Denison to celebrate 150th anniversary with year of events

Michael Hutchins, Herald Democrat
·4 min read
The serpentine route of Main Street Denison became synonymous with downtown.
The serpentine route of Main Street Denison became synonymous with downtown.

The upcoming year marks the 150th anniversary of the sale of the first lots in Denison in 1872. In the last 150 years, the city has transformed from a boom town on the edge of the west to a train and railroad hub and finally into the growing community it is today.

Throughout the next 365 days, a series of events will be held to commemorate the sesquicentennial anniversary of the city, and a new website has been set up help people mark the days.

"Every month there are things happening where we can give a homage and nod to Denison's past and where we are going in the future," Denison Managing Director of Communications and Engagement Aaron Werner said Wednesday.

For the year of celebrations, some of the city's annual events will be shifted to include themes and aspects of the city's history in order to incorporate them into the calendar of events.

The year will culminate with a week of events around September 23, the anniversary of the sale of the city's first lots.

The celebrations of the city's anniversary will technically start in 2021 with a fireworks show that will ring in both the new year and the year of events.

A New Year's Eve celebration will be held at 7 p.m. Friday.

"That is how we are kicking off the sesquicentennial year with a bang, no pun intended," Werner said. "That will be the chance for the public to step outside if they are already enjoying one of the restaurants downtown ... or they can swing by Forest Park and view the fireworks from there."

Denison's Educational Institute was the first free, graded public school in the state of Texas.
Denison's Educational Institute was the first free, graded public school in the state of Texas.

In the lead up to the anniversary, the city has launched a new website at Denison150.com that highlights the city's history while also providing a calendar of events. The website also shows a timeline of the city's history including markers for the founding of the city, the construction of Grayson College, and other historic moments in the city's past.

"Denison150 is something we designed to tell Denison's story, both past and present," Werner said. "We want this to be an opportunity to cultivate community pride and ultimately we hope this will leave a legacy for our residents as they look back at it."

The city will also hold a series of "History in the Hall" exhibits throughout the year with displays on various topics related to the city's history on display in city hall. The first display, which is slated to begin in January, will depict the city's past between 1872 and 1922.

Another display will show the contents of a time capsule that was stored away in 1972 at a local bank. Originally, city officials hoped to find an official capsule that was sealed for the city's centennial, but staff were unable to find it. However, news of the capsule led to the discovery of a second capsule that was made separately on the anniversary.

This second capsule included many bank documents dating back to the city's origins, including an early ledger detailing a loan for a set of two revolvers. While the capsule was supposed to have one of the two firearms, it seems to have been lost to time.

"At some point in the history of this time capsule the revolver was removed because we couldn't find it," Werner said.

Beyond city-sponsored events, the city hopes to partner with other partner organizations to collaborate on events and join in on the celebrations. As an example, the Denison Chamber of Commerce will be theming its annual awards event after the anniversary by encouraging attendees to "party like it is 1872."

For others, the celebrations and events will serve as starting point for revival, Werner said. The Denison Sister Cities program plans to unveil a mural in 2022 depicting the program and Denison's relationship with other cities across the globe, including Cognac, France. The two cities have shared a strong bond dating back to when Denison native T.V. Munson helped save French grape varieties using species from North Texas.

Activities for the program slowed in recent years following the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited many of its activities and events, Werner said.

For more information on the events, please visit http://www.denison150.com.

This article originally appeared on Herald Democrat: Denison to celebrate 150th anniversary with year of events