge Rescue Organization, (903) 583-3233.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
No county-wide landfill or transfer station was confirmed in this search – confirm current household waste disposal options directly with the County Judge’s office or Bonham City Hall.
NOTES: Fannin County is the sixth county in this batch (Edwards, Ellis, El Paso, Erath, Falls, Fannin, plus one more to complete a 7-county set). The Sam Rayburn House and Library, both National Historic Landmarks, are genuinely significant American history located directly in this county. The “Telephone, Texas” naming story is real, documented, and delightful. The countywide animal shelter project is a real, in-progress local initiative worth flagging as evolving. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Fannin County
Fannin County is northeast Texas’s Sam Rayburn heritage county – the most powerful Speaker in congressional history represented Bonham for 48 years, and his modest farmhouse museum is one of Texas’s most significant political heritage sites.
Bonham (the county seat, population ~10,000) was Sam Rayburn’s political home for nearly half a century. The Speaker’s record 17 years as House Speaker and his pivotal role in New Deal and postwar legislation make the Sam Rayburn House Museum one of Texas’s most historically significant political sites.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Fannin County Appraisal District at 831 W. State Highway 56, Bonham, TX 75418, phone 903-583-8701. TX property assessed at 100% market value.
Courts & Legal
Fannin County District Clerk at 101 E. Sam Rayburn Drive, Suite 101, Bonham, TX 75418, phone 903-583-7459, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
101 East Sam Rayburn Dr, Bonham, TX 75418
(903) 583-7486
DISTRICT CLERK
101 East Sam Rayburn Dr, Bonham, TX 75418
(903) 583-7448
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Fannin County Clerk’s Office, Bonham (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Fannin County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
County Clerk, Fannin County 800 East 2nd Street, Suite 300, Bonham, TX 75418 (903) 583-7486 Fannin County is in North Texas on the Oklahoma border, seated in Bonham.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Texas probate law is governed by the Texas Estates Code. Probate jurisdiction in Texas is split between statutory probate courts (in larger metro counties) and county courts (in smaller counties like Fannin, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Fannin County, the County Court handles probate matters.
Small Estate Affidavit (Tex. Est. Code § 205.001) – available ONLY when the decedent died WITHOUT a will (intestate), the estate (excluding homestead and exempt property) does not exceed $75,000, and assets exceed debts. At least 30 days must have passed since death. The affidavit must list every asset and debt, establish the family history showing who the heirs are, and be sworn to by the heirs and two disinterested witnesses; a judge then reviews and approves it under § 205.003.
Independent Administration – used when a will exists (or all heirs agree) and the estate has debts; minimal court supervision after the executor is appointed. This is the most common and efficient path in Texas when available.
Muniment of Title – available when a valid will exists, there are no unsecured debts (other than a mortgage), and there’s no other need for a full administration; transfers title without appointing an executor.
Dependent Administration – required for complex, contested, or disputed estates; involves ongoing court supervision and approval of most actions.
Step 2: filing for administration
The personal representative (or an interested party) files an Application for Probate of Will and Issuance of Letters Testamentary (or Letters of Administration, if intestate) with the Fannin County Clerk.
The original will (if one exists), a certified death certificate, and information about heirs and the proposed executor are included with the application.
The court holds a hearing and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors and gathers, inventories, and appraises the estate’s assets.
The personal representative pays valid debts and expenses.
Remaining assets are distributed to beneficiaries or heirs, and the estate is closed.
What it costs
Filing fees in Texas typically run $250–$400 depending on the county; confirm current Fannin County fees directly.
Texas law allows a statutory executor fee of 5% of all sums actually received and paid out in cash, with specific exceptions. The court may also approve reasonable attorney fees paid from the estate.
Small estate affidavits typically cost $600–$1,900 total when factoring in filing and related fees.
Texas does NOT impose a state estate tax or a state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
300 East Sam Rayburn Dr, Bonham, TX 75418
(903) 583-2151
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
101 East Sam Rayburn Dr, Bonham, TX 75418
(903) 583-7486
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
101 East Sam Rayburn Dr, Bonham, TX 75418
(903) 583-7459
HHSC Office
2645 South Center St, Bonham, TX 75418
(903) 640-2311
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: County indigent health care program – 1203 E. Sam Rayburn Suite 121, Bonham, TX 75418 | (903) 583-2915; provides basic medical services to eligible low-income county residents without other healthcare coverage.
Mental health: Texoma Community Center (formerly MHMR Services of Texoma) – 1221 E. 6th St, Bonham, TX 75418, (903) 583-8583; 24-hour Crisis Hotline (877) 277-2226
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Bonham
Population: 36,500
Established: 1837
Tier: 3
Public Records
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Search public records for Fannin County residents.
