History

Conroe is located in Montgomery County, Texas. It is the county seat and has played a significant role in the development of the region since its founding. The city got its start in 1881 when a former union cavalryman turned lumberman, Isaac Conroe, started a sawmill on Stewart’s Creek. The sawmill was close to the International-Great Railroad’s Houston Crocket Line. This allowed for a small tram to connect the mill and the railroad, which provided a market for the lumber. A few years later, several other rail lines extended into the community creating a junction of all the major rail lines that ran through the region. Since this was the only junction in the county, Conroe began to grow.

By the end of the 19 th century the community had established itself as a shipping center for lumber, cattle, cotton, and bricks. It had grown to have five steam-powered sawmills, multiple brickyards, a few hotels, a few general stores, a cotton gin, and a gristmill. The population had more than quadrupled in just a ten-year period.

In 1904 the community was officially incorporated. By then it had established itself as Montgomery County’s largest community. The agricultural and lumber industries continued to fuel massive growth in the city. By 1913, one of the largest sawmilling operations in the entire south was running just south of the city by the Delta Land and Timber Company.

Like many other places in the country, the Great Depression significantly hurt the lumber industry, which in turn caused economic hardships on the city’s inhabitants. Luckily for Conroe, George W. Strake found oil on his property just south of town. This fueled an oil boom in the region. Over the next 2 years the population had quadrupled again and for a short time the city claimed more millionaires per capita than any other community in the entire country.

Today

The population of the city today is about 64,000 people. Once Interstate 45 connected the community to Houston, many Houstonians were able to move to the community as a way of living in suburbia. This fueled massive population growth in the 1970s and 80s. Today the community is a thriving part of the Houston-The Woodlands- Sugarland Metropolitan area.

Things to do

Nature is a huge part of Southeastern Texas and in the area of the city there are several spots to get out in it. W.G. Jones State Park is a located just to the south of the city and is a great place to take a nature hike and get outdoors. In addition to that, Lake Conroe is just a short drive to the northwest and is a popular destination for anglers, bird watchers, and boaters. There are also several other parks in the city including Candy Cane Park, Carl Barton Jr. Park, Kasmiersky Park, and Harpers Landing Park. There are also a few interesting historical spots to visit in the region. The most well known are the Heritage Museum of Montgomery County and the Lone Star Monument and Historic Flag Park.