Sam Rayburn Museum

10/11/2026

Our annual Cemetery Walking Tour is happening on October 31, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. A guided walking tour begins at 10:15 a.m. This year, the tour is taking place at Gates Hill Cemetery, on Hwy 78 South and approximately 1.5 miles south of downtown Bonham, TX. Join us as we walk through this historic African American cemetery, providing brief biographies of some of the people buried there including men and women who worked for Sam Rayburn and the Rayburn family at their home. This program is free to attend, and self-guided options are available. We will be respectful of the cemetery. Please wear comfortable walking shoes for the walking tour. Refreshments will be available thanks to the sponsorship of the Friends of Sam Rayburn.

10/07/2026

15. Twenty-fourth Amendment, 1964
Ratified in January 1964, the Twenty-fourth Amendment prohibits Congress and the states from requiring the payment of a poll tax or any other tax to vote in federal elections. Although the Fifteenth Amendment established that no citizen should be denied the right to vote based on race or color, states, especially those in the South, used unfair practices, including poll taxes, to prevent African Americans and poor citizens from voting. The amendment states the right of citizens to vote in federal elections can’t be denied because they failed to pay a tax or fee. Its passage was an important milestone in the civil rights movement because it helped remove financial barriers to voting in federal elections, making participating in elections more accessible. In 1966, the Supreme Court ruled in Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections (1966) that poll taxes for any level of elections were unconstitutional because they violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

10/02/2026

Mark your calendar! For more information call Winedale at 979-278-3530 or email [email protected]

09/29/2026

Our capital improvement project is underway. Due to accessibility limitations and safety considerations associated with ongoing construction activities, the Museum will be temporarily closed to the public beginning Monday, October 5, 2026.

We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time. Please visit our website for project updates and related announcements:

Located in Bonham, Texas, the Sam Rayburn Museum is dedicated to the remarkable live of the longest-running Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Sam.

09/29/2026

🍂 Y’ALL ASKED AND WE LISTENED! 🚲

The Vive le Bois d’Arc Family 5K: A Historic Passport Tour is happening during Autumn in Bonham THIS SATURDAY, and we’ve discounted registration to just $10 per passport!

This isn’t your typical 5K. It’s a 3.8-mile adventure through Bonham history that you can bike, walk, or run at your own pace. Pick up your passport, then make your way to six stops around town:

⭐ City of Bonham, Texas Powder Creek Park
⭐ Fannin County Museum of History
⭐ Fannin County Courthouse
⭐ Creative Arts Center
⭐ Sam Rayburn Museum Library
⭐ Fort Inglish Village Museum

Collect a stamp at each stop, cross the official Autumn in Bonham Finish Line, then turn in your completed passport at the Vive Info Booth to claim your special finisher prize! 🌳

No racing. No pressure. Just a fun excuse to get outside, explore Bonham, learn a little local history, and be part of the 40th Anniversary of Autumn in Bonham.

Just $10 per passport • All ages • Bike, walk or run!

And when you’re finished, stick around for the Finish Line Festival with food trucks, vendors, the CUTX Kids Zone, games and contests, and live music at the Historic Amphitheater!

📅 Saturday, October 3
📍 Floyd Community Center, 1100 W. 5th St.
🎟️ Register on BikeReg and come explore Bonham with us!
👉 https://www.bikereg.com/autumn-in-bonham

Same town. More to explore. 🍂

Tag the family or friends you want to adventure with, and please share this one so we can get the word out about the new $10 price!

09/25/2026

14. Warren Court “one man, one vote” decisions, 1962-1964
“One man, one vote" is a motto used to express the principle of equal representation in voting and is often used to describe a series of U.S. Supreme Court decisions made in the 1960s, when Earl Warren served as the chief justice and the panel was known as the Warren Court. In Baker v. Carr (1962), the Warren Court ruled that the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment meant questions about redistricting affecting equal representation were within the Court’s scope, enabling federal courts to hear redistricting cases. Applying the principle later known as “one person, one vote,” the Warren Court decisions in Gray v. Sanders (1963), Reynolds v. Sims (1964) and Wesberry v. Sanders (1964) reinforced the principle that electoral districts, at all levels of government, should be apportioned according to population, making each district roughly equal in population and as a result roughly equal in representation.

Image: U.S. Supreme Court, aka Warren Court, September 28, 1962 – July 26, 1965
Seated(L-R): Justices Tom C. Clark and Hugo L. Black, Chief Justice Earl Warren, and Justices William O. Douglas and John M. Harlan; Standing (L-R): Justices Byron R. White, William J. Brennan, Jr., Potter Stewart, and Arthur J. Goldberg
Photo Credit: Joseph Scherschel (1920-2004), for the National Geographic Society

09/22/2026

Walk. Run. or Roll. Your passport to Bonham is waiting!

The Vive le Bois d’Arc Family 5K Historic Passport Tour takes you on an adventure through six special stops that showcase the history, creativity, and community of Bonham:

- Powder Creek Park – featuring a special Storybook Trail
- Fannin County Museum of History
- Historic Fannin County Courthouse
- Creative Arts Center
- Sam Rayburn Museum Library
- Fort Inglish Village Museum

Pick up your passport, travel the route by bike or foot, and collect a stamp at every stop. Once you’ve collected all six stamps, cross the official Autumn in Bonham finish line and head to the Vive le Bois d’Arc Info Booth to turn in your completed passport and claim your special finisher prize!

Come explore Bonham, discover a little local history, and finish your adventure right in the middle of the Autumn in Bonham Festival!

📅 Saturday, October 3
👉 Register today at www.bikereg.com/autumn-in-bonham
📍 Roy V. Floyd Community Center | 1100 W. 5th St., Bonham

09/22/2026

Winedale Zoom Talk: Texas Rangers: Legendary Lawmen
On Tuesday, September 29, at noon, Audrey Ladd, from the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, will discuss the nearly 200-year history of the nation’s most legendary state law enforcement agency. To register for this zoom talk, email [email protected].

09/22/2026

We will be closed from 9:00 AM-12:00 PM TODAY (9/22) for a staff training session.
Thank you.