Denison, Texas

Denison is a city in Grayson County, Texas, United States, 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the Texas–Oklahoma border. Its population was 24,479 at the 2020 census, up from 22,682 at the 2010 census.^[2] Denison is part of the Texoma region and is one of two principal cities in the Sherman–Denison metropolitan statistical area. Denison is the birthplace of U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Denison, Texas
City
Denison Commercial Historic District
Flag
Location of Denison, Texas
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Coordinates: 33°44′59″N 96°33′27″W
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Grayson
Founded	1872
Government
• Type	Council-manager
Area [1]
• Total	29.06 sq mi (75.27 km2)
• Land	28.61 sq mi (74.09 km2)
• Water	0.46 sq mi (1.18 km2)  1.94%
Elevation	728 ft (222 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	24,479
• Density	840/sq mi (330/km2)
• Demonyms	Denisonite Denisonian
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes	75020–75021
Area code(s)	903, 430
FIPS code	48-19900[2]
GNIS feature ID	2410322[3]
Website	www.cityofdenison.com

History

Denison was founded in 1872 in conjunction with the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad (MKT) or "Katy" depot.^[4] It was named after wealthy Katy vice president George Denison.^[5] 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.^[6]

In 1901, the first electric "Interurban" railway in Texas, the Denison and Sherman Railway, was completed between Denison and Sherman.^[7]

In 1915, Kentucky-based evangelist Mordecai Ham held a revival meeting in Denison, which resulted in 1,100 professions of faith in Jesus Christ.^[8]

Denison played host to 20th-century notables such as the Marx Brothers^[9] and President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was born on October 14, 1890, in Denison.^[10]

Geography

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.^[2]

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.

Climate

Denison has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa in the Köppen climate classification).

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	3,975		—
1890	10,958		175.7%
1900	11,807		7.7%
1910	13,632		15.5%
1920	17,065		25.2%
1930	13,850		−18.8%
1940	15,581		12.5%
1950	17,504		12.3%
1960	22,748		30.0%
1970	24,923		9.6%
1980	23,884		−4.2%
1990	21,505		−10.0%
2000	22,773		5.9%
2010	22,682		−0.4%
2020	24,479		7.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]

Denison racial composition as of 2020^[12]
(NH = Non-Hispanic)^[a]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (NH)	16,676	68.12%
Black or African American (NH)	2,003	8.18%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	471	1.92%
Asian (NH)	188	0.77%
Pacific Islander (NH)	6	0.02%
Some other race (NH)	59	0.24%
Mixed/multiracial (NH)	1,851	7.56%
Hispanic or Latino	3,225	13.17%
Total	24,479

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

Economy

Major employers

Texoma Medical Center in Denison

Major employers in Denison include:^[15]

• Denison Independent School District
• Ruiz Foods
• Texoma Medical Center
• Cigna
• Caterpillar
• Wal-Mart Stores
• Spectrum Brands
• Anthem
• ACS Manufacturing
• Denison Industries
• City of Denison
• Grayson College
• Dialogue Direct Contact Centers
• National Government Services
• Champion Cooler Corporation
• SignWarehouse.com

Arts and culture

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.^[16]

Sports

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.^[17] 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.^[18] They are home to the longest high school football rivalry in Texas: the Battle of the Ax, against Sherman High School.^[19]

Education

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.^[6]

Media

Magazine

• Texoma Living! Magazine^[20]

Newspaper

• The Herald Democrat

Radio stations

• KMAD Mad Rock 102.5
• KMKT Katy Country 93.1
• KDOC HOT 107.3 FM

Television stations

• KTEN – Channel 10 (NBC)
• KTEN – DT Channel 10.2 (The Texoma CW)
• KTEN – Channel 10.3 (ABC Texoma)
• KXII – Channel 12 (CBS)
• KXII – DT Channel 12.2 (My Texoma)
• KXII – DT Channel 12.3 (Fox Texoma)

Infrastructure

Transportation

Denison is served by two U.S. Highways—U.S. 69 and U.S. 75 (Katy Memorial Expressway) and two State Highways—State Highway 91 and Spur 503 (Eisenhower Parkway). State Highway 91, known as Texoma Parkway, is one of the main commercial strips that connects Sherman and Denison. It also extends north to Lake Texoma.

General aviation service is provided by North Texas Regional Airport.

TAPS, a regional public transportation system, offers limited service for disabled passengers.^{[citation needed]}

Health care

Denison is served by Texoma Medical Center.

Notable people

• Bill Anoatubby, governor of the Chickasaw Nation^[21]
• 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.^[22]
• 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
• Thomas Volney Munson, horticulturalist
• Clifford Noe, international conman and swindler^[23][24]
• Beatrice Pearson, actress
• SoMo, singer
• Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger, airline pilot^[25]
• 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)

Sister cities

• Cognac, France^[26]

In popular culture

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.^[27]

Denison is referenced in the book Dan Gutman's From Texas with Love (Genius Files #4)^[28] as the main characters drove through the town, noting the bust of President Dwight D. Eisenhower^[29] on the side of U.S. Route 75.