Bonham Sites

The state acquired the land for Bonham State Park in 1933 from the City of Bonham. The Civilian Conservation Corps developed the 261-acre park, landscaping the rocky, hilly terrain for erosion control and recreational purposes, and constructing an earthen dam to impound a sixty-five-acre lake. CCC Company 894 constructed buildings of local cream-colored limestone and Eastern red cedar, working under the supervision of Bonham architect Joe C. Lair and San Antonio architect William C. Caldwell. The overall design exhibits a WPA rustic style. The CCC built the entrance portal, concession building (currently the park headquarters and storage facility), waterfront storage building...

This striking structure was built by the PWA for what was then the local high school. The building's historic landmark plaque: "Using funds from the Federal Public Works Administration and local tax dollars, this structure was built to provide space for school and community assemblies, performances and athletic events. Architects Voelcker and Dixon of Wichita Falls designed the auditorium with Romanesque influences in its arched window and entrance openings and its brick detailing. The 1937 Junior-Senior prom was the first official school function held here, followed later that school year by commencement exercises in the auditorium. It remains in use for...

SH 78 bridge at Red River is the only surviving K-Truss bridge in Texas. It has an overall length of 2,108 feet, and provides a crossing between Fannin County, Texas and Bryan County, Oklahoma. The "eight riveted K-truss through spans, with two camelback pony truss spans at each end" (Lauderdale, 1996) was a joint project between the Texas Highway Department and the Oklahoma Highway Commission. Primarily designed by OHC engineers, the K-Truss is "meant to afford greater span length and strength" (Jensen). Kansas City Bridge Company were the contractors, and there is a roadside park on each side of the...