Lake Texoma

Completed 1944, Texoma is today the second largest lake in Texas and the eleventh largest reservoir in capacity in the United States. Its main purposes are flood control, power generation, and recreation. Lake Texoma was promoted largely through the efforts of Sam Rayburn (1882-1961), noted speaker of the house who represented District 4 in Congress for 49 years. In normal operation, lake shoreline covers 550 miles, with the Red River arm (45 miles) in Texas and the Washita arm (30 miles) in Oklahoma covering 93,080 acres. The waters are impounded by Denison Dam. When Texoma was created, it caused the relocation of railroads, highways, utilities, and cemeteries. The site of Preston, historically the Red River crossing for the Butterfield Stage, was submerged, as were the sites of Hagerman and part of Cedar Mills, Texas. In 1966 numerous recreation areas on Texoma drew 8,500,000 tourists, who could also visit Eisenhower State Park at the southeast end of the lake. The park was named in honor of Dwight D. Eisenhower, the thirty-fourth president of the United States. Texoma is one of more than 200 major inland lakes and reservoirs in Texas which contribute greatly to the economic and industrial growth of the state.

Lake Texoma is a historical marker in Denison, Grayson County, dedicated in 1967. It is one of 144 historical markers documented in Grayson County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 174 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 33.8162, -96.5726 near Denison. The nearest cataloged historic site is Brown child (cemetery), about 2.4 miles away. Others within a short drive include Coffman Cemetery, Miller, J.K., and Miller's Spring.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5181007393. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.