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Sherman, Texas

Everything Sherman is known for

14 songs mention this city 5 artists from here

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Music in Sherman

Songs About Sherman

Oklahoma
Trout Steak Revival
24%
"And the Texas line we crossed to end the night"
940
Race Ricketts
18%
"TITLE: 940"
Guns Drugs and Allergy Pills
Tanner Usrey
8%
"Well they pulled us over north of the state line"
Texas Bound Train
Cory Morrow
7%
"I wanna see where that Red River Flows"
If They Come Lookin’
Zach Bryan
6%
"Soon as you cross them state lines"
Texas OK Line
special
6%
"TITLE"
Back of My Mind
Eli Young Band
4%
"headed for the state line"
Texas to Oklahoma
Iron Skillet
3%
"Texas to Oklahoma"
River Red
Cole Phillips
3%
"Okie-Texas line"
Oklahoma Girl
Eli Young Band
3%
"I crossed the state line about an hour ago"
OK Texas Wedgie
Various borders songs about
2%
"OK Texas Wedgie"
Southside Da Realist
Big Tuck
2%
"Endo is sherman, endo be burning"
That’s Country Bro
Toby Keith
1%
"Buck, and Don, and Charley Pride"
red dirt girl
Bo Phillips

Artists From Sherman

B
Buck Owens
country
K
Kublai Khan TX
metal
H
Hagfish
rock
D
Dustin Perkins
country
G
Geobel Reeves
country

Rivers & Roads in Song near Sherman

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Sherman.

Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad 3 songs Red River 88 songs Sulphur River 2 songs Interstate 35 45 songs

History of Sherman

Not That Sherman RoadyGoat

Say the name Sherman out loud in a lot of the country, and people picture the Union general William Tecumseh Sherman, the one who marched to the sea and burned a path across Georgia in the Civil War. So it would be easy to assume this North Texas town was named for him. It wasn't. And the calendar proves it. Sherman, Texas got its name in eighteen forty-six. The Civil War didn't begin until eighteen sixty-one, and General William Tecumseh Sherman didn't make his famous march until eighteen sixty-four. In other words, this town was already sitting here with its name for the better part of two decades before that other Sherman ever became a household word. The town is named for a completely different man, Sidney Sherman, a hero of the Texas Revolution who fought for Texas independence, not for the Union. Same last name, two very different histories, and about a generation apart. So if you ever hear somebody say this town is named for the Civil War general, you can gently set them straight. The dates simply don't line up.

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The Man Behind the Battle Cry RoadyGoat

The man this town is named for is tied to maybe the most famous battle cry in Texas history. General Sidney Sherman commanded the Second Regiment at the Battle of San Jacinto on April twenty-first, eighteen thirty-six, the fight that won Texas its independence in about eighteen minutes of open combat. And Sherman's troops are the ones generally credited with first shouting the war cry that has echoed ever since: Remember the Alamo. Remember Goliad. Those weren't just angry words. Barely six weeks earlier the defenders at the Alamo had been overrun, and hundreds of Texan prisoners had been executed at Goliad. So when Sherman's men swept forward at San Jacinto and roared those names, they were carrying the memory of the fallen straight into the charge. Now, historians are careful here. They say Sherman's regiment is credited with the cry, not that we have a perfect recording of that afternoon, and some of Sherman's own descendants remembered the wording a little differently. But the through-line is real. The name on the town sign belongs to the man whose soldiers gave Texas its rallying cry.

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Named by a Vote of the Legislature RoadyGoat

Here is something most Texas towns can't claim. Sherman wasn't named by a founder or a railroad company. It was named by an act of the Texas Legislature. On March seventeenth, eighteen forty-six, when lawmakers carved Grayson County out of the older Fannin County, the very same legislative act specified that the county seat would be called Sherman. That makes it one of the very few towns in the whole Lone Star State named directly by the legislature. And the name honors General Sidney Sherman, a hero of the Texas Revolution. There's even a bit of political horse-trading baked in. The county was named for Peter Grayson, who was aligned with Sam Houston's supporters, and the town was named for Sidney Sherman, who was on the other side of Texas politics. Naming the county for one man and the county seat for the other was a compromise, a way to give both factions something to be proud of. So the next time you roll into town, remember: Sherman is a place where the name itself was a peace treaty written into law.

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Bloody Bill Anderson - Sherman Winter Quarters

1863

In the winter of 1863, William 'Bloody Bill' Anderson and Quantrill's Raiders wintered in Sherman, Texas. Anderson subsequently split from Quantrill here and returned to Missouri, where he led the Centralia Massacre of 1864 — the most decisive guerrilla victory of the Civil War. He was killed in battle a month later, a silk cord on his person with 53 knots, one for each man he claimed to have killed by his own hand.

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Quantrill, William Clarke

1863

William Clarke Quantrill (Charley Hart, Charles William Quantrill, and Billy Quantrill), Civil War guerrilla leader, was born at Canal Dover, Ohio, on July 31, 1837, to Thomas Henry and Caroline Cornelia (Clarke) Quantrill. He taught school briefly in Ohio and Illinois; in 1857 he moved to Kansas, and in 1858 he accompanied an army provision train to Utah. At Fort Bridger, Salt Lake City, and elsewhere in the territory, Quantrill was associated with a number of murders and thefts. He fled a warrant for his arrest in Utah in 1860 and returned to Kansas. In December he joined a group in an effort to free the slaves of a Missouri man; he betrayed the plans, and three of the abolitionists were killed. Quantrill collected a group of renegades in the Kansas-Missouri area. He fought with Confederate forces at the battle of Wilson's Creek in Oakhills, Missouri, in August 1861 but soon thereafter began irregular independent operations. Quantrill and his band attacked Union camps, patrols, and settlements. In November 1862 the group murdered twelve unarmed teamsters. Union authorities declared them outlaws. Quantrill's role in the capture of Independence, however, led to his being commissioned a captain in the Confederate Army. Shortly thereafter, he sought a regular command under the Confederacy Partisan Ranger Act, but his reputation for brutality preceded him, and his request was denied, although he was promoted to the rank of colonel. In mid-October 1863 Quantrill and his band crossed the Red River at Colbert's Ferry and established winter camp on Mineral Springs Creek fifteen miles northwest of Sherman. During his first winter in Grayson County Quantrill and his men may have acted as a police force against cattle thieves who raided farms and ranches from Indian Territory. This winter camp was necessary, in part, for Quantrill's men to escape retribution for two of their recent affairs, the first being their infamous sack of Lawrence, Kansas, on August 21, 1863, during which they looted the town and shot approximately 180 men and boys. Weeks later, while on their way to Texas, Quantrill's well-mounted and armed force of 400 men came upon the 100-man headquarters escort of Union general James G. Blunt. Quantrill's band attacked on October 6, 1863, and killed eighty men and wounded eighteen in the Baxter Springs Massacre. Many were murdered after having surrendered. The raiders also captured several fully loaded supply wagons. Quantrill reported at Bonham on October 26 to Gen. Henry E. McCulloch . One of the officers described Quantrill as standing about five feet ten inches, weighing about 150 pounds, with fair hair, blue eyes, and a florid complexion. Lt. Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith , commander of the Trans-Mississippi Confederacy, approved of Quantrill and ordered McCulloch to use Quantrill's men to help round up the increasing number of deserters and conscription-dodgers in North Texas. Quantrill's men captured but few and killed several, whereupon McCulloch pulled them off this duty; McCulloch sent them to track down retreating Comanches from a recent raid on the northwest frontier. They did so for nearly a week with no success. Quantrill is credited with ending a near-riot of county "war widows" who were convinced that the Confederate commissary in Sherman was withholding from them such "luxury goods" as coffee, tea, and sugar. During this winter Quantrill's lieutenant, William (Bloody Bill) Anderson , took some of the men to organize his own group. With two such groups in the area, residents of Grayson and Fannin counties became targets for raids, and acts of violence proliferated so much that regular Confederate forces had to be assigned to protect residents from the activities of the irregular Confederate forces. Finally, General McCulloch determined to rid North Texas of Quantrill's influence. On March 28, 1864, when Quantrill appeared at Bonham as requested, McCulloch had him arrested on the charge of ordering the murder of a C

Tsha Handbook →

Sherman Riot of 1930

1930

The Sherman riot of 1930 was one of the major incidents of racial violence that occurred in the United States at the onset of the Great Depression , when lynching and other lawless acts increased with economic problems. The incident initiated a flurry of racial violence in Texas. White tenant farmers had exhibited hostility to Blacks throughout the county. As county seat, Sherman was the county's banking, industrial, and educational center. The Southern Commission on the Study of Lynching reported in 1931 that Sherman had felt the onset of the depression more keenly than representative communities of similar size in Texas. The prevalent abhorrence of miscegenation, together with the sensation surrounding the rape of a White woman by a Black man, provided the context of the violence. A Black farm hand named George Hughes, described by acquaintances as "crazy," was accused of raping a young woman, who was never publicly identified. Hughes admitted that he had come to the farm five miles southeast of Sherman on May 3, 1930, in search of the woman's husband, who owed him wages. Hughes left when the woman said that her husband was in Sherman but soon returned with a shotgun, demanded his wages, and raped the woman. He shot at unarmed pursuers and at the patrol car of the deputy sheriff who later arrived to investigate the disturbance. He then surrendered. On Monday, May 5, Hughes was indicted for criminal assault by a special meeting of the grand jury in the Fifteenth District Court. County attorney Joe P. Cox set the trial date for Friday, May 9, and promised a speedy trial. In the days preceding the trial, rumors spread about the case, among them that Hughes had mutilated the woman's throat and breasts and that she was not expected to live. Medical examination of the woman and of Hughes showed the rumors to be false. Officers removed Hughes from the jail to an undisclosed location as a precaution against mob violence, but rumors persisted that he was still there. A few people were taken through the jail to show that he was not there, but an unconvinced mob gathered outside nightly. In the early morning of Friday, May 9, Capt. Francis A. (Frank) Hamer of the Texas Rangers , assisted by two other rangers and one police sergeant, escorted Hughes to the county courthouse. County Sheriff Arthur Vaughan and deputies stood on duty in the courtroom and corridors. Only those connected to the case were allowed to attend the proceedings. Nevertheless, a crowd from all over the region gathered outside the building and filled the corridors from the main entrance to the courtroom doors. During the jury selection and beginning of the trial, the noise led officers to clear the stairway and corridor leading to the courtroom. In the late morning the crowd began to stone the courthouse. An American flag was carried around the grounds to incite the men to action. The jury was sworn in at noon. Then Cox read the indictment, to which Hughes pleaded guilty. The first witness had begun testimony when the crowd forced the doors to the courtroom corridor, whereupon the rangers fired three warning shots. The jury was sent from the room, and Hughes was taken to the district court vault as the rangers used tear gas to disperse the mob. Firemen provided ladders for others in the trial room. A few minutes before one o'clock the mob started toward the courtroom again, and again the rangers resorted to tear gas. Firemen again helped women and children escape the building with the use of ladders. District Judge R. M. Carter went into conference at about one o'clock and declared that he would likely order a change of venue, but at two o'clock he had not decided where to send the case. Captain Hamer told him that he did not believe that the trial could be held in Sherman without bloodshed. About 2:30 P.M., two youths threw an open can of gasoline into the county tax collector's office through a broken window. A fire started and quickly spread through the building.

Tsha Handbook →

Hilger, John Allen [Jack]

1942

John Allen Hilger was a United States Air Force officer and deputy commander of the Doolittle Raid of Japan during World War II. He was born the third of four sons of John Frederick Hilger and Emma Viola (Dye) Hilger, on January 11, 1909, in Sherman, Texas. The son of a stone cutter, Jack Hilger was raised in Sherman and educated in the city public school system. In high school, he was active in the pep squad, the glee club, football, and the school newspaper. Hilger graduated from Sherman High School in 1926. Hilger enrolled at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (present-day Texas A&M University) in September 1926. At College Station, he studied mechanical engineering and became a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. In addition to his academic studies, he was active in the school's military program. With three years of college under his belt, Hilger left school in the fall of 1929. Most likely, fiscal issues contributed to this action. On March 1, 1931, John Allen Hilger married Ina Mae Smith. The marriage failed. In the fall of 1931 Hilger re-enrolled at Texas A&M and received his B. S. degree in mechanical engineering in June 1932. Along with a degree, Hilger also received his commission as a second lieutenant of infantry in the United States Army Reserve. Early in his military career, John Hilger made moves to become an active duty army aviator. In February 1933, he entered the U. S. Army Air Corps flying school as a cadet. After successfully completing flight training, he received his wings in the Army Air Corps in February 1934 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in February 1935. With more than two years of active duty, Hilger received a regular army commission in October 1936. After additional pilot training, Lieutenant Hilger was assigned to March Field near Riverside, California. During his service at March Field, he served as the assistant base adjutant and was in charge of the base photographic section. While on this assignment, Hilger married Virginia Hope Botterud in Los Angeles in March 1937. Lieutenant Hilger was reassigned to McChord Field near Tacoma, Washington, in May 1940. While on this assignment, he served as the commander of the 89th Reconnaissance Squadron. During this time at McChord Field, he was also promoted to captain and then to major. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the 89th Squadron took part in flying antisubmarine patrols in the region in early 1942. Hilger was promoted to lieutenant colonel in March 1942. In March 1942 Lt. Col. James "Jimmy" Doolittle selected Hilger as a pilot and as his deputy commander for a top secret air attack on Japan. The Doolittle Raid involved the launching of sixteen B-25 Mitchell bombers from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet at a point about 500 miles from Tokyo. The original plan called for a strike on selected Japanese targets with the aircraft then proceeding to friendly air bases in China. The eighty men that made up the Doolittle Raiders were all volunteers. With a reputation as a no-nonsense perfectionist, Hilger had been recommended to serve as Doolittle's second in command. Hilger took part in the training operations for the men and planes assembled at Eglin Field in Florida. The training was fast-paced, and a high priority was given to pilots practicing short takeoffs. By April 1, aircraft and airman had relocated to California on the West Coast. Consisting of eighty airmen and sixteen B-25 Mitchell bombers, the Doolittle raid was launched from the deck of the Hornet in the morning of April 18, 1942. Fearing a Japanese picket ship had spotted the task force, Doolittle ordered the operation to begin before they reached their original destination point. Major Hilger piloted aircraft fourteen. His crew had been assigned the city of Nagoya, a major industrial center, as its target. Hilger directed his plane toward three specific areas: an army barrack complex, a military depot, and an oil s

Tsha Handbook →

Eleventh Texas Cavalry

1861

In May 1861, a frontier unit was organized at Camp Reeves in Sherman. Drawing volunteers from Cooke, Grayson, Hopkins, Red River, Fannin, Collin, Titus and Bowie counties, the regiment began with nearly 900 men and officers. Initially led by the noted Col. William Cocke Young, the unit fought its first battles in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma, securing the territory for the Confederacy. In October of that year, the unit was inducted into Confederate service as the 11th Texas Cavalry and joined with other forces in Arkansas. Beginning in March 1862, at the Battle of Pea Ridge, or Elkhorn Tavern, the 11th Texas supported the Confederate Army. Following the battle, the unit became an infantry regiment, designated the 11th Texas Cavalry, Dismounted. For the remainder of the year, the troops were active in Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky. In early 1863, the 11th Texas fought at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and shortly thereafter became a cavalry unit again. For the remainder of the war, the cavalry fought in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, participating in more than 100 battles and skirmishes. Notable engagements included Chickamauga, Knoxville, Dalton, Resaca, Allatoona Pass, Dallas/New Hope Church, Kennesaw Mountain, Atlanta, Savannah, and, finally, Bentonville, North Carolina. A small number of 11th Texas troops were present at the Confederate surrender at Durham Station, North Carolina, in April 1865. One of the most active Texas Confederate units, the 11th Texas Cavalry served with distinction throughout the Civil War, continuing until the last major Confederate offensive had ended. (2003)

Historical Marker →

Roosevelt, Theodore

1905

One of the most festive events in Sherman's early history, Theodore Roosevelt's 1905 appearance here marked the first visit of a president of the United States to Grayson County. Traveling to San Antonio to attend a reunion of the "Rough-Riders" -- his special troops in the Spanish-American War -- Roosevelt stopped first in Denison on that same day, April 5, and was there presented with a Texas-shaped floral piece from excited youngsters. His train proceeded then to Sherman, where a record crowd of 35,000 had come by buggy, horse, and special trains from as far away as 175 miles to see him. Led by a unit of Rough Riders, Roosevelt and his party rode up the banner-decked streets in nine handsome carriages. Passing between lines of Union and Confederate Civil War veterans, they arrived at the speaker's stand amid loud applause. Here (at this corner) he spoke for 15 minutes, praising Texas as "one of two or three greatest states in the Union". He emphasized his own heritage from the south and the north and his delight in national reunification. Within an hour Roosevelt left for Dallas, having provided for the people of this area one of the most memorable occasions in their lives.

Historical Marker →

Everything Near Sherman

404 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the nearest 200 are listed here — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

  • Not That Sherman

    Say the name Sherman out loud in a lot of the country, and people picture the Union general William Tecumseh Sherman, the one who marched to the sea and burned a path across Georgia in the Civil War. So it would be easy…

  • The Man Behind the Battle Cry

    The man this town is named for is tied to maybe the most famous battle cry in Texas history. General Sidney Sherman commanded the Second Regiment at the Battle of San Jacinto on April twenty-first, eighteen thirty-six,…

  • Bloody Bill Anderson - Sherman Winter Quarters · Biographical

    In the winter of 1863, William 'Bloody Bill' Anderson and Quantrill's Raiders wintered in Sherman, Texas. Anderson subsequently split from Quantrill here and returned to Missouri, where he led the Centralia Massacre of…

  • Named by a Vote of the Legislature

    Here is something most Texas towns can't claim. Sherman wasn't named by a founder or a railroad company. It was named by an act of the Texas Legislature. On March seventeenth, eighteen forty-six, when lawmakers carved…

  • He Sold His Business to Fight for Texas

    Sidney Sherman, the man this town is named for, didn't drift into the Texas Revolution. He bought his way in with his own money. In the eighteen thirties, Sherman was a businessman up in Newport, Kentucky, manufacturing…

  • The Namesake Who Built the First Railroad in Texas

    Sidney Sherman's story didn't end on the battlefield. The man this town is named for went on to help lay the very first railroad tracks in Texas. After the revolution, Sherman bought land near Harrisburg, which today is…

  • The Twin Sisters and How a Cannon Panics an Army

    The revolution that made Sidney Sherman a hero, and gave this town its name, was won with just two cannons. They were a pair of matched iron guns nicknamed the Twin Sisters. Citizens of Cincinnati, Ohio, paid for them…

  • Eleventh Texas Cavalry · Historical Marker

    In May 1861, a frontier unit was organized at Camp Reeves in Sherman. Drawing volunteers from Cooke, Grayson, Hopkins, Red River, Fannin, Collin, Titus and Bowie counties, the regiment began with nearly 900 men and…

  • Roosevelt, Theodore · Historical Marker

    One of the most festive events in Sherman's early history, Theodore Roosevelt's 1905 appearance here marked the first visit of a president of the United States to Grayson County. Traveling to San Antonio to attend a…

  • Mayfield, Allison · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site where Allison Mayfield began his law career in Sherman back in 1884. He went on to serve 26 years on the Texas Railroad Commission, 16 of those as chairman. Under his leadership, the…

  • A Tale of Two Shermans

    Let's play a quick name game, because Texas has a Sherman and American history has two famous ones. This town, we know for certain, is named for Sidney Sherman, the Texas Revolution general, born in Massachusetts in…

  • Grayson County · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Grayson County, a place that's been a major part of Texas history for over a century. Back in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1837</say-as>, this was the site of Colonel Holland Coffee's…

Show all 200 nearby places
  • Courthouses of Grayson County · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, where Grayson County has seen its courthouses change dramatically since 1846. Imagine, five courthouses in less than 40 years, from log cabins to brick buildings, often short-lived. The…

  • Butterfield Overland Mail Route Through Grayson County · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Grayson County, following a path once vital for American communication. This was part of the Butterfield Overland Mail Route, a stagecoach line that rushed mail between St. Louis and San Francisco…

  • Ninth Texas Cavalry · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Ninth Texas Cavalry. The Ninth Texas Cavalry consisted of about 1,000 mounted volunteers from Grayson, Tarrant, Hunt, Hopkins, Cass, Red River, Titus, and Lamar counties. They gathered about 15 miles…

  • Grayson County, C.S.A. · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Grayson County, a vital Confederate hub during the Civil War. This area raised regiments like the 11th Texas Cavalry, and Sherman became a regional depot for clothing and supplies. Look out for…

  • Peter W. Grayson · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Grayson County, named for Peter W. Grayson, a lawyer, poet, and key figure in early Texas. He was instrumental in securing Stephen F. Austin's release from prison and helped draft plans for an…

  • Dannel Funeral Home · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Dannel Funeral Home, a business that's served Sherman for generations. John C. Dannel brought the first motorized hearse to the area in 1917, winning a public battle with the local livery stable…

  • Sherman Public Library, Old · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Old Sherman Public Library, a building that served this city for over fifty years. It started as a subscription library back in 1901, but thanks to a $20,000 grant from the Andrew…

  • Odd Fellows Hall · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the third meeting hall for Sherman's Odd Fellows Lodge, established way back in 1854. Before the city even had public schools, this lodge opened one for 74 students! During the Civil War, nearly all…

  • Hall Furniture Building · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Hall Furniture Building, a Sherman landmark for over a century. It started in 1868 as a dry goods store by Civil War veteran Rufus Gaines Hall, who even sent out 30 wagons to sell goods to rural…

  • Masonic Temple 1924 · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Masonic Temple, built in 1924. Designed by local architects, this classical revival building served as the headquarters for Travis Lodge No. 117 until 1985.

  • Walnut Street Church of Christ · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Walnut Street Church of Christ in Sherman. This classical revival building was completed in 1920 and served the congregation as their third sanctuary. The congregation itself has ties going back…

  • Central Christian Church · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, where the Central Christian Church congregation started in the late 1850s. Pioneer minister Benjamin Franklin Hall organized the early meetings, which took place in a brush arbor and a…

  • Sherman Opera House, Site of Old · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, and right here stood the old Sherman Opera House, a jewel of Victorian architecture. Built in 1881 by Captain L.F. Ely, who even made the bricks himself, this place was the heart of local…

  • Washington Iron Works Inc. · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, and right here is the site of an industry that's been serving North Texas for over a century! Back in 1875, Solon Totten rode his horse all the way from Illinois, looking for a place to…

  • Merchants and Planters National Bank · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of one of North Texas's oldest banks. Before this building, traders in Sherman hung saddlebags full of gold on the branches of a pecan tree – that's why it was called the 'Pecan Tree Bank'!…

  • Metz House · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Metz House, a beautiful Victorian home built in 1883. Edward Metz, a businessman who helped keep peace between Native Americans and settlers in Grayson County, built this as a wedding present for…

  • Site of Binkley Hotel · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, and right here stood the Binkley Hotel, a landmark that was part of a unique business and cultural hub. It wasn't just a place to sleep; it was tied to the Merchants and Planters Bank,…

  • Federal Building (United States Courthouse) · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the old Federal Building in Sherman. Designed by U.S. Treasury architect John Knox Taylor, this Spanish Colonial Revival structure was completed in 1907 for $140,000. It housed the federal court and…

  • Kidd-Key College and Music Conservatory · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, and right here is the site of Kidd-Key College and Music Conservatory. <break time="400ms"/> It opened way back in 1875 as North Texas Female College, a finishing school for young ladies.…

  • First United Methodist Church of Sherman · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, home to the First United Methodist Church. Its roots go way back to 1859, starting as a Methodist Episcopal Church, South congregation. They first worshipped under a brush arbor right…

  • Sherman's first Presbyterian congregation · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, and right here is the site of the city's first Presbyterian congregation. Chartered way back in 1851 as a Cumberland society, this church fellowship has moved and built several times.…

  • Trinity United Presbyterian Church · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of what began as Sherman's Cumberland Presbyterian Church in 1851. It met in various halls before building its own sanctuary in 1872. The congregation changed its name several times,…

  • First Presbyterian Church · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving by the site of the First Presbyterian Church in Sherman. Organized in 1871 by Rev. R.E. Sherrill, the congregation built its first sanctuary by 1874. Over the years, it grew with the city, fostered ties…

  • LeTellier's School · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, and right here is the site of a unique school for boys, founded back in 1871. It was officially the Sherman Private School, but everyone knew it as 'The Cap'n's.' It was run by former…

  • St. Mary's Catholic Church · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, and to your right stands St. Mary's Catholic Church, a testament to architectural history. The first mass was held here way back in 1872, and by 1875, a parish was officially created.…

  • Sherman Little Theater (The Sherman Community Players) · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, and right here is where a local drama scene took root! Back in December of <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1925</say-as>, Sherman officially joined the Little Theater movement…

  • The Courthouse Fire and the 1930 Riot · 0.5 mi

    The courthouse square you see today sits on the site of a profound tragedy. In May 1930, a Black farmhand named George Hughes was in the courthouse jail, accused of assaulting his white employer's wife. As the trial…

  • The Final Home of Olive Oatman · 0.5 mi

    One of the most remarkable figures of the American West is buried right here in Sherman. Her name was Olive Oatman. In 1851, her family was attacked in Arizona while traveling west. Thirteen-year-old Olive was captured…

  • Engineering the Silicon Prairie · 0.5 mi

    As you drive along Highway 75, you're seeing one of the largest high-tech engineering projects on the planet rise from the Texas prairie. Texas Instruments' mega-site here is laid out for as many as four connected…

  • Sherman, TX · 0.5 mi

    Sherman has become a significant center for technology and manufacturing in recent years. In 2022, Texas Instruments broke ground to build an Integrated Circuit fab campus in the city. By late 2025, Texas Instruments…

  • The Great Cyclone of 1896 · 0.5 mi

    On the afternoon of May 15, 1896, the sky over Sherman turned a terrifying greenish-black. A tornado of a strength later judged equal to an F5, the top of the scale, touched down near Pilot Point in Denton County and…

  • The High-Tech Trolley to Dallas · 0.5 mi

    In the early 1900s Sherman had some of the most advanced technology in the state running right through it: an electric railway, and it was here first. The Denison and Sherman Railway, finished in 1901, was the very…

  • Lyon House · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Lyon House in Sherman, a Victorian home with a story that spans two wars and local leadership. German-born architect John Tollouch designed it before 1897. Hardware merchant George Hardwicke…

  • Saint John Christian Methodist Episcopal Church · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Saint John Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, organized in 1875 as Saint John CME Chapel. Initially, services were held in a community of freedmen known as "Brushtown," with the Rev.…

  • Roberts House · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Roberts House in Sherman, a stunning example of Queen Anne-Eastlake architecture. Charles Nathan Roberts, a Confederate captain and successful hardware merchant, built this home in <say-as…

  • Simmons, Lee · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, home of Lee Simmons, a man who went from local lawman to running the entire Texas prison system. In 1912, citizens asked him to run for sheriff, and he won, serving two years. But his…

  • LeTellier, John Henry, Capt. · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, and just ahead is the site of a man who saw some of the Civil War's biggest battles, then built a Texas legacy. Captain John Henry LeTellier was born in Virginia in 1842 and served in the…

  • Mangum, Aaron S. · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, and right here is the final resting place of Aaron S. Mangum. Born in South Carolina, Mangum arrived in Texas in 1835, joining Colonel James Fannin's forces. He was part of the ill-fated…

  • Mita Holsapple Hall (1885-1965) · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, and right here is the story of Mita Holsapple Hall. Born in Kentucky in 1885, she moved to Sherman as a child. After graduating from Mary Nash College and marrying Hugh E. Hall, she…

  • Tom Randolph (Nov. 13, 1854 - Jan. 8, 1918) · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, and right here is where a titan of Texas banking once operated. Thomas Randolph, born in Tennessee, came to Grayson County as a boy in 1859. By age 19, he was already helping run the…

  • The Rev. John Silliman Moore · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Sherman, Texas, home of the Rev. John Silliman Moore. Born in Mississippi in 1840, Moore answered the call to serve, fighting in the Civil War. He was wounded in three major battles: Seven Pines,…

  • Judge C. C. Binkley · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, home to Judge C. C. Binkley, a man considered the financial leader of Grayson County. He arrived in Texas in 1852, partnered with Sherman's first mayor, and served as a district judge.…

  • The Rev. J.M. Binkley · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, the hometown of Reverend J.M. Binkley. He arrived in Texas in 1852, already a powerful speaker for the temperance movement. In 1859, Binkley organized the church that would become the…

  • Jesse P. Loving · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, where Jesse P. Loving settled with his family back in 1852. He was a Confederate veteran who became a prominent civic leader, serving as both county treasurer and a state representative.…

  • Olive Ann Oatman Fairchild · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the resting place of Olive Ann Oatman Fairchild, a woman whose life was marked by incredible hardship. Captured by Native Americans at age 13, she witnessed the massacre of six family members. Sold…

  • Douglas, Fred · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, and right here is the site of the Fred Douglass School. Named for the famous orator, this was one of Sherman's first public schools, founded way back in 1879. Initially, it served about…

  • Shannon, Thomas Jefferson · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, the "Father of Sherman" himself, Thomas Jefferson Shannon, lived and worked right here. He arrived in Texas in 1839, and by 1845, he was settling in what would become Grayson County.…

  • Mattie Davis Lucas · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, the hometown of Mattie Davis Lucas, a woman whose passion for local history left a lasting mark. Born in 1869, she was a driving force behind civic improvements, including bringing a…

  • The Reverend J.H. Reynolds · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, the same area where Reverend J.H. Reynolds, known as Uncle Johnny, brought his ministry in 1879. He organized the Willow Street Methodist Church here, later renamed Key Memorial. Reynolds…

  • Great Sherman Storm of 1896 · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Sherman, Texas, where a devastating tornado struck on the afternoon of May 15, 1896. This massive twister touched down nearby, carving a two-mile path of destruction right through the heart of the…

  • Pioneer Cotton Seed Oil Mill · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, and you're passing the site of a true Texas industrial giant. Between 1871 and 1879, John Clement Tassey founded the Sherman Cotton Oil Company right here. It grew so fast, it became the…

  • Birge, N.A. · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, and just ahead is the former home of Noble Allan Birge. This Connecticut native arrived in Texas before the Civil War, becoming the first sheriff of Marion County in 1860. After serving…

  • Hanson, Andrew · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, and right here is the story of Andrew Hanson, a Danish immigrant who baked his way into Texas history. He arrived in 1878 and, the very next year, opened the Star Bakery. For 35 years,…

  • Andrew L. Randell · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Andrew L. Randell. (Aug. 15, 1880 - Mar. 14, 1931) A native of Denison, Andrew Randell graduated from Princeton University and the University of Texas. He opened a law practice in Sherman nad was…

  • Wilson N. Jones (c. 1827-1901) · 0.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, Texas, a town that owes a significant debt to a Choctaw leader named Wilson N. Jones. Born around 1827, Jones endured the forced migration of the Trail of Tears as a boy. He grew into a…

  • B. H. Zauk · 0.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Sherman, where Bruno H. Zauk arrived from Germany at just 16 years old. He built his American dream here, founding Sherman's first cigar factory in 1876. Later, Zauk became a successful businessman,…

  • Carr-Taliaferro House · 1.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, and just ahead is the Carr-Taliaferro House. Built in 1902 for prosperous farmer Richard Bell Carr and his wife Susan, this dignified residence was designed by contractor J. R. Barrow.…

  • Quantrill, William Clarke · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    William Clarke Quantrill (Charley Hart, Charles William Quantrill, and Billy Quantrill), Civil War guerrilla leader, was born at Canal Dover, Ohio, on July 31, 1837, to Thomas Henry and Caroline Cornelia (Clarke)…

  • Sherman Riot of 1930 · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    The Sherman riot of 1930 was one of the major incidents of racial violence that occurred in the United States at the onset of the Great Depression , when lynching and other lawless acts increased with economic problems.…

  • Hilger, John Allen [Jack] · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    John Allen Hilger was a United States Air Force officer and deputy commander of the Doolittle Raid of Japan during World War II. He was born the third of four sons of John Frederick Hilger and Emma Viola (Dye) Hilger,…

  • Anderson, William [Bloody Bill] T. · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, maybe near Sherman or Bonham, and you're passing through the territory of one of the Civil War's most notorious figures: William 'Bloody Bill' Anderson. He was a Confederate guerilla,…

  • Lea, Mabel Doss · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Coleman County, where you might still see remnants of a pioneering spirit. Right here, back in 1879, Mabel Doss Lea took over a massive, debt-ridden ranch after her husband's tragic death. She was…

  • Rickard, George Lewis · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, and you might be passing near Sherman, the childhood home of a man who went from ranch hand to lawman to one of the most famous boxing promoters in history: Tex Rickard. He started…

  • Shannon, Thomas Jefferson · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Sherman, Texas, and right here is a town with a founding story tied to a legislator who wanted a better location. Thomas Jefferson Shannon, a land speculator and cattle breeder, arrived in this…

  • Southland Corporation · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, maybe past Sherman, where a company that started as the Southland Ice Company got its start in 1927. Back then, ice was king for refrigeration, and this company was a major player.…

  • Fairchild, Olive Ann Oatman · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, maybe headed towards Sherman, and right here is a story that starts with a brutal attack. It's 1851. The Oatman family, traveling west, is attacked by Yavapai warriors. All but three…

  • Austin College · 1.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Austin College, the oldest college in Texas still operating under its original charter! Founded way back in 1849 by the Presbytery of Brazos, it was named for Stephen F. Austin himself. Imagine, its…

  • Sherman, TX · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Sherman, a town with a history as dramatic as the Texas weather. Back on May 15th, <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1896</say-as>, a devastating tornado ripped through the west side of town.…

  • Durham, William J. · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    William J. Durham, Black civil rights activist and attorney, was born on a farm near Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas, in 1896. After completing one semester at Emporia State College in Kansas, he served in the…

  • Grayson County · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Grayson County, and right here, in Sherman, you're passing through a town with a unique origin story. Back in 1846, when this county was officially organized, the Texas legislature decided to name…

  • Lyon, Cecil Andrew · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Sherman, Texas, the hometown of Cecil Andrew Lyon, a man who wielded immense power over Texas politics for over two decades. Born in Georgia in 1869, he moved here to Sherman as a boy. By 1890, he…

  • Owens, Alvis Edgar, Jr. [Buck] · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Sherman, Texas, the birthplace of a country music legend. Buck Owens was born Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr., right here in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="my">August 1929</say-as>. He got his…

  • Reeves, Goebel Leon · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Sherman, Texas, the birthplace of Goebel Leon Reeves, better known as the "Texas Drifter." Born in 1899, Reeves was fascinated by the hobo lifestyle from a young age. After serving in World War I,…

  • Tate, George Holmes [Buddy] · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving near Sherman, Texas, the birthplace of Buddy Tate, a titan of the tenor saxophone. Born George Holmes Tate in 1913, he became one of the Swing Era's most celebrated players. Tate's career took off in the…

  • Alexander, Almerine M. · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, an area Almerine Alexander knew well. He was a successful merchant here, with stores in Paris, Dallas, and Bonham before the Civil War. But when war broke out, he raised the…

  • Bledsoe, Joseph · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Grayson County, and right here in Sherman, you're passing through the hometown of Joseph Bledsoe, a lawyer who traded his briefs for bullets in the Civil War. He fought with the Eleventh Texas…

  • Bush, Robert Grammar III [Bob] · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Sherman, Texas, the hometown of Robert "Bob" Grammar Bush III. Bush was more than just a local lawyer; he was a force in the Texas House of Representatives for a decade. He served from 1977 to…

  • Carter, Joseph Daniel [Joe] · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Grayson County, near Sherman, where Joe Carter was born. He was a decorated fighter pilot in World War II, flying under General Jimmy Doolittle and earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and the…

  • Cole, James Reid · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, perhaps near Sherman, and you might be passing by the legacy of James Reid Cole. This educator and administrator came to Texas in 1866, taking a teaching post at McKenzie College. But…

  • Everts, Gustavus A. · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, maybe near Sherman. Right here, in the mid-1800s, lived Gustavus Everts. He arrived in Fannin County in 1844, just in time to help write Texas's first state constitution. Later, he…

  • Ford, Lynn · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, and right here you're passing through the birthplace of Lynn Ford, a craftsman who turned scrap lumber into art. Born in Sherman in 1908, Ford learned woodworking from his father, a…

  • Hall, Richard Moore · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, and right here in Sherman, Richard Moore Hall started his Texas journey in 1872. He was a lawyer, a rancher, and even served as Grayson County surveyor. But here's a fun tidbit: while…

  • Loving, Jesse P. · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Sherman, Texas, a town that owes a lot to Jesse P. Loving. He wasn't just a politician and legislator; he was a mover and shaker right here in the late 1800s. In 1859, Loving became the very first…

  • Mayfield, Allison · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Grayson County, and right here in Sherman, you're passing the final resting place of a man nicknamed 'Chief.' Allison Mayfield served a remarkable twenty-six years on the Texas Railroad…

  • Mayrant, William Norvelle · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Grayson County, Texas, near Sherman, where William Norvelle Mayrant began his Civil War service. He enlisted in 1861, serving as a scout and fighting in the Battle of Chustenahlah. Later, he…

  • Sampson, Thornton Rogers · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, maybe heading towards Sherman, and right here is a place that played a role in the life of Thornton Rogers Sampson. He wasn't just a minister; he was a linguistic genius, mastering…

  • St. Louis, San Francisco and Texas Railway · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, and right here, the St. Louis, San Francisco and Texas Railway, or the Frisco, made its mark. Chartered in 1900, this line was built to connect Denison with the Red River, and soon…

  • Texas Osteopathic Medical Association · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, and right here in Sherman, Texas, back in 1900, a group of doctors were fighting for their profession. They organized the Texas Association for the Advancement of Osteopathy to stand…

  • Thompson, John Martin · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through East Texas, a region where fortunes were once made in the pine forests. Right here, John Martin Thompson, a Georgia transplant, started his lumber empire in 1852 with his father and brother. They…

  • Woods, James D. · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Sherman, Texas, the hometown of James D. Woods. He arrived here in 1858, a lawyer from Tennessee who would become a major figure in North Texas politics. During the Civil War, Woods organized a…

  • Buckner, John Edward [Teddy] · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    John Edward (Teddy) Buckner, Dixieland jazz trumpeter, was born in Sherman, Texas, on July 16, 1909. Buckner spent five years of his childhood in Silver City, New Mexico, then grew up in the Los Angeles area. His first…

  • Dillard, Frank Clifford · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Sherman, Texas, a place that became a legal hub thanks to attorneys like Frank Clifford Dillard. He arrived here in Grayson County back in 1883, quickly joining the bar and forming partnerships…

  • Eagleton, Clyde · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Sherman, Texas, the hometown of Clyde Eagleton. Born here in 1891, Eagleton became a legal scholar whose work helped shape international law. After earning degrees from Austin College and Oxford,…

  • Hughes, Charles Ervin · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Right here in Sherman, Texas, you're passing through the hometown of Charles Ervin Hughes. He was a lawyer who launched a long career in the Texas House of Representatives right after law school in 1951. Hughes served…

  • Mayborn, Ward Carlton · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, heading towards Sherman. Right here, you're passing through a place that was once led by Ward Carlton Mayborn, a newspaper titan. Mayborn arrived in Texas in 1919, quickly becoming a…

  • McComb, John Evans · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Montgomery County, and right here is where John Evans McComb built a remarkable career. He arrived in Texas as a boy and eventually settled in Sherman, graduating from Waco University before…

  • Randolph, John Lewis · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Grayson County, Texas, near Sherman. Right here, in the summer of 1862, a farmer named John Lewis Randolph decided to raise a company of soldiers for the Confederacy. He was elected captain, and…

  • Vinson, William Ashton · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, passing near Sherman, where William Ashton Vinson got his start. He arrived here with his family in October of 1887, a young man who would go on to build one of the largest law firms…

  • Wasson, Alonzo · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, and right here is Sherman, where a young Alonzo Wasson arrived with his family back in 1870. He’d go on to a long career in Texas journalism, working for papers like the Dallas…

  • Wharton, Turner Ashby · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Sherman, Texas, the hometown of Turner Ashby Wharton. He wasn't just any minister; Wharton led the First Presbyterian Church here from 1909 to 1928. But his impact went beyond the pulpit. During…

  • Hare, Silas, Jr. · 1.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Silas Hare, Jr., lawyer, banker, and judge, third son of Octavia Elizabeth (Rector) and Silas Hare , was born on October 30, 1862, in Belton, Texas. The family moved to Sherman in 1865, and Silas spent his entire life…

  • Bass Reeves: Born Into Slavery in Grayson County · 1.2 mi

    This corner of Grayson County is where the legend of Bass Reeves began, though it began in chains. Born into slavery around 1838 and named, by family tradition, for his grandfather, young Bass was brought to the Sherman…

  • Pool Manufacturing Company · 1.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, and right here is the historic site of the Pool Manufacturing Company. What started as the Sherman Overall Manufacturing Company in 1909, using machinery from a glove maker, was bought by…

  • Sherman Manufacturing Company · 1.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the old Sherman Manufacturing Company, which got its start in 1891 as the Sherman Seamless Bag Mill. Its mission was to serve the booming cotton industry right here in North Texas. The…

  • City of Sherman · 1.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Sherman, a city named for General Sidney Sherman. He was a hero of the Battle of San Jacinto and a member of the Congress of the Republic of Texas. The city grew fast after it was officially…

  • Old Settlers Association of Grayson County · 1.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Old Settlers Association of Grayson County, founded way back in 1879. Imagine old-timers, folks who remembered the Republic of Texas and the frontier, gathering by wagon to reminisce.…

  • Travis Lodge No. 117, A. F. & A. M. · 2.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Travis Lodge No. 117, founded way back in 1852. It's one of Sherman's oldest continuing institutions. The lodge survived a major fire in 1875 that wiped out much of the business district,…

  • The Chip Factory That Opened in 2025 · 2.2 mi

    Right here in Sherman, Texas Instruments started making computer chips in December 2025 at its newest semiconductor plant, a facility called SM1. Here's what makes that remarkable: they broke ground on an empty field in…

  • Why Bigger Circles Make Cheaper Chips · 2.2 mi

    That Texas Instruments fab in Sherman prints its chips on 300-millimeter wafers, and that one number is the reason chips keep getting cheaper. A wafer is a thin, round, mirror-polished disc of silicon, and hundreds or…

  • Why a Single Speck of Dust Is a Disaster · 2.2 mi

    That Texas Instruments fab in Sherman is one of the cleanest buildings on Earth, and it has to be. The features printed on a modern chip are far smaller than a single speck of dust, smaller even than a bacterium. So one…

  • From Beach Sand to Nine-Nines Pure · 2.2 mi

    Before that Texas Instruments fab in Sherman can print a single chip, its silicon has to make an almost unbelievable journey. Silicon, the heart of every chip, starts out as ordinary quartz. Basically sand and rock.…

  • Grayson County Poor Farm · 2.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the former Grayson County Poor Farm, a refuge for the vulnerable from 1877 to 1963. It housed the elderly, orphans, widows, and mentally ill, who often worked the farm in exchange for food. A major…

  • Grayson Bible Baptist Church · 3.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, and just off to the side, you're passing the site of a dark chapter in this town's history. Back in May of 1930, mob violence erupted here, burning down the old courthouse and destroying…

  • Friendship Methodist Church · 3.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Friendship Methodist Church. Organized in 1867, the congregation met in a log schoolhouse. They built their first sanctuary in 1892, followed by a second in 1914, and added the Graves…

  • Hendrix Cemetery · 3.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Hendrix Cemetery, a final resting place established by John Hendrix. He arrived in Texas in 1846 with his family, seven other families, and a plan to farm and run a nursery. Their first camp in…

  • Colbert's Ferry · 3.9 mi

    You're driving near the Red River, and right here, a vital crossing point once stood: Colbert's Ferry. The Red was a notorious barrier, wide, muddy, and prone to flooding, the kind of river no traveler swam and no wagon…

  • Burden, Omega · 3.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Grayson County, not far from Gordonville, where a musical legend was born. Omega Burden, born in 1913, is widely considered the originator of "Texas Style" guitar. He wasn't just a musician; he…

  • Colville, Silas Cheek · 3.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through what is now Grayson County, Texas, near the Red River, a place that saw its share of frontier drama. Right here, in the spring of 1841, Silas Colville, a trader associated with Holland Coffee, got…

  • Old Preston Road · 3.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Grayson County, and right here, you're tracing the path of the Old Preston Road. Between 1840 and the arrival of the railroad, this was the main street into North Texas, stretching all the way…

  • Thompson, James George · 3.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through what is now Grayson County, near the Red River. Right here, in the 1830s, James George Thompson operated a trading post and ferry, becoming friends with Sam Houston and Jesse Chisholm. He settled…

  • Woodlake, TX (Grayson County) · 3.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Grayson County, not far from Sherman and Denison. Right here, you're passing through the site of Woodlake, a resort built in 1901. A local businessman created it as a promotional gimmick for his…

  • Kentucky Town, TX · 3.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Kentucky Town was eighteen miles from Sherman in eastern Grayson County. Though the area was sparsely settled as early as 1837, a community did not begin to develop there until 1849, when the first substantial group of…

  • Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge · 3.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Grayson County, near the Big Mineral Arm of Lake Texoma. Right here is the Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. Established in 1946, this 11,000-acre refuge is a crucial stopover for migrating…

  • Hall, Benjamin Franklin · 3.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, perhaps near Grayson County, where Benjamin Franklin Hall made his home. He was a minister, a soldier, and even a traveling dentist – known as the 'strolling dentist'! Hall came to…

  • Milling · 3.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Texas, and right here, you're passing through the heart of an industry that fed the state for centuries: milling. Forget modern factories for a second. Imagine early Texas settlers pounding corn…

  • German, James Lafayette · 3.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Grayson County, near Kentucky Town, where James Lafayette German made his mark. After fighting in the Civil War and getting wounded at the Battle of Pea Ridge, German moved here in 1867. He joined…

  • Messick, Otis M. · 3.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Grayson County, Texas, where a man named Otis Messick practiced medicine before the Civil War. When war broke out, he joined the Eleventh Texas Cavalry, rising through the ranks. His promotions…

  • Ambrose, TX · 3.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Ambrose is on Farm Road 1897 six miles southeast of Denison in the far northeastern corner of Grayson County. It is near the site of Old Warren, which is just across the Fannin county line. Ambrose was named after…

  • Elmont, TX · 3.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Elmont is at the intersection of Farm roads 121 and 3356, some fourteen miles south of Sherman in extreme south central Grayson County. Settlers arrived in the late 1840s and called the site Cross Roads, since it was at…

  • First Texas Interurban · 4.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Grayson County, where Texas's first electric railway, the Interurban, once connected Sherman and Denison. Founded in 1900, the Denison and Sherman Railway began service in 1901, a 10.5-mile line…

  • Two Months on Patrol in Grayson County · 4.9 mi

    This part of U.S. Highway Eighty Two carries the name of Deputy Chad Key of the Grayson County Sheriff's Office. Chad Key spent three and a half years as a corrections officer with the sheriff's office before he became…

  • Dickson, James Nelson · 5.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, home of James Nelson Dickson. He started in county government in 1914 as a deputy tax assessor. After a courthouse fire in 1930, he helped replace destroyed records. Dickson then served…

  • Luella, TX · 5.7 mi

    Luella's history is a tale of growth and decline, shaped by the railroad. Established in the 1880s, the community thrived when the St. Louis Southwestern Railway reached the area in 1888. Businessman J.L. Hughes built a…

  • Sherman · 5.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Sherman, a town named for a hero of the Battle of San Jacinto, Sidney Sherman. When Grayson County was formed in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1846</say-as>, commissioners scouted for a…

  • Perrin Air Force Base · 6.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're cruising past the former Perrin Air Force Base, a vital training ground that sprang to life right before America entered World War II. Plans started in early 1941, and by December 16th, the first flight students…

  • The Civilian Conservation Corps at Loy Park · 6.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Denison, and right here is a testament to the New Deal era. Back in 1933, Grayson County needed a place to play, and the federal government said, 'We'll help.' They brought in the Civilian…

  • Bass Home · 6.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Bass Home, the oldest house still standing in Denison. It was built in the 1850s by Dr. R. L. Bullock, and when it was constructed, it boasted the very first window glass in all of…

  • Davis-Ansley Log Cabin Home · 6.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Denison, and just off the road, you might see a piece of Texas history: the Davis-Ansley Log Cabin. About 1840, blacksmith Micajah Davis, a founder of Grayson County, built this home from…

  • Fitzgerald Home · 6.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Fitzgerald Home, a testament to post-Civil War resilience. George S. Fitzgerald and his family packed up from Virginia and headed for Texas way back in 1857. He scouted timber on his land in…

  • Cold Springs Log Cabin School · 6.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Cold Springs Log Cabin School. Built around 1855 by pioneers waiting for land grants, this one-room schoolhouse was led by William L. Holder. His son later lived here before the cabin…

  • Hendricks, Jesse Elvis · 6.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Grayson County, and just off the road, you might have seen it – a log home built by Jesse Elvis Hendricks. He arrived in this area way back in 1846, a native of Missouri. Hendricks built this very…

  • The Highest Point, First Called Summit · 7.2 mi

    The location of Howe isn't an accident of history — it's the answer to an engineering problem. When the Houston and Texas Central pushed its line north through Grayson County in 1873, steam locomotives were powerful but…

  • The Town's Unbroken Voice · 7.2 mi

    In an age when local newspapers are vanishing, Howe has kept one - though not without a gap. The town's first paper was the Howe Herald, put out by the Hall brothers in the early 1900s at a dollar a year. There was a…

  • Howe, TX · 7.2 mi

    Howe's location was influenced by the extension of the Houston and Texas Central Railway through the area in 1873. Jabez Haning, one of the first settlers, persuaded the railroad to establish a depot on his land by…

  • Sand Springs · 7.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past what was once known as Sand Springs, a vital watering hole on the old pioneer trails. As early as 1840, travelers and prospectors knew this spot, where water bubbled up at the foot of a rocky bluff.…

  • Cedar Community · 7.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Cedar Community, settled way back in 1848 by pioneers carving a life out of the Texas wilderness. Life on the frontier was tough, and the need for a cemetery arose almost immediately.…

  • Munson, Thomas V. · 8.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Denison home of Thomas V. Munson, a world-famed scientist who literally saved France's wine industry. Born in Illinois and educated in Kentucky, Munson settled in Denison in 1876. He developed…

  • Denison, TX · 8.3 mi

    For a town its size, Denison has an outsized claim to fame. Its most famous son is Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President and Supreme Allied Commander in World War II. Ike was born here in 1890 in a small house by the…

  • The President Born by the Tracks · 8.3 mi

    Just a few blocks from downtown Denison, you can find a small, simple, two-story white house. It may not look like much, but it's the birthplace of a giant of the 20th century: Dwight D. Eisenhower. On October 14, 1890,…

  • The Denison Man Who Saved French Wine · 8.3 mi

    Here in Denison, a local horticulturist named Thomas Volney Munson performed a miracle for the world of wine. In the late eighteen hundreds, an aphid called phylloxera was devastating the vineyards of France,…

  • The Red River Bridge War · 8.3 mi

    Imagine the governors of Texas and Oklahoma facing off with armed troops over a bridge. It really happened, right here at the Red River in 1931. A new, free bridge was built connecting Denison to Durant, Oklahoma,…

  • Taming the Red River: The Denison Dam · 8.3 mi

    Just northwest of Denison stands one of the great engineering feats of the 20th century: the Denison Dam. For decades, the Red River was a menace, prone to catastrophic floods that wiped out farms and bridges. To…

  • The Hero of the Hudson's Hometown · 8.3 mi

    On January 15, 2009, the world watched as Captain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger masterfully landed a crippled airliner on the Hudson River, saving all 155 people on board. That hero's story began right here in Denison.…

  • Mayes House · 8.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Mayes House in Denison, a home designed by architect Donald Mayes himself. He lived here with his wife, Rose Marie, from the time they married in 1940 until his death in 1966. Mayes left his mark…

  • Dorchester School · 8.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past where the Dorchester School once stood, a vital hub for this North Texas community. Founded around 1907 by consolidating two smaller schools, it grew into a two-story brick building by 1915. Its…

  • Antioch Baptist Church · 8.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Antioch Baptist Church, formally organized in 1861. The congregation first worshiped south of here, later moving to share this Pink Hill community site with a school. The church became…

  • Howe Lodge No. 430, A. F. & A. M. · 8.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Howe Lodge No. 430, chartered way back in 1875. It started in Farmington but moved here to Howe in 1887 when the railroad bypassed the old town. The lodge grew over the years, even…

  • Howe, TX · 8.8 mi

    Howe, Texas, has a rich history that dates back to the Texas Revolution in 1836 when the first settlers arrived. The town was named after F. M. Howe, who worked for the Houston and Texas Central Railway, which extended…

  • Eisenhower Birthplace · 8.8 mi · Historical Marker

    On October 14, 1890, Dwight David Eisenhower was born in this small two-story frame house near the railroad tracks in Denison, Texas. His father, David, worked at a cotton gin across the street. The family was poor.…

  • Eisenhower, Dwight D. · 8.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the birthplace of Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States. Born right here in Denison on October 14th, 1890, Ike went on to lead the Allied forces in Europe during World War II,…

  • Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site · 8.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb

    Pull over here for a moment – this unassuming house is where a future President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, was born! On October 14th, 1890, Dwight David Eisenhower was born in this very house in…

  • Mame Roberts (Aug. 19, 1883-Dec. 24, 1976) · 8.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Howe, Texas, where a local woman named Mame Roberts almost single-handedly made Texas towns prettier. Born in 1883, Mame was largely self-taught. After a brief stint as a substitute teacher, she…

  • Howe, TX · 8.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Howe, Texas, a town that got its start as a railroad stop called Summit. It was named Summit because folks thought it was the highest point between the Red River and the Gulf of Mexico. That was…

  • First Christian Church of Howe · 8.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Howe, a town established around 1872, named for railroad official F.M. Howe. That same year, residents organized the First Christian Church. The congregation purchased this site in 1893 and built…

  • Forest Park · 9.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Denison, and right here is Forest Park, a place that's seen more than just picnics. In 1922, this park became the site of Camp Ellis, a tent city housing the Texas National Guard during a major…

  • Waples Memorial United Methodist Church · 9.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Waples Memorial United Methodist Church in Denison. Organized in 1873, it was the first Methodist congregation in town. The church was later named for E.B. and Mrs. Waples, who helped…

  • Preston Road/Shawnee Trail · 9.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Preston Road/Shawnee Trail. In 1840, authorized by an 1838 act of the Congress of the Republic of Texas, Col. W. G. Cooke and the Texas First Infantry Regiment laid out a military road from Austin…

  • Washburn Cemetery · 9.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Washburn Cemetery near Bells. A portion of land on the south edge of the Washburn survey was set aside for burials as settlers moved into the area. The oldest marked grave is infant Mary Gentry from…

  • Lone Star Masonic Lodge No. 403, A. F. & A. M. · 9.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Lone Star Masonic Lodge No. 403, A. F. & A. M.. Organized a year after Denison was founded, Lone Star Masonic Lodge was chartered June 6, 1874. Meetings were held in several locations before the…

  • Eisenhower, Dwight David · 9.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Denison, Texas, the birthplace of a man who would become one of America's most famous military leaders and presidents. Dwight D. Eisenhower was born right here on October 14, 1890. Though his…

  • Griggs, Allen R. · 9.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, and right here is where a remarkable man, Allen R. Griggs, made his mark. Born a slave in Georgia around 1850, he was brought to Texas as a child. Griggs didn't just become a Baptist…

  • Munson, William Benjamin, Sr. · 9.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, and right here is Denison, a town born from a bold gamble. William Benjamin Munson arrived in Texas in 1871, a surveyor and lawyer looking for opportunity. When Sherman residents…

  • Red River Bridge Controversy · 9.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving near Denison, Texas, where in July of 1931, a brand new, free bridge over the Red River sparked a bizarre interstate standoff. A private company, operating an old toll bridge, sued to stop the opening,…

  • Denison, TX · 9.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Denison, Texas, a town that exploded into existence thanks to the railroad. Laid out in 1872 for the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad, the Katy, Denison was named for the railroad's vice…

  • From No Businesses to Nearly a Thousand · 9.2 mi

    The very existence of Southmayd is a story of nineteenth-century railroad building, but it starts with a landowner, not a locomotive. When the Texas and Pacific Railway laid its line across central Grayson County, the…

  • Acheson, Alexander W. · 9.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Denison, Texas, a town that owes much of its development to a Civil War hero. Alexander Acheson, then a Union Army captain, was the first officer to lead his men over captured Confederate…

  • Acheson, Sarah C. · 9.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Denison, Texas, where Sarah Acheson made her mark as a pioneering suffragist and temperance reformer. <break time="400ms"/> Born in Pennsylvania in 1844, she moved to Denison in 1872. <break…

  • Eisenhower State Park · 9.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Grayson County, not far from Denison, the birthplace of a national hero. Back in 1947, the Texas legislature voted to honor World War II hero Dwight D. Eisenhower with a state park. It took a few…

  • Ervin, Booker T., Jr. · 9.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Denison, Texas, the birthplace of Booker T. Ervin, Jr., a jazz tenor saxophonist whose sound would echo across the globe. Born in 1930, Ervin's musical journey began with his father's trombone and…

  • Lake Texoma · 9.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving near Lake Texoma, a massive playground on the Red River, straddling the Texas-Oklahoma border. Right here, Denison Dam was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a colossal earth embankment stretching…

  • Lease, Mary Elizabeth Clyens · 9.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Denison right now, and you're passing through a place that helped launch the career of one of America's most fiery orators. Mary Elizabeth Lease arrived here in 1874 with her family, after losing…

  • Mooar, John Wesley · 9.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, and right here, you're passing through a piece of the legendary buffalo hide trade. John Wesley Mooar, a businessman from New York, realized big profits could be made selling buffalo…

  • Simmons, Marshall Lee · 9.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Grayson County, right near Denison. Back in the early 1900s, this area was known for widespread lawlessness, bootlegging, and general trouble. In 1912, the community pleaded with Marshall Lee…

  • Pottsboro · 9.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Pottsboro, a town that owes its very existence to the railroad. Before the late 1870s, this was Caddo and Wichita Indian land, then home to early Anglo settlers like James G. Thompson. His…

  • W. B. and Ella Munson Home · 9.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past W. B. and Ella Munson Home. William Benjamin Munson (1846-1930) was born in Fulton County, Illinois. He was the first graduate of Kentucky&#x2019;s Agricultural and Mechanical College (later,…

  • Cameron, William · 9.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Texas, perhaps near Denison or Waco, and you're passing through the legacy of William Cameron. Born in Scotland in 1834, Cameron came to the US and eventually found his fortune in Texas lumber. In…

  • Randell, Choice Boswell · 9.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Denison, Texas, a town that owes much of its early development to the efforts of Choice Boswell Randell. Arriving here in 1879, Randell quickly became a prominent figure. He served as Denison's…

  • Van Katwijk, Viola Edna Beck · 9.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, and right here in Denison, Viola Beck was born in 1894. She became a renowned pianist, composer, and educator. Viola studied piano with none other than Percy Grainger and even made…

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