Towns of Fannin County, Texas

Ivanhoe
Is ten miles northeast of Bonham, on the Island bayou road. At this place there are two stores of general merchandise, a blacksmith shop, a steam mill and cotton gin, one hotel, one physician,
an elegant school building and a flourishing school, under the management of Prof. Gill. Only a few years ago the country around this place was considered hardly worth owning. It was without population, now for seven miles around it has a dense population, handsome farms, neat houses and. industrious people, who have, by cultivation, proved that the soil, once considered valueless, is capable of producing well, everything that is planted. Two miles further on north is New Hope, where there is a good church and schoolhouse.

Orangeville
Is south of Savoy about eight miles, .At this place there is one dry goods store, one family grocery, one mill and gin, a blacksmith shop, and school house. This town has been retarded considerably in its business by Whitewright, which is just in the edge of Grayson county and has recently grown up there since the Missouri Pacific has been in operation, and has become one of the liveliest little places in the state. The country around Orangeville is a very rich, and productive one, the land once prairie, but now what is termed brush land, which though a little troublesome to put in cultivation is decidedly the most productive land in the state. The country around Orangeville and Whitewright is densely populated, some of the most beautiful farms in the state are found here. The people exhibit great energy in building up, evidences of prosperity and thrift are seen on every hand.

Bentonville
Five miles south of Bonham, on the Farmersville road, has one store, a gin, blacksmith shop and schoolhouse, with a good school. The lands in this vicinity are the rich brush lands, that will pro-duce all that a man need want if he will only half cultivate it.
Lands are comparatively cheap, unimproved, according to locality, varies from $5 to $20 per acre, and improved lands can be purchased from $8 to $30 per acre. For intelligence, kindness, hospitality and morality, the people will compare with any other like number of people anywhere.

Ladonia
Is beautifully located on a sandy prairie, the timber extending to its northern border. It has four doctors, one lawyer, a justice of the peace, three church buildings, one high school, three Sunday schools, Masonic, Odd Fellows and Good Templar's lodges, four dry goods stores, six grocery stores, two hotels, one newspaper office, (now suspended) two barber shops, one flouring mill, two drug stores, one furniture store, three blacksmith and wood shops, one livery stable and a telephone office. The town was established in 1840, and. new has 700 inhabitants. The citizens, not only of town, but of the surrounding country, are prosperous and doing well. As a place of trade it does a good business. A large portion of the business at this place comes from Delta, Hopkins, and Hunt counties. There is considerable wealth in and around Ladonia.

Trenton
Is a new town on the Missouri Pacific road. At this place there are two drug stores, two saloons, two hotels, one schoolhouse and a flourishing school, a steam gristmill and gin, four stores containing general merchandise, two family groceries, a large lumber yard, two blacksmith shops, and two steam gins. No portion of Fannin County has developed faster in the last four years than that we have just been describing. Only six or seven years ago it was almost a wilderness, now some of the finest and most productive farms in the state are to be found: The citizens are industrious, energetic and take great pride in the development of their country, good schools and churches of all denominations are found in every neighborhood. Land around Leonard and Trenton can be purchased at from $8 to $15 for unimproved, and from. $15 to $80 per acre, for improved land, and is cheap at that price.

The region of country extending from the Bonham and Greenville road, from Bois d' Arc to the Hunt County line on the south, thence east to Hopkins and Delta counties, embraces an area of rich and productive soil with large farms and most excellent farmers, all of whom are prosperous and doing well.

Tulip
Is situated on Red River, has a Masonic lodge, a school, one general dry goods store, a blacksmith and wood shop, two gins and a mill, and a church house. The surrounding country has excellent farms, rich red lands, producing one-half to a bale of cotton per acre, corn, from forty to sixty bushels; wheat, oats and vegetables; and no finer fruit country in the world can be found than that extending from Ravenna to Tulip, embracing Sowells, Hawkins Prairie and the surrounding country. This is no guess work, for many fine orchards are there, in which are grown as fine apples, peaches, pears and plums as ever grew anywhere. And the grape is in its native clement here. In this portion of Fannin County, as in every other part, in every neighborhood can be found school houses, church buildings, and an interest is being taken in educational matters.

Dial
Is in the southern portion of precinct number five. This village has two stores, one gin and mill, church and school house 36x50 feet, well finished. A good school is constantly kept up with an average of 100 students. There is regular preaching at this place. The churches represented are, Presbyterians, Baptist and Christians. There is a postoffice, with mails every other day. The soil is gray, sandy, but surrounded by black waxy. The Sulphurs afford plenty of timber, and stock water. Society is most excellent. There is a Good Templar's lodge of eighty members. Land is worth from $10 to $25 per acre; the surrounding country is in a high state of cultivation and improvement, and produces well. The citizens are sober, moral, industrious, intelligent and prosperous. About half way between Honey Grove and Dial is Rock Point a school house 25x36, with a regular school and Sunday school and sometimes preaching. At this place the famous limestone quarries that have furnished rock for the building of the court house at Greenville and Clarksville, and for various other houses in the state, and furnished stone for the finishing work of some of the largest and handsomest buildings in the state. This is almost easily worked as wood; chisels, saws and common planes can be used in cutting and dressing it, just the same as if it were hard wood. After it is put up and exposed to the sunshine it grows harder and better. The quarries are being regularly worked and afford quite an item of commerce.
 

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