Denison, Texas

Denison was founded in 1872 in conjunction with the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad (MKT) or "Katy" depot.[6] It was named after wealthy Katy vice president George Denison.[7] Because the town was established close to where the MKT crossed the Red River (both important conduits of transportation in the industrial era), it came to be an important commercial center in the 19th-century American West. In 1875, Doc Holliday had offices in Denison.

Rusk Avenue looking north (postcard, circa 1911)

During the phylloxera epidemic of the mid-19th century, which destroyed the vast majority of wine grapes in Europe, Denison horticulturalist T.V. Munson pioneered methods in creating phylloxera-resistant vines, and earned induction into the French Legion of Honor, as well as sister city status for Denison and Cognac, France.[8]

In 1901, the first electric "Interurban" railway in Texas, the Denison and Sherman Railway, was completed between Denison and Sherman.[9]

In 1915, Kentucky-based evangelist Mordecai Ham held a revival meeting in Denison, which resulted in 1,100 professions of faith in Jesus Christ.[10]

Denison played host to 20th-century notables such as the Marx Brothers[11] and President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was born on October 14, 1890, in Denison.[12]

Denison is located in northeastern Grayson County, with the city limits extending north to the Red River, which forms the Oklahoma state line. It is bordered to the south by the city of Sherman; the city centers are 11 miles (18 km) apart.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Denison has a total area of 23.4 square miles (60.7 km²), of which 0.46 square miles (1.2 km²), or 1.94%, are covered by water.[4]

Denison Dam, which forms Lake Texoma on the Red River, is 5 miles (8 km) north of Denison. The lake is in the center of the Texoma region, encompassing parts of Texas and Oklahoma.

As of the 2020 United States census, 24,479 people, 9,361 households, and 6,038 families were residing in the city.

Birthplace of US President Dwight Eisenhower

The Grayson County Frontier Village in Denison contains 11 of the oldest homes in Grayson County that were moved here for preservation.[18]

Former minor league baseball teams include the Denison Katydids, Denison Blue Sox, Denison Champions, Denison Railroaders, and Sherman–Denison Twins.

Munson Stadium seats 5,262 people and is used primarily for football. It is the home field of Denison High School's football and soccer teams.[19] The Denison High School football team won the 1984 Texas Class 4A State Championship by beating Tomball 27–13, completing a perfect 16–0 record. They also made appearances in the 1995, 1996, and 1997 Class 4A Division II State Championship games, losing each time to La Marque.[20] They are home to the longest high school football rivalry in Texas: the Battle of the Ax, against Sherman High School.[21]

Administration building at Grayson College in Denison

Denison is served by the Denison Independent School District. The current Denison High School campus opened in 2014.

Grayson College is located in Denison. The school's T.V. Munson Viticulture and Enology Program preserves Denison's viticultural heritage.[8]

• Bill Anoatubby, governor of the Chickasaw Nation[23]
• Clora Bryant, jazz trumpeter
• Joie Chitwood (1912–1988), race car driver and businessman
• Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States; was born in Denison in 1890, and to date is the city's most notable resident. His birthplace was purchased by the city in 1946 (six years before he was elected President) and is now maintained as Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site. In addition, Eisenhower State Park on Lake Texoma is named in his honor.[24]
• Booker Ervin, jazz musician who played tenor saxophone
• Michael Haynes, NFL Hall of Fame player
• Jim Hightower, former commissioner of Texas Department of Agriculture and a liberal commentator and author, born in Denison in 1943
• John Hillerman, the actor who played Higgins on Tom Selleck's Magnum, P.I.
• John Henry "Doc" Holliday, gunfighter, gambler, and western legend, maintained a dental practice in Denison
• Aaron Hunt and Reggie Hunt, brothers and professional football players in Canadian Football League
• Viola Van Katwijk, composer and pianist

Walter Kinney born 1893 was a major League Pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in 1918 and The Philadelphia Athletics 1919,1920, and 1923. Played for The Denison Railroaders in 1914 and 1915 and The Dallas Submariners in 1916-1918. retired from professional baseball in the early 1930s after a long and prosperous career. This information was gathered from an estate find for the Kinney family of Denison, Texas.

• Thomas Volney Munson, horticulturalist
• Clifford Noe, international conman and swindler[25][26]
• Beatrice Pearson, actress
• SoMo, singer
• Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger, airline pilot[27]
• Jordan Taylor, NFL wide receiver, Super Bowl 50 champion with the Denver Broncos
• Zeb Terry, Major League Baseball infielder
• Fred Washington, NFL defensive tackle for Chicago Bears
• Harold Wertz, 1927–1999, "Bouncy" of Our Gang comedies (1932–1933)

In 2013, Lake Texoma and the Hampton Inn and Suites Denison were featured on a travel show entitled The Official Best of Texas, which aired on CBS and the Discovery Channel.[28]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Denison, Texas.

Wikisource has the text of the 1921 Collier's Encyclopedia article Denison.

• City of Denison official website
• Denison Chamber of Commerce
• "Denison, Tex." . The New Student's Reference Work . 1914.