Commerce Texas, Home of Texas A & M (original) (raw)

Bois d'Arc Capital of the World

Hunt County, Central Texas North

33�14'42"N 95�54'0"W (33.244959, -95.899957)

10 miles N of I-30
65 miles NE of Dallas
125 miles W of Texarkana
45 miles S of the Texas/Oklahoma border
ZIP codes 75428-75429
Area code 903
Population: 9,680 Est. (2019)
8,078 (2010) 7669 (2000) 6,825 (1990)

Book Hotel Here › Commerce Hotels

Commerce High School
Postcard courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/

Home of Texas A & M - Commerce

Gateway to Cooper Lake

The Commerce event calendar revolves around the September Bois d'Arc Bash. The Bash occurs on the nearest weekend to Sept 25th, the anniversary of the town's incorporation in 1885.

Commerce has taken this maligned and under-appreciated tree and only asks that we take a closer look. The name is pronounced Bo-Dark (which sounds like a late night AM Disc Jockey). The tree's seed was once a commercial export to foreign places like Oklahoma, where it was planted in fence lines before the advent of barbed wire.

McKinney and Bonham also have the tree in their history. Blocks were cut of the durable wood and streets were paved with it. Max, the former Champion Bois d'Arc in the State of Texas, recently lost his throne to a tree in Corsicana (of all places), but can still be visited (and consoled) inside the city limits of Commerce.

Since Bois d'Arc "apples" can't be eaten, the folks at Commerce also hold a Crawfish Festival and 5K Run/Walk the first Saturday in May.

Perhaps due to the University, Commerce has a variety of restaurants and coffeehouses that is unusual for a town this size. If you're driving from Dallas to Texarkana, it's worth the slight detour to become acquainted with this energized community.

People

• Flying Tigers by Archie P. McDonald ("All Things Historical" column)
  "Many native East Texans find fame and fortune far away from their birthplace. A case in point is Claire Lee Chennault, who was born in Commerce, Texas..."
• An Influential Visit by Robert G. Cowser
  Miss Tula Milford of Commerce High School

Commerce Tourist Information

Commerce Chamber of Commerce
1227 Washington Street
903-886-3950
Website: www.digitcom.org

Contact the Chamber for some of their brochures. A downtown map of Commerce is furnished and one for the University and Cooper Lake as well.

Texas Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories, landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact us.