Denison is a city in Grayson County, Texas, United States, south of the Texas–Oklahoma border. Its population was 24,479 at the 2020 census, up from 22,682 at the 2010 census. Denison is part of the Texoma region and is one of two principal cities in the Sherman–Denison metropolitan statistical area and is also part of the Dallas-Fort Worth combined statistical area. It is the birthplace of 34th U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower.
History Denison was founded in 1872 in conjunction with the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad (MKT) or "Katy" depot. It was named after wealthy Katy vice president George Denison. 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.
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.
In 1901, the first electric "Interurban" railway in Texas, the Denison and Sherman Railway, was completed between Denison and Sherman.
In 1915, Kentucky-based evangelist Mordecai Ham held a revival meeting in Denison, which resulted in 1,100 professions of faith in Jesus Christ.Jerry Hopkins of East Texas Baptist University, "Evangelist Mordecai F. Ham's West Texas Meetings, 1903–1940", paper at East Texas Historical Association and West Texas Historical Association joint meeting in Fort Worth, Texas, February 26, 2010
Denison played host to 20th-century notables such as the Marx Brothers and President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was born on October 14, 1890, in Denison.
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 apart.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Denison has a total area of , of which , or 1.94%, is covered by water.
Denison Dam, which forms Lake Texoma on the Red River, is 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
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Denison had a population of 24,479. The median age was 40.3 years, 23.0% of residents were under the age of 18, and 19.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 86.7 males age 18 and over.
As of the 2020 census, there were 9,712 households and 6,038 families, of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.2% were married-couple households, 18.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
As of the 2020 census, there were 10,981 housing units, of which 11.6% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.8%.
As of the 2020 census, 95.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 4.8% lived in rural areas.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 17,429 71.2% Black or African American 2,049 8.4% American Indian and Alaska Native 575 2.3% Asian 195 0.8% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 19 0.1% Some other race 1,338 5.5% Two or more races 2,874 11.7% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 3,225 13.2% Economy Major employers
Major employers in Denison include: 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
The Grayson County Frontier Village in Denison contains 11 of the oldest homes in Grayson County that were moved here for preservation.Welcome to Frontier Village & Museum
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. 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.UIL State Football Champions They are home to the longest high school football rivalry in Texas: the Battle of the Ax, against Sherman High School.
Education
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.
Media Magazine Texoma Living!
Newspaper The Herald Democrat
Radio stations KCBN 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.
Highways U.S. Highway 75 north-south: Oklahoma to Dallas U.S. Highway 69 north-south: Oklahoma to East Texas SH 91 north-south: Achille, Oklahoma to Sherman Spur 503 east-west: Highway 69 to Highway 75 completing the southern portion of the loop around Denison. FM 120 east-west: Carpenter's Bluff to Pottsboro FM 1417 north-south: Denison to Sherman FM 691 east-west: Denison to North Texas Regional Airport FM 131 north-south: Denison to Sherman FM 84 east-west: Denison to Lake Texoma FM 1753 east-west: Ambrose to Denison
Health care Denison is served by Texoma Medical Center.
Notable people
Bill Anoatubby, governor of the Chickasaw Nation 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. 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 confidence man and swindler Beatrice Pearson, actress Jadarian Price, former running back for the University of Notre Dame, first round draft pick of the Seattle Seahawks SoMo, singer Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger, airline pilot 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 city Cognac, France
In popular culture In 2013, Lake Texoma and the Hampton Inn and Suites Denison were featured on a travel show titled The Official Best of Texas, which aired on CBS and the Discovery Channel.Website http://www.theofficialbestof.com
Denison is referenced in the book Dan Gutman's From Texas with Love (Genius Files #4) as the main characters drove through the town, noting the bust of President Dwight D. Eisenhower on the side of U.S. Route 75.
References
External links
City of Denison official website Denison Chamber of Commerce