Denison, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Denison, Texas
City
Denison Commercial Historic District
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Location of Denison, Texas
Denison, Texas Location in Texas Show map of Texas Denison, Texas Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Grayson
Founded	1872
Government
• Type	Council-manager
Area
• 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	842.36/sq mi (325.216/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
GNIS feature ID	2410322

Denison is a city in Grayson County, Texas, United States. It is located about 1 mile south of the Texas–Oklahoma border. In 2020, about 24,479 people lived there. Denison is part of the Texoma region. It is also one of the main cities in the Sherman–Denison metropolitan area. Denison is famous as the birthplace of U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

History of Denison

Denison was started in 1872. It grew up around a train station for the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad, also known as the "Katy" railroad. The city was named after George Denison, a rich vice president of the Katy railroad.

Because Denison was near where the Katy railroad crossed the Red River, it became an important trading spot. This was especially true in the late 1800s. Both the river and the railroad were key ways to transport goods back then.

Rusk Avenue looking north (postcard, circa 1911)

In the mid-1800s, a plant disease called phylloxera destroyed most of the wine grapes in Europe. A plant expert from Denison, T.V. Munson, found ways to create grapevines that could resist this disease. Because of his important work, France honored him. Denison also became a sister city with Cognac, France, a famous wine region.

In 1901, Texas's first electric railway, called the Denison and Sherman Railway, was finished. It connected Denison and Sherman.

Denison has hosted famous people. These include the Marx Brothers and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower was born in Denison on October 14, 1890.

Geography of Denison

Denison is in the northeastern part of Grayson County. Its northern edge reaches the Red River, which is the border with Oklahoma. To the south, Denison borders the city of Sherman. The centers of the two cities are about 11 miles apart.

The city covers a total area of about 29.06 square miles (75.27 square kilometers). A small part of this area, about 0.46 square miles (1.18 square kilometers), is covered by water.

The Denison Dam is located about 5 miles north of Denison. This dam created Lake Texoma on the Red River. Lake Texoma is a large lake that stretches across parts of both Texas and Oklahoma.

Denison's Climate

Denison has a humid subtropical climate. This means it usually has hot, humid summers and mild winters.

People and Population

In 2020, the city of Denison had 24,479 people living there. There were 9,361 households and 6,038 families.

Most people in Denison are White (about 68%). About 8% are Black or African American. Around 13% of the population is Hispanic or Latino. The rest of the population includes Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander, and people of mixed races.

Denison's Economy

Denison has many different types of businesses. These businesses provide jobs for the people living in and around the city.

Major Employers in Denison

Texoma Medical Center in Denison

Some of the biggest employers in Denison include:

• Denison Independent School District (schools)
• Ruiz Foods (food production)
• Texoma Medical Center (hospital)
• Cigna (health services)
• Caterpillar (machinery)
• Wal-Mart Stores (retail)
• Spectrum Brands (consumer products)
• Anthem (health insurance)
• ACS Manufacturing
• Denison Industries
• City of Denison (city government)
• Grayson College (college)
• Dialogue Direct Contact Centers
• National Government Services
• Champion Cooler Corporation
• SignWarehouse.com

Arts and Culture in Denison

Denison has a place called the Grayson County Frontier Village. This village has 11 of the oldest homes from Grayson County. These homes were moved there to be saved and preserved.

Birthplace of US President Dwight Eisenhower

Sports in Denison

Denison has a strong history in sports, especially baseball and football.

Past minor league baseball teams from Denison include:

• The Denison Katydids
• The Denison Blue Sox
• The Denison Champions
• The Denison Railroaders
• The Sherman–Denison Twins

Munson Stadium is a large stadium in Denison that can seat 5,262 people. It is mainly used for football games. It is the home field for the Denison High School football and soccer teams.

The Denison High School football team had a perfect season in 1984, winning the Texas Class 4A State Championship. They beat Tomball 27–13 and finished with a 16–0 record. They also played in the state championship games in 1995, 1996, and 1997.

Denison High School has the longest-running high school football rivalry in Texas. It's called the "Battle of the Ax" and is played against Sherman High School.

Education in Denison

Administration building at Grayson College in Denison

Denison is served by the Denison Independent School District. The main high school, Denison High School, opened its current campus in 2014.

Grayson College is also located in Denison. The college has a special program called the T.V. Munson Viticulture and Enology Program. This program helps keep alive Denison's history of growing grapes for wine.

Media in Denison

Denison has several local media options for news and entertainment.

Magazines

• Texoma Living! Magazine

Newspapers

• 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)

Transportation in Denison

Denison is served by important roads that help people travel in and out of the city.

• Two U.S. Highways: U.S. 69 and U.S. 75 (also known as Katy Memorial Expressway).
• Two Texas State Highways: State Highway 91 and Spur 503 (Eisenhower Parkway).

State Highway 91, also called Texoma Parkway, is a main road for businesses. It connects Sherman and Denison and also goes north to Lake Texoma.

For air travel, North Texas Regional Airport provides general aviation services.

TAPS, a public transportation system, offers some services for passengers with disabilities.

Notable People from Denison

Many interesting people have connections to Denison:

• Bill Anoatubby, a leader of the Chickasaw Nation.
• Clora Bryant, a famous jazz trumpet player.
• Joie Chitwood (1912–1988), a race car driver and businessman.
• Dwight D. Eisenhower, who became a President of the United States. He was born in Denison in 1890.
• Booker Ervin, a jazz musician known for playing the tenor saxophone.
• Michael Haynes, an NFL Hall of Fame football player.
• Jim Hightower, a former Texas agriculture commissioner and a writer.
• John Hillerman, an actor who played Higgins on the TV show Magnum, P.I..
• Aaron Hunt and Reggie Hunt, brothers who played professional football in Canada.
• Thomas Volney Munson, the plant expert who helped save European grapevines.
• Beatrice Pearson, an actress.
• SoMo, a singer.
• Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger, the airline pilot famous for landing a plane safely on the Hudson River.
• Jordan Taylor, an NFL wide receiver who won the Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos.
• Zeb Terry, a Major League Baseball player.
• Fred Washington, an NFL defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears.
• Harold Wertz, known as "Bouncy" from the Our Gang comedies.

See also

In Spanish: Denison para niños