Denison, Texas
Encyclopedia
Denison is a city in Grayson County
, Texas
, United States
. The population was 22,773 at the 2000 census; it is estimated to have grown to 24,127 in 2009. Denison is one of two principal cities in the Sherman-Denison Metropolitan Statistical Area.
. It was named after the wealthy Ryan Greenwood vice president George Denison. Because the town was established at the intersection of the MKT and 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 John Henry "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, Texas
.
In 1915, the Kentucky
-based evangelist Mordecai Ham
held a revival meeting in Denison, which resulted in 1,100 professions of faith in Jesus Christ.
Denison played host to 20th century notables such as the Marx Brothers
and President Dwight D. Eisenhower
, who was born there in 1890.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 22.9 square miles (59.3 km²), of which, 22.6 square miles (58.5 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (1.40%) is water.
Notable geographic features of Denison include its connection to the Red River and Lake Texoma
, its position on the Texas-Oklahoma
border, and its centrality to the Texoma vernacular region
.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 22,773 people, 9,185 households, and 6,135 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,008.1 people per square mile (389.2/km²). There were 10,309 housing units at an average density of 456.3 per square mile (176.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.02% White, 8.62% African American, 1.67% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 2.19% from other races
, and 2.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.23% of the population.
There were 9,185 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,474, and the median income for a family was $39,820. Males had a median income of $30,459 versus $21,451 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,685. About 11.9% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.8% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.
. It is also home to Grayson County College
, which preserves Denison's viticultural
heritage with its T.V. Munson Viticulture & Enology Program.
. 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. They also made three straight appearances in the 1995, 1996, and 1997 Class 4A Division II State Championship games, losing each time to La Marque.
They are also home to the longest high school football rivalry in Texas with Sherman High School called The Battle Of The Ax.
and U.S. 75
(Katy Mem. Freeway). General aviation service is provided by North Texas Regional Airport/Perrin Field. Denison is served by one 24-hour taxicab service provided locally by Yellow Cab
.
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower
was born in Denison, and is by far the city's most notable resident. His birthplace was purchased by the city in 1946 (six years before he became President) and is now maintained as Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site
. In addition, Eisenhower State Park
on Lake Texoma
is also named in his honor.
Other notable people that were either born in or have lived in Denison include:
Grayson County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 110,595 people, 42,849 households, and 30,208 families residing in the county. The population density was 118 people per square mile . There were 48,315 housing units at an average density of 52 per square mile...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 22,773 at the 2000 census; it is estimated to have grown to 24,127 in 2009. Denison is one of two principal cities in the Sherman-Denison Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
The city of Denison was founded in 1872 in conjunction with the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad (MKT) or "Katy" depotTrain station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
. It was named after the wealthy Ryan Greenwood vice president George Denison. Because the town was established at the intersection of the MKT and the Red River
Red River (Mississippi watershed)
The Red River, or sometimes the Red River of the South, is a major tributary of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers in the southern United States of America. The river gains its name from the red-bed country of its watershed. It is one of several rivers with that name...
(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 John Henry "Doc" Holliday had offices in Denison.
During the phylloxera
Phylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...
epidemic of the mid-19th century, which destroyed the vast majority of wine grapes in Europe, Denison horticulturalist
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
T.V. Munson
Thomas Volney Munson
Thomas Volney Munson often referred to simply as T.V. Munson, was a horticulturist and breeder of grapes in Texas.-Background:...
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
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
" railway in Texas, the Denison and Sherman Railway, was completed between Denison and Sherman, Texas
Sherman, Texas
Sherman is a city in and the county seat of Grayson County, Texas, United States. The city's estimated population as of 2009 was 38,407. It is also one of two principal cities in the Sherman-Denison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
.
In 1915, the Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
-based evangelist Mordecai Ham
Mordecai Ham
Mordecai Fowler Ham, Jr. , was an American Independent Baptist evangelist and temperance movement leader. He entered the ministry in 1901 and in 1936 began a radio broadcast reaching into seven southern states...
held a revival meeting in Denison, which resulted in 1,100 professions of faith in Jesus Christ.
Denison played host to 20th century notables such as the Marx Brothers
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
and President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
, who was born there in 1890.
Geography
Denison is located at 33°44′59"N 96°33′27"W (33.749703, -96.557393).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 22.9 square miles (59.3 km²), of which, 22.6 square miles (58.5 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (1.40%) is water.
Notable geographic features of Denison include its connection to the Red River and Lake Texoma
Lake Texoma
Lake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th largest Corps of Engineers lake, and the largest in USACE Tulsa District....
, its position on the Texas-Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
border, and its centrality to the Texoma vernacular region
Texoma
Texoma, a portmanteau of the words Texas and Oklahoma, is used to describe the area on either side of the border between these two states along the Red River valley, in particular the area around Lake Texoma, a popular recreation area...
.
Demographics
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 22,773 people, 9,185 households, and 6,135 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,008.1 people per square mile (389.2/km²). There were 10,309 housing units at an average density of 456.3 per square mile (176.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.02% White, 8.62% African American, 1.67% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 2.19% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.23% of the population.
There were 9,185 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,474, and the median income for a family was $39,820. Males had a median income of $30,459 versus $21,451 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $17,685. About 11.9% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.8% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.
Television Stations
- KTENKTENKTEN is the NBC-affiliated television station for Southeastern Oklahoma and North Texas that is licensed to Ada, Oklahoma. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 26 from a transmitter north of Milburn, Oklahoma along OK 7. Owned by the Lockwood Broadcasting Group, the station...
- Channel 10 (NBC) - KTENKTENKTEN is the NBC-affiliated television station for Southeastern Oklahoma and North Texas that is licensed to Ada, Oklahoma. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 26 from a transmitter north of Milburn, Oklahoma along OK 7. Owned by the Lockwood Broadcasting Group, the station...
- DT Channel 10.2 (The Texoma CW) - KTENKTENKTEN is the NBC-affiliated television station for Southeastern Oklahoma and North Texas that is licensed to Ada, Oklahoma. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 26 from a transmitter north of Milburn, Oklahoma along OK 7. Owned by the Lockwood Broadcasting Group, the station...
- Channel 10.3 (ABC Texoma) - KXIIKXIIKXII, channel 12, is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Texoma region of Texas and Oklahoma. It is licensed to Sherman, Texas. Its transmitter is located southwest of Madill, Oklahoma...
- Channel 12 (CBS) - KXIIKXIIKXII, channel 12, is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Texoma region of Texas and Oklahoma. It is licensed to Sherman, Texas. Its transmitter is located southwest of Madill, Oklahoma...
- DT Channel 12.2 (My Texoma) - KXIIKXIIKXII, channel 12, is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Texoma region of Texas and Oklahoma. It is licensed to Sherman, Texas. Its transmitter is located southwest of Madill, Oklahoma...
- DT Channel 12.3 (Fox Texoma)
Education
The City of Denison is served by the Denison Independent School DistrictDenison Independent School District
Denison Independent School District is a public school district based in Denison, Texas .In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency.- Elementary Schools :*Grades PK-5...
. It is also home to Grayson County College
Grayson County College
Grayson County College is a community college located in Grayson County, Texas. GCC's main campus is located in Denison, with branch campuses in Sherman, Van Alstyne and Bonham ....
, which preserves Denison's viticultural
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
heritage with its T.V. Munson Viticulture & Enology Program.
High School Football
Munson Stadium seats 5,262 people and is primarily used for American footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
. It is the home field of Denison High School
Denison High School
Denison High School is a public high school in Denison, Texas, United States. It is within the Denison Independent School District.-Athletics:The Denison Yellow Jackets compete in these sports -...
's football and soccer teams. The Denison High School football team won the 1984 Texas Class 4A State Championship by beating Tomball 27-13. They also made three straight appearances in the 1995, 1996, and 1997 Class 4A Division II State Championship games, losing each time to La Marque.
They are also home to the longest high school football rivalry in Texas with Sherman High School called The Battle Of The Ax.
Transportation
Denison is served by two U.S. Highways: U.S. 69U.S. Route 69
U.S. Route 69 is a north–south United States highway. When it was first created, it was only long, but it has since been expanded into a Minnesota to Texas cross-country route. The highway's southern terminus is in Port Arthur, Texas at an intersection with State Highway 87...
and U.S. 75
U.S. Route 75
U.S. Route 75 is a north–south U.S. Highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Kittson County, Minnesota, at the Canadian border, where it continues as Manitoba Highway 75 on the other side of a closed border crossing. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 30 and Interstate 45 in Dallas,...
(Katy Mem. Freeway). General aviation service is provided by North Texas Regional Airport/Perrin Field. Denison is served by one 24-hour taxicab service provided locally by Yellow Cab
Yellow Cab
There are many Yellow Cabs taxicab operators around the world . The original Yellow Cab Company, based in Chicago, Illinois is one of the largest taxicab companies in the United States.- History :...
.
Notable residents
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
was born in Denison, and is by far the city's most notable resident. His birthplace was purchased by the city in 1946 (six years before he became President) and is now maintained as Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site
Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site
Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site, located at 208 East Day Street in Denison, Texas, is the birthplace of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was born in the house on October 14, 1890, the first United States President to be born in Texas....
. In addition, Eisenhower State Park
Eisenhower State Park (Texas)
Eisenhower State Park is a state park located in Grayson County, Texas, northwest of Denison, Texas on the shores of Lake Texoma. The park is .-History:...
on Lake Texoma
Lake Texoma
Lake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th largest Corps of Engineers lake, and the largest in USACE Tulsa District....
is also named in his honor.
Other notable people that were either born in or have lived in Denison include:
- Thomas Volney MunsonThomas Volney MunsonThomas Volney Munson often referred to simply as T.V. Munson, was a horticulturist and breeder of grapes in Texas.-Background:...
, horticulturalist - Chesley Burnett "Sully" SullenbergerChesley SullenbergerChesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger III is an American airline transport pilot , safety expert, and accident investigator from Danville, California...
, airline pilot - Professional football players, and brothers Aaron Hunt and Reggie HuntReggie HuntReggie Hunt is a retired former professional gridiron football linebacker. He most recently played for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He was signed by the Scottish Claymores as a street free agent in 2001...
play in the Canadian Football LeagueCanadian Football LeagueThe Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. - George McFarlandGeorge McFarlandGeorge Robert Phillips "Spanky" McFarland was an American actor most famous for his appearances as a child in the Our Gang series of short-subject comedies of the 1930s and 1940s...
, an actor, appeared as Spanky in 95 Our Gang filmsOur Gang filmographyThe following is a complete list of the 220 Our Gang short films produced by Hal Roach Studios and/or Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer between 1922 and 1944, in order of release.----...
between 1932 and 1942. - Actor John HillermanJohn HillermanJohn Benedict Hillerman is an American actor, known for his starring role on the television show Magnum, P.I.-Early life:...
Higgins from Magnum, P.I.Magnum, P.I.Magnum, P.I. is an American television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from 1980 to 1988 in first-run broadcast on the American CBS television network.... - Author and commentator Jim HightowerJim HightowerJames Allen "Jim" Hightower is an American syndicated columnist, activist and author.-Life and career:Born in Denison, Texas, Hightower came from a working class background. He worked his way through college as assistant general manager of the Denton Chamber of Commerce and later landed a spot as...
- John Henry "Doc" Holliday - Gunfighter, gambler and western legend. Maintained dental practice in Denison.