DENISON, TEXAS

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If you like railroads (and even if you don't), Denison is your kind of city. Founded in 1872 as the connecting point of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas ("Katy") and Texas Central Rail Lines, Denison blossomed into one of the South's most important transportation centers, serving as the first rail stop across from the Indian Territory - as Oklahoma was known before statehood.

Goods from the seaport at Galveston could be carried to St. Louis through Denison, and grain and beef from Kansas and other points north could finally make their way to Texas and the rest of the southwest via the Katy Lines.

Denison's spirit as a fast-paced commercial hub could be found in its citizens as well as its architecture. Dwight David Eisenhower, son of a Katy engineer and future commander of the Allied Forces at Normandy (oh, and also a two term U. S. President), entered the world in a white frame house in the humble part of town. The downtown area housed saloons, hotels, manufacturing plants, banks, and plenty of culture. This "new" town was giving Sherman, the Grayson County seat, a definite run for its money in terms of activity and affluence.

End of an Era
The decline of railroads signaled the end of Denison's boom days. At first, passenger service fell sharply. By the 1990's, the huge switching yards were dismantled and sold for scrap. The unusually large Katy Depot, which housed the corporate offices of the railroad, fell into disrepair, but it has since been restored and now serves as a mini-mall / special events center. When the new U.S. Highway 75 by-pass was built around Denison, the main thoroughfare also fell victim to progress and now it only offers faint hints of the city that once was.

Beginning of a New Era
But by no means is Denison becoming a ghost town. On the contrary, it is reviving itself into a historical showplace. Artists have discovered Denison's progressive flair and now the downtown area hosts festivals, galleries, shows, and even a wine tasting room (wine is not a far-fetched preoccupation in this part of the state - in the 1880's, world famous local vintner Thomas V. Munson saved the French grape crop from complete destruction by cultivating new stock). Lake Texoma is a recreation Mecca for Dallasites ready to leave the rat race for a spell. A museum located in the old Katy Depot gives justice to the railroad that shaped the town and Eisenhower's birthplace is now a well-visited state park.

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Some Haunting Spots…

Denison is the type of city that doesn't hide its past - in fact, you won't see many new buildings around town. No doubt that Denison has a few ghosts hanging around. Not only does the old abandoned high school in the middle of town probably sport a disembodied prom queen or two, but the Traveler's Hotel located just across the tracks from the Katy Depot can give a visitor Goosebumps. Built by a German sea captain named Ernst Martin Kohl, who opened it as a grocery store and saloon in 1893, it was converted into a hotel for railroad travelers in the 1930's. The National Register labels the architectural style Prairie, but if you've ever been to Central Europe, you'd think the building was a medieval fortress. The house is four stories tall, made of solid stone and timber and laced with wrought iron. Add to that heavy oak doors, stained glass windows, dark crawl spaces, a secluded garden and a wooden porch roof almost two stories tall… you get the picture. By the 1960's, passenger traffic abated so drastically that the hotel had to close, and a succession of owners tried to restore the house (a daunting task considering the unique style and size.) Currently, Christina Moon, a local realtor, is renovating the hotel, hoping it can eventually be opened for tours by January 2003. She has alluded to some odd coincidences and hints of haunting, although she won't elaborate… suffice to say she is in love with the house and will surely do right by it.

Denison is an old town that is not dying, but is re-inventing itself. It would be great if other by-passed towns in Texas would take the hint: don't destroy history, but embrace it. By the way, the old high school (it makes up an entire city block) is for sale…if anyone's in the mood to find ghosts.

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