Denison is a city in

Grayson County, Texas Grayson County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 135,543. The county seat is Sherman, Texas, Sherman. The county was founded in 1846 and is named ...

, 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 Texoma is an interstate region in the United States, split between Oklahoma and Texas. The name is a portmanteau of Texas and Oklahoma. Businesses use the term in their names to describe their intended service area. This includes 8 counties with ...

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 Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...

History

Denison was founded in 1872 in conjunction with the

Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad The Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad was a Class I railroad company in the United States, with its last headquarters in Dallas, Texas. Established in 1865 under the name Union Pacific Railroad (UP), Southern Branch, it came to serve an exten ...

(MKT) or "Katy"

depot Depot may refer to: Places * Depot, Poland, a village * Depot Glacier (disambiguation) * Depot Island (disambiguation) * Depot Nunatak * Depot Peak Brands and enterprises * Maxwell Street Depot, a restaurant in Chicago, United States * Of ...

. 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 John Henry Holliday (August 14, 1851 – November 8, 1887), better known as Doc Holliday, was an American dentistry, dentist, gambling, gambler, and gunfighter who was a close friend and associate of Sheriff, lawman Wyatt Earp. Holliday is b ...

had offices in Denison. During the

phylloxera Grape phylloxera is an insect pest of grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. Grape phylloxera (''Daktulosphaira vitifoliae'' (Fitch 1855) belongs to the family Phylloxeridae, within the order Hemiptera, bugs); orig ...

epidemic of the mid-19th century, which destroyed the vast majority of

wine grapes This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species, including those unimportant to agriculture, see '' ...

in Europe, Denison

horticulturalist Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

T.V. Munson pioneered methods in creating phylloxera-resistant vines, and earned induction into the

French Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...

, as well as

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inte ...

status for Denison and

Cognac, France Cognac (; Saintongese dialect, Saintongese: ''Cougnat''; ) is a communes of France, commune in the Charente departments of France, department, southwestern France. Administratively, the commune of Cognac is a subprefectures in France, subprefec ...

. In 1901, the first electric "

Interurban The interurban (or radial railway in Canada) is a type of electric railway, with tram-like electric self-propelled railcars which run within and between cities or towns. The term "interurban" is usually used in North America, with other terms u ...

" railway in Texas, the Denison and Sherman Railway, was completed between Denison and

Sherman Sherman most commonly refers to: *Sherman (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname ** William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891), American Civil War General *M4 Sherman, a World War II American tank S ...

. In 1915,

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

-based evangelist Mordecai Ham held a revival meeting in Denison, which resulted in 1,100 professions of faith in

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

. Denison played host to 20th-century notables such as the

Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act known for their anarchic humor, rapid-fire wordplay, and visual gags. They achieved success in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in 14 motion pictures. The core group consisted of brothers Chi ...

and President

, 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 Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

state line. It is bordered to the south by the city of

; the city centers are apart. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, Denison has a total area of , of which , or 1.94%, are covered by water.

Denison Dam Denison Dam, also known as Lake Texoma Dam, is a dam located on the Red River of the South, Red River between Texas and Oklahoma that impounds Lake Texoma. The purpose of the dam is flood control, water supply, hydroelectric power production, rive ...

, which forms

Lake Texoma Lake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th-largest US Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) lake, and the largest in USACE Tulsa District. Lake Texoma is formed by Denison Dam on the Red River in Bryan County, Oklah ...

on the Red River, is north of Denison. The lake is in the center of the

region, encompassing parts of Texas and Oklahoma.

Climate

Denison has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(''Cfa'' in the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

Demographics

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

Major employers in Denison include: * Denison Independent School District * Ruiz Foods * Texoma Medical Center *

Cigna The Cigna Group is an American multinational for-profit managed healthcare and insurance company based in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Its insurance subsidiaries are major providers of medical, dental, disability, life and accident insurance and r ...

Caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder ...

Wal-Mart Stores Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...

Spectrum Brands Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. is an American multinational consumer products conglomerate headquartered in Middleton, Wisconsin. It was established in 2005 as the successor to Rayovac Corporation. The company manufactures and markets home ...

Anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to sho ...

* ACS Manufacturing * Denison Industries * City of Denison *

Grayson College Grayson College is a Public college, public community college in Grayson County, Texas. The main campus is in Denison, Texas, Denison and it has branch campuses in Denison (west extension, at the site of the old Perrin Air Force Base) and Van A ...

*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.

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 Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

. It is the home field of

Denison High School Denison High School is a public high school in Denison, Texas, United States and classified as a 5A school by the University Interscholastic League (UIL). It is part of the Denison Independent School District located in north central Grayson Co ...

'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. 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.

is located in Denison. The school's T.V. Munson Viticulture and Enology Program preserves Denison's

viticultural Viticulture (, "vine-growing"), viniculture (, "wine-growing"), or winegrowing is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ...

heritage.

Media

Magazine

* ''Texoma Living!'' Magazine

Newspaper

* ''

The Herald Democrat ''The Herald Democrat'' is a daily newspaper located in the twin cities of Sherman and Denison, Texas, in the United States. The ''Herald Democrat'' serves all of Grayson and Fannin County, Texas; parts of Collin, Cooke, Denton, Delta, Lama ...

Radio stations

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

Television stations

KTEN } KTEN (channel 10) is a television station licensed to Ada, Oklahoma, United States, serving the Sherman, Texas–Ada, Oklahoma media market, market as an affiliate of NBC, The CW Plus, and American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The station is own ...

– Channel 10 (NBC) *

– DT Channel 10.2 (The Texoma CW) *

– Channel 10.3 (ABC Texoma) *

KXII KXII (channel 12) is a television station licensed to Sherman, Texas, United States, serving the Sherman, Texas–Ada, Oklahoma media market, market as an affiliate of CBS, MyNetworkTV, and Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox. It is owned by Gray Me ...

– Channel 12 (CBS) *

– DT Channel 12.2 (My Texoma) *

– DT Channel 12.3 (Fox Texoma)

Infrastructure

Transportation

Denison is served by two

U.S. Highways The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these h ...

— U.S. 69 and U.S. 75 (Katy Memorial Expressway) and two

State Highways A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either Route number, numbered or maintained by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered ...

— 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.

Health care

Denison is served by Texoma Medical Center.

Notable people

Bill Anoatubby Billy Joe Anoatubby (born November 8, 1945) is the 32nd Governor of the Chickasaw Nation, a position he has held since 1987. From 1979 to 1987, Anoatubby served two terms as Lieutenant Governor of the Chickasaw Nation in the administration of Go ...

, governor of the Chickasaw Nation *

Clora Bryant Clora Larea Bryant (May 30, 1927 – August 25, 2019) was an American jazz trumpeter. She was the only female trumpeter to perform with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker and was a member of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm. Early life ...

, jazz trumpeter *

Joie Chitwood George Rice "Joie" Chitwood (April 14, 1912 – January 3, 1988) was an American stuntman, racing driver and businessman. He is best known as a daredevil in the Joie Chitwood Thrill Show. Early life Chitwood was born in Denison, Texas. He was ...

(1912–1988), race car driver and businessman *

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

; was born in Denison in 1890, and to date is the city's most notable resident. *

Booker Ervin Booker Telleferro Ervin II (October 31, 1930 – August 31, 1970) was an American tenor saxophone player. His tenor playing was characterised by a strong, tough sound and blues/gospel phrasing. He is remembered for his association with bassi ...

, jazz musician who played tenor saxophone * Michael Haynes, NFL Hall of Fame player *

Jim Hightower James Allen Hightower (born January 11, 1943) is an American syndicated columnist, progressive political activist, and author. From 1983 to 1991 he served as the elected commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture. He publishes a mon ...

, former commissioner of

Texas Department of Agriculture The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) is a state agency within the state of Texas, which is responsible for matters pertaining to agriculture, rural community affairs, and related matters. It is currently headed by Agriculture Commissioner S ...

and a liberal commentator and author, born in Denison in 1943 *

John Hillerman John Benedict Hillerman (December 20, 1932 – November 9, 2017) was an American actor best known for his starring role as Jonathan Quayle Higgins III on the television series '' Magnum, P.I.'' that aired from 1980 to 1988. For his role as ...

, the actor who played Higgins on

Tom Selleck Thomas William Selleck (; born January 29, 1945) is an American actor. His breakout role was playing private investigator Thomas Magnum in the television series ''Magnum, P.I.'' (1980–1988), for which he received five Emmy Award nominations fo ...

's ''

Magnum, P.I. ''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980, to May 1, 1988, during its first-run broadcast on ...

'' * John Henry "Doc" Holliday, gunfighter, gambler, and western legend, maintained a dental practice in Denison *

Aaron Hunt Aaron Hunt (born 4 September 1986) is a German former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He spent most of his career at Werder Bremen, making his first-team debut at the age of 18. In the Bundesliga, he also represe ...

and Reggie Hunt, brothers and professional football players in

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

* Viola Van Katwijk, composer and pianist *

Thomas Volney Munson Thomas Volney Munson (September 26, 1843 – January 21, 1913), often referred to simply as T.V. Munson, was an American horticulturist and breeder of grapes in Texas. In 1888, Munson was the second American, after Thomas Edison, to be named a ...

* Clifford Noe, international conman and swindler * Beatrice Pearson, actress *

SoMo Joseph Anthony Somers-Morales (born September 11, 1987), known professionally as SoMo, is an American singer and songwriter. Career In 2009, SoMo started recording covers in Denton, Texas. A successful 2011 mash-up of Drake's ''Take Care'' le ...

, singer * Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger, airline pilot * Jordan Taylor, NFL wide receiver, Super Bowl 50 champion with the Denver Broncos *

Zeb Terry Zebulon Alexander Terry (June 17, 1891 – March 14, 1988) was a professional baseball player who played infielder in the Major Leagues from – for the Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He played college ba ...

, Major League Baseball infielder * Fred Washington,

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

defensive tackle for

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

* Harold Wertz, 1927–1999, "Bouncy" of'' Our Gang'' comedies (1932–1933)

Sister cities

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. Denison is referenced in the book

Dan Gutman Dan Gutman (born October 19, 1955) is an American writer, primarily of children's fiction. His works include the '' Baseball Card Adventures'' children's book series that began with '' Honus & Me'', ''The Genius Files'' series'','' and '' My Wei ...

'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 U.S. Route 75 is a north–south U.S. Highway that runs in the central United States. The highway's northern terminus is located at the Canadian border near Noyes, Minnesota, at a now-closed border crossing. From this point, the highway ...

References

External links

City of Denison official website

Denison Chamber of Commerce
* {{authority control Cities in Texas Cities in Grayson County, Texas Populated places established in 1872 1872 establishments in Texas