Denison is located about 75 miles north of Dallas near Lake Texoma. Founded in 1872 in conjunction with the arrival of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (MKT or Katy), it was named after the wealthy railroad vice president George Denison. The town was established close to where the MKT crosses the Red River and both the railroad and the river served as important transportation routes. As a result, Denison developed as a major shipping and retailing point in Texas and the Southwest. Downtown still boasts this large commercial infrastructure including the MKT depot and other railroad warehouses, several large hotels and many multi-story buildings.

The historic downtown is the heart of the community with thriving businesses, many events throughout the year, and consistent trends of reinvestment. Denison started the Main Street program in 1988 as a self-initiated city and became an official Main Street city in 1989. The city is committed to supporting downtown property owners and business owners and offers a rental assistance grant, a facade grant and a revolving loan program. 

Complete information on incentives and the downtown development process is provided in the links. For more details on availability and bringing your idea to life in Downtown Denison, contact Donna Dow, Main Street Director, at 903-465-2720 x2452.