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Eisenhower Birthplace

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Denison touts Dwight D. (Ike) Eisenhower, as its most notable son. Located 70 miles northeast of Dallas, you can visit Eisenhower Birthplace State Historical Site and discover the town’s connection to our thirty-fourth president.

1890 Denison

I’m fascinated by the wealth of history hidden away in our North Texas towns. Denison owes its origin to The Missouri Kansas Texas (KATY) railroad. The railroad arrived first, followed by the town in 1873. At that time, the settlement of about 3,000 people named itself after KATY President, George Denison. The new township, grew to almost 10,000, and soon found itself a hub for five railroads moving the area’s primary commodity, cotton. David Eisenhower, Dwight’s father, came to Denison to find work with the railroad after a failed business venture in Kansas. Having secured a job as a wiper, a worker cleaning steam engines and equipment, he sent for his family.

The Eisenhower connection

The Eisenhower family rented a small house. Feet from the railway, the home must have vibrated with the rumble of each passing train belching its black smoke. The family stayed just three years, returning to Abilene, Kansas, when baby Dwight was only eighteen months old.

Jennie Jackson

Eisenhower had no knowledge of his North Texas roots. For him, Abilene was his boyhood home and birthplace. Ironically, it was a retired Denison school teacher, Jennie Jackson, who uncovered the Texas connection. General Eisenhower had gained international fame as Supreme Allied Commander Europe, instrumental in World War II efforts and D-Day success. Jackson wondered if this famous general might be related to the family she knew in her youth. She combed through old city records and wrote Ida Eisenhower, the general’s mother. Suspicions confirmed, the local community bought the house where Dwight Eisenhower was born and restored it. Eisenhower visited Denison for the first time as an adult in 1946 having breakfast with city leaders, including Jackson, at his birthplace home. A newsreel of Dwight Eisenhower’s visit to Denison can still be found on YouTube.

Eisenhower Birthplace Historical Site

The Texas Historical Commission now operates the site. The Eisenhower Birthplace possesses a small collection of memorabilia including a painting by the President, but most Eisenhower artifacts are on display at the presidential library in Abilene. A film in the visitor’s center provides a short history of President Eisenhower’s life and legacy.

Near the Eisenhower home, a larger than life bronze statue stands atop a marble base. This is one of five Robert Dean sculptures of Eisenhower in military uniform. The other four statues are at West Point, the London Embassy, Normandy, and at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library.

Guided tour

The docent-led tour is an absolute must. Tours are led, roughly, on the hour. The only way to gain access to the actual birthplace, the house, is by joining a tour. The knowledgeable guides paint a picture of Denison life in the 1890s, and share a wealth of information about the challenges Eisenhower’s parents faced in those early years when David, Ike’s father, worked for the KATY railroad.

When you go.

Eisenhower’s Birthplace (609 S. Lamar, Denison, 903/465-8908) is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on Sunday from 1:00 until 5:00 p.m. Access to the park and visitor center is free. Tour tickets are $4 for adults and $3 for students. There are picnic grounds and restrooms next to the visitors’ center. If you prefer to lunch in town, let me suggest the Best Burger Barn (100 W Chestnut Street, Denison). The restaurant and bar boosts it has the best burgers in Texas. I’m not sure I’d go that far, but they do serve a fantastic burger.

Did you know Dwight D. Eisenhower first applied to the Naval Academy but was rejected for being too old? He was 21-years-old at the time.

Did you know The inspiration for Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway System came from his wartime experience with the German Autobahn?

Eisenhower’s Birthplace in Denison

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It’s almost President’s Day, so how about a day trip to the birthplace of our thirty fourth president? World War II hero and President, Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower was born in Denison, Texas.

North Texas Ramblings - Eisenhower's Birthplace in DenisonLocated just 70 miles north of Dallas near the Oklahoma border, Denison thrived as a railroad town in the 1880s. Eisenhower’s father, David, came to Denison to work for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (KATY) Railroad in 1889. David and his wife, Ida, already had two boys. Dwight, their third child, would be born in 1890. The Eisenhowers lived in Denison only three years, returning to Kansas when Dwight was just a toddler. Ironically, Dwight Eisenhower did not even know he was born in Denison until mid-life. A Denison teacher, Ms Jennie Jackson, thought she remembered the Eisenhowers, and discovered the family’s link to the town by combing through old city records. Following World War II, the local community bought the house where Dwight Eisenhower was born and that his family had rented while living in Texas. Eisenhower visited Denison for the first time as an adult in 1946 having breakfast with community leaders and Ms Jackson at his birthplace home.

The Texas Historical Commission now operates the site. The Dwight D. Eisenhower Library and Museum, in Abiliene Kansas, houses the presidential papers and almost all presidential artifacts. However, Eisenhower’s Birthplace in Denison has a small collection of Eisenhower memorabilia including a painting by the President. A film in the visitor’s center provides a short history of President Eisenhower’s life and legacy. The docent-lead tour is well worth the admission cost. The knowledgeable guides paint a picture of Denison life in the 1890s, and shares a wealth of information about the challenges Eisenhower’s parents faced in those early years when David, Ike’s father, worked for the KATY railroad.

Near the Eisenhower’s home, a larger than life bronze statue stands atop a marble base. This is one of four Robert Dean sculptures of Eisenhower in military uniform. The other three statues are at West Point, the London Embassy and at his presidential library in Abilene.

Eisenhower’s Birthplace (609 S. Lamar, Denison, 903/465-8908) is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on Sunday from 1:00 until 5:00 p.m. Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for students. There are picnic grounds next to the visitors’ center.