History
Creating a park
Eisenhower State Park is in Grayson County, northwest of Denison on the shores of Lake Texoma. The state acquired the 463.1-acre site in 1954 through a lease from the Army Corps of Engineers. It opened in 1958.
The park’s name honors the 34th U.S. president, Dwight David Eisenhower, who was born nearby.
Settling Texas
Anglo settlers began using this area as a route to Texas and the American Southwest in the early 1830s.
The history of the area is colorful. It includes the American Indian; Butterfield Overland stage routes; Chisholm and Shawnee cattle drive trails; Fort Johnson, established in 1840; and Colbert's Crossing, established on the Red River in 1853 and operated until 1931.
