Editing Commerce, Texas (section)

==History==
{{see also|History of East Texas A&M University}}
[[File:1920 Locust yearbook p. 219 (Federal Building).jpg|thumb|left|Commerce's Federal Building in 1920]]

The town of Commerce was formed when two merchants named William Jernigan and Josiah Jackson established a [[trading post]] and mercantile store where the present-day downtown area is. The rural area just to the northeast was an open prairie originally known as Cow Hill. The town was established in 1872 and named "Commerce" due to the thriving economic activity among the cotton fields and ideal farm and ranch lands between the Middle and South Sulphur rivers on the rich, black gumbo prairie in northeast Hunt County. The town incorporated in 1885. Two years later, a railroad was built through Commerce to transport merchandise from [[Fort Worth]], and nine years later, William L. Mayo, a college educator, moved East Texas Normal College from the [[northeast Texas]] town of [[Cooper, Texas|Cooper]] to Commerce after the original school in Cooper was destroyed in a fire. Mayo continued as president of the college, now known as East Texas A&M University, until his death in 1917 and is buried on the campus grounds.

[[File:Bois d'Arc Bash 2015 21 (vendors).jpg|thumb|left|Bois d'Arc Bash 2015]]

Commerce was named the "Bois d'Arc Capital of Texas" (pronounced "bow-dark") by the Texas Legislature because of its location in the geographic center of the indigenous range of the [[Maclura pomifera|bois d'arc tree]]. The second largest bois d'arc tree in Texas, "Big Max", recognized by the National Forests Famous and Historic Trees, is located within the city limits. Held every September, the annual Bois d'Arc Bash pays homage to the native trees which played a vital part in the frontier days, providing foundations, fences and weapons of the Native Americans. The Bash celebrates with arts & crafts vendors, food, parade, kids' game area, pageant, wine, musical entertainment, 5K run, and car & truck show.