Denson Springs, Texas

Denson Springs is an unincorporated community in Anderson County, in the U.S. state of Texas.^[1] According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had a population of 100 in 2000. It is a part of the Palestine, Texas micropolitan area.

Denson Springs
Unincorporated community
Denson Springs Show map of Texas Denson Springs Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 31°37′45.2″N 95°22′26.8″W
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Anderson
Settled	1835
Founded	1878
Population  (2000)[1]
• Total	100
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	75844
Area codes	903 & 430

History

This area, originally called Ioni after a nearby native village, was granted to James Bradshaw in 1835. Upon his death in 1844, it was inherited by his brother, William Bradshaw, whose family arrived in 1849. In 1878, the growing community was renamed after William's daughter, Nancy Anne Denson, widow of William Denson.^[2][3]

The community had a post office from 1893 to 1918. It has a population of 100 in 2000.^[1]

Geography

Denson Springs is located next to Dream Lake along Texas State Highway 294, 18 mi (29 km) southeast of Palestine in the southeastern portion of Anderson County.^[1]

Education

The community's first school, called Grayson School, was located on the "old Grayson place".^{[note 1]} It was one of the largest schools in Anderson County before the American Civil War,^{[note 2]} and the schoolhouse was also used as a Baptist church. It moved into Denson Springs in 1887^{[note 3]} and remained until well after 1936. In 1934, it had two teachers and 46 students. In 1955, the community's school was joined up with the Slocum Independent School District.^[1]

Notes

1. Dr. and Mrs. Grayson were murdered in 1878 at their home, for shielding some African Americans in their employ from "kukluxers".^[4][5]
2. Dr. Grayson moved to Anderson in 1866, and acquired the land with the schoolhouse in 1867, so it was not called Grayson School until after the Civil War. Previously it was on William Bradshaw's land in the district called Ioni.
3. The county history reports the school moved in 1878 on petition of L. C. Watkins on page 81, but reports the school moved in 1887 on page 144. As L. C. Watkins moved to Elkhart in 1882, the 1878 date seems more likely. 1878 is also the year Dr. and Mrs. Grayson were murdered across the street from the schoolhouse and their property became tied up in probate court.^[6]