Conroe
Conroe, Montgomery County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Established in the forest in 1881 as Isaac Conroe's sawmill, 2-1/2 mi. east of present site, at juncture of two railroads, first named Conroe's Switch; then Conroe's; in 1890, Conroe. Lumbering brought prosperity. Chosen county seat in 1889. The country was still so wild, a deer was shot on the Square during Courthouse construction. Incorporated, 1904. Continued to grow in spite of several epidemics, two disastrous fires. The 1931 Strake Oil discovery turned it into a boom town. Now an industrial, forestry and petroleum center. Incise in base: Montgomery County Historical Survey Committee, 1966
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Conroe began in 1881 as Isaac Conroe's sawmill in the East Texas pine forest, at a spot where two railroads met and where the town was first known simply as Conroe's Switch. Lumbering brought early prosperity, and the settlement — still wild enough that a deer was once shot on the courthouse square — became county seat in 1889 and incorporated in 1904. The 1931 Strake oil discovery transformed the timber town into a booming petroleum center.
Why it matters
Conroe's arc from sawmill to oil boomtown compresses the twin engines of Texas growth — lumber and petroleum — into a single community's history.
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Related people
- · Isaac Conroe
Related events
- · Strake oil discovery
Themes & tags
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