[5] The original land claims of John Noblet and Alexander Hogue form what is now the older section of Denham Springs, including the first residential and business districts.
[4] A popular belief, supported by previously published histories, is that William Denham discovered the mineral springs on his property and that a health resort quickly grew up there.
This belief defies logic, however, considering the number of springs which may be found in this area even today, and the length of time that elapsed before Denham arrived.
Following the Civil War, Covas, the New Orleans businessman, lost possession of the Hogue-Denham tract when George L. Minton bought it for delinquent taxes of $124.00.
[4][5] According to the 1882 act of sale, the land was bounded "east by Chambers, south by Noblet, west by the Amite River, north by Allen, and known as the Denham Springs tract."
Conveyance records at the parish courthouse show that he then began subdividing the tract and selling the lots for residences and businesses.
By this time, the large Noblet holdings were also being subdivided and sold to newcomers, and the village that became Denham Springs began to grow.
[4][5] In October, 1879 John Sullivan made an application for the establishment of a post office north of the present city limits.
The Collegiate Institute was located on the site of the present Presbyterian Church, on property sold to the private school by George L. Minton.
The four-year institution was financed by tuition paid by students from Denham Springs and neighboring communities, and the board of directors was able to attract teachers from as far away as Virginia.
Ivy Cockerham and J.B. Easterly built hotels in the area near the present public park on Tabernacle Street, and there were some who believed the springs to be beneficial to the sick.
Lethar Frazar, standing in for the Kingfish's brother Earl, proclaimed Denham Springs to be a city on September 5, 1957.
[4][5] Several factors influenced the growth of Denham Springs after 1900, notably the construction of the railroad line, the growth of Baton Rouge as an industrial center, and the corresponding improvement of roads which made Denham Springs a desirable place for Baton Rouge workers to live.
The railroad prompted the gradual movement of businesses toward the present Range Avenue area, and later made Denham Springs the shipping hub of a large truck crop region.
Denham Springs almost missed being included on the route, however, as the Baton Rouge, Hammond and Eastern Railroad Co., which was later purchased by the IC, at one time considered bypassing the village, perhaps to force some concessions on the local residents' part.
Denham Springs is also located on the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad, a line which played a large role in the city's early development.
Denham Springs is located in the Florida Parishes of the U. S. state of Louisiana, and within the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area.
The city experiences moderate to heavy rainfall and is at risk of severe thunderstorms and high winds year around.