Region: Prairies and Lakes
Chosen as the seat of Henderson County in 1850, Athens was so named because
it was expected to become the cultural center of the state, as was its namesake
in Greece. The city is 76 miles southeast of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex on
U.S. 175 and is home to Trinity Valley Community College.
According to local lore and research of Texas historian Frank X. Tolbert, the
hamburger originated here. The story goes that after serving hamburgers in his
downtown diner, Fletcher "Uncle Fletch" Davis introduced his creation to the
world at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Athens celebrates Uncle Fletch and his
creation at the Heritage Festival in September.
The city also is home to the Annual Texas Fiddlers Contest and Reunion, the
longest-running event of its kind in the U.S., which is held the last Friday in
May on the courthouse lawn.