We Serve the Surrounding Communities of Cleveland, TX
Located 45 miles northeast of Houston, Cleveland, Texas, also sits right on the edge of the Sam Houston National Forest. The history of Cleveland is really pretty straightforward. Back in 1836, if you had served in the Army, the Texas General Land Office would give you a land grant for your service. In 1878 a Charles Cleveland, a local judge who had received a grant, deeded 63 acres to the railroad for one dollar.
The intent was to create a depot. He requested that the station bear his name. In 1900 a second railroad came to Cleveland creating a busy junction. It wasn’t long until sawmills were built and the lumber industry grew due to the eastern Texas forests. Both railroads provided excellent shipping. The town was finally incorporated in 1939 and still is a shipping center for lumber, sand and gravel. The city today has a population of over 8,000 residents and has a very pleasing setting. Surrounded by mixed pines and hardwood forest and next to both the East Fork and San Jacinto Rivers it has become a thriving economy. Cleveland will also find itself to be part of the Houston metroplex because it offers that appealing small town atmosphere. Being right next to one of the four national parks in the state, Sam Houston National Forest contains over 163,037 acres of recreation. This bolsters the tourism in Cleveland. There are hundreds of miles of hiking, two lakes for boating and fishing and fishing in the small streams and creeks, three campgrounds and equestrian and mountain biking trails. Cleveland can simply sneak up on you and surprise you.
The Woodlands, TX
Initially conceived as a planned bedroom community for the Houston market The Woodlands has since attracted corporations and corporate campuses. With a current population of over 115,000 it is located 30 miles northwest of Houston and 33 miles southwest of Cleveland. The initial concept was started by a George P. Mitchell who was an oil industry investor. He attended a seminar in Maryland on how to develop HUD financed towns. The concept came to fruition in 1974 with the Woodland Corporation which was an extension of the Mitchell Energy and Development Company. Originally the ground was a lumber mill and with the original plans from Maryland it has done nothing but grown. Recognized as one of the top master planned communities in the country it is hidden in the woods of central Texas. Now offering residents over 200 specialty stores at Hughes Landing and more shopping at the Woodlands mall. There is over 7,790 acres of green space with 205 miles of hiking and biking trails, a 200 acre lake and other recreational offerings. You will find over 21 million square feet of office, research, institutional and industrial space with over 63,000 employees. You could say that this conceived plan was very successful.
Conroe, TX
Very briefly during the 1930s this city boasted more millionaires than any other city in the United States. The city originated around a lumber mill back in 1881 and gained its financial success from the combination of the lumber industry and that of oil. Today it is home to over 83,000 residents and can be found about 40 miles north of Houston and 20 miles due west of Cleveland. As the county seat for Montgomery County it is also the birthplace of the Lone Star flag for the state. Having a terrific historic downtown Conroe attracts a lot of live music acts. There is the first Thursday free concert series at Heritage Place presenting a variety of bands. Then there is the Sounds of Texas Music Series on North Main Street. If you love the outdoors Conroe can be a utopia. Bordered by the 22,000 acre Sam Houston National Forest and the W. Goodrich Jones State Forest all kinds of adventure awaits you. You’ll find a vibrant night life with restaurants, pubs and microbreweries as well as a page full of family friendly venues such as a wolf sanctuary to roller skating to paintball to a blueberry farm. They’re all over the board for unique opportunities.
Atascocita, TX
Located 25 miles north of Houston and 30 miles south of Cleveland Atascocita was annexed by Houston in the 1960s and then de-annexed in the late 1970s. US News and World Report has named the community as one of the best places to retire, largely due the proximity of Lake Houston Immediately to the east. The 12,000 acre lake is a superb recreational center for boating and fishing. The more than 65,000 residents enjoy many parks, country clubs and golf courses and famous golf holes. It has been noted nationally as a high growth area in the last ten years which has now led to 15 established neighborhoods in the community. Much of Atascocita is a mature city with history dating back to the 1757 when a fort was built by the Spanish to prevent the French from trading with the Indians. Now you push the calendar all the way to 1951 when Lake Houston was created. Yes, a dam was built and the results are the man-made lake. Besides the multitude of recreational opportunities it also serves civic and irrigation purposes.
Spring, TX
When we talk about the sprawling community of Spring, Texas, we want to start with what is now called Old Town Spring, which was started back in the early 1800s. Both the Spanish and the French populated the town to trade with the local Akokisa Indians. It grew consistently into the early 1900s and had at one time five saloons and a gambling hall. The growth was due to the booming railroad business. The Great Depression saw the population decline until the oil boom into the 1970s when the return of merchants and business made the town what it is today. The fun fact to mention is the old bank building with bullet holes in the side. The rumor is they are from a Bonnie and Clyde robbery. With a population today of over 58,000 it covers a sprawling area about 24 miles north of Houston and 30 some miles southwest of Cleveland. A contemporary fun fact is that the Goodyear blimp the America was based in Spring from 1969 to 1992. The massive hanger was located off of Interstate 45 and when the airship took off or returned it was a major attraction for motorists. The blimp has moved to Akron, Ohio in 1992 and the hanger was torn down just two years ago.
Porter, TX
Porter, Texas, is an unincorporated community about 24 miles south of Cleveland and 26 miles north of Houston. With a current population of over 26,000 it has become associated with the suburban Houston orbit as of the late 1960s due to its proximity. It had its origination around cattle ranches, the railroad and a saw mill operated by James Porter. The post office opened in 1892 and they called the town Porters. The “s” was dropped in 1953 leaving us with Porter.
New Caney, TX
Established in 1862 by Austin and Sarah Presswood, it was originally named after them. Located along the Caney Creek the town received its first post office in 1882 and registered at that time as New Caney because a Caney already existed in Texas. Today you will find over 20,000 residents in this unincorporated community 30 miles northeast of Houston and 20 miles south of Cleveland. It is only a few miles west of the Lake Houston Wilderness Park.
Humble, TX
The first settler moved to the area in 1828. A ferry was built nearby to cross the San Jacinto River and the town was born. It was named after Pleasant Smith Humble who opened the first post office in his home. Around 1904 it became an oil boomtown and by 1905 it was the largest oil field in the state. The oil fields are still active today. Humble is home to over 16,000 residents and is 20 miles north of Houston and 27 miles south of Cleveland and many of those residents today are truck farming, dairy farming or are in the timber industry.
Huffman, TX
Located 30 miles north of Houston and 24 miles due south of Cleveland, Huffman is an unincorporated community that was named after its first settler in 1839, a David Huffman. The post office was established in 1888, two blacksmith shops were operating in 1892 and when the railroad came through several general stores opened. In 1953 Lake Houston was created directly to the west of Huffman creating a huge recreational area featuring boating, water skiing, fishing and sailing. Huffman is home to over 12,000 residents today found in many scattered subdivisions.
Liberty, TX
If you can’t make it to Philadelphia to see the Liberty Bell you can simply stop into Liberty, Texas, where you will find its twin. Sitting on the banks of the Trinity River it is the third oldest town in the state established in 1831, incorporated in 1837 and becoming the county seat. With a smaller population of less than 10,000 residents it is 32 miles southeast of Cleveland and 43 miles northeast of Houston. It was home to a German prisoner of war camp during World War II and today north of town you will find a very impressive destination, the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center. As a branch of the Texas State Archives it has over 43,000 volumes of historic documents.
Dayton, TX
Dayton, Texas, has a population of around 8,000 residents and is located roughly 37 miles northeast of Houston and about 26 miles southeast of Cleveland. Only three miles west of Liberty, on the opposing banks of the Trinity River, it was originally called West Liberty. When the train came through in 1860 it started to be called Dayton after a wealthy landowner, I.C. Day, who lived just south of town. The post office made it official in 1877. The city was incorporated in 1911, and then again in 1925. It grew in size basically on the backs of the oil and railroad industries.
Willis, TX
In 1891 if you wanted a Cuban cigar you only needed to travel to Willis, Texas to fulfill that desire. Local residents started growing Cuban tobacco turning little Willis into a cigar production hub. Today the community is quite diverse with its economy based on oil, agriculture, lumber and several small service and manufacturing industries. Located 27 miles due west of Cleveland and 50 miles due north of Houston the small city of less than 7,000 residents had its origination in the 1830s. In 1878 it went head to head with neighboring Montgomery to be the county seat. The case went to the Supreme Court and ruled for Montgomery. Two years later the dispute was for naught when the county seat was changed to Conroe.
Livingston, TX
Serving as the county seat of Polk County, Livingston, Texas, currently has a population of around 6,000 residents. The city can be found 25 miles northeast of Cleveland or drive right through Cleveland another 50 miles, or 75 total, to Houston. It became the county seat back in 1846 after being founded in 1835. Livingston has the huge Lake Livingston directly to the west which is a huge tourist attraction and an economic boost for the city. Also just outside of the city is a newly constructed maximum security prison with an annual payroll of close to 20 million. Along with health care, lumbering, ranching and gas and oil production round out a balanced economy for Livingston.