Denison150: A Look at our Sesquicentennial
Denison Celebrates 150 Years
2022 was Denison’s 150th birthday—a time for celebrating our story, connecting with our neighbors, and showcasing what makes this place special.
Hard work, unwavering passion, and the thrill of progress defined Denison at its founding in 1872. These principles, along with the high ideals of civic devotion and community spirit combined to create a city unlike any other. Though much has changed since then, the core values of Denison’s early settlers remain a part of our culture and daily way of life.
We continue to honor our past, celebrate our present, all while keeping an eye toward our bright future. Sharing and connecting happens all the time, 2022 was our year to bring out stories and photos from the past—whether it was 5 years or 75 years ago.
We celebrated this huge milestone many different ways. We kicked the year off with a fireworks show downtown. We hosted our History in the Hall series, this time focused on 50 year increments. We started with our founding, finished with a look ahead, and opened the Centennial time capsule that was buried 50 years ago.
In September, we celebrated our founder's day with a huge birthday celebration in Forest Park. We heard from state and local leaders, and Denison ISD's Touch of Gold band. The Stingerettes were in uniform, helping hand out Denison150 commemorative items. Games, inflatables, on-stage performances, and even the famous Oscar Meyer 'Weinermobile' filled Forest Park on September 25th.
"This celebration was a one-of-a-kind culmination of our entire history. We honored our past, while looking ahead to our bright future," said Mayor Janet Gott.
The Red River Railroad Museum capped off the weekend by hosting the Conductor's Ball. A historic, unforgettable evening filled with celebration and tradition.
Throughout the year, local businesses got creative with ways to promote our Sesquicentennial. Our logo was on coffee mugs, t-shirts, tea towels, and they even created a Denison150 themed ice cream sundae! We continued our celebration in December with an event to collect items to put in our Sesquicentennial time capsule. We collected hundreds of envelopes and dozens of items to commemorate our Sesquicentennial year, and the last 50 years. Items included things like a 'Denisonopoly' board game, Denison ISD students wrote letters to their future self, banners, cell phones, photos, and so much more. The time capsule was buried outside of the Katy Depot to be unveiled in the year 2072.
We finished up the year with another momentous fireworks show downtown. It was truly a historic year filled with irreplaceable moments. What an honor it was to be a part of something that will go down in history!
