Heritage Museum of Montgomery County, Texas

Heritage Museum of Montgomery County, Texas Educating The Public About County History. Physical Location: 1506 I-45 North, in Candy Cane Park, Conroe. Open Wed-Sat 9-4; last tour 3:30. Great Gift Shop!

Mailing address: PO Box 2262, Conroe, TX 77305 No Entrance Fee, But We Depend on Donations

The Carson, Morris Company in 1898, chartered in West Virginia, sells to the Carson, Morris Company of Texas (A.M. Carso...
08/30/2026

The Carson, Morris Company in 1898, chartered in West Virginia, sells to the Carson, Morris Company of Texas (A.M. Carson, secretary; A.W. Morris, president) its sawmill in Willis for $15,000. The firm gradually becomes a wholesaler or commission lumber merchant in Willis.

Its large store was located on Danville Street where Francis Meador later operates his Humble Service Station (corner of Danville Street and FM 1097) (A.Wl Morris operated a small mill in Montgomery in 1885 before he moved his sawmill to Bowers in Polk County, Texas. He later sold his sawmill around 1895 and moved back to Montgomery County. His son A.W. Morris, Jr. later serves as the Conroe Bank cashier and a Montgomery County Judge.) - Larry Foerster Montgomery County, Texas Historical Timeline, Vol. 1 p136.

Our next two Special Events at the Museum!
08/29/2026

Our next two Special Events at the Museum!

New Caney was established in the 1860s by early settlers, including Austin and Sara Presswood, who named the town Pressw...
08/29/2026

New Caney was established in the 1860s by early settlers, including Austin and Sara Presswood, who named the town Presswood. The area was later renamed New Caney in 1892 when a post office was established, as the name “Caney” was already in use by another Texas town.

Captain John Robertson played a significant role in the early development of New Caney by building a grist mill and steam cotton gin along Caney Creek, which contributed to the town’s growth and economic development.

The Price Hotel, owned by Dr. James Howe Price and operated by his Scottish-born wife, Elizabeth Ann Morgan Price (later...
08/28/2026

The Price Hotel, owned by Dr. James Howe Price and operated by his Scottish-born wife, Elizabeth Ann Morgan Price (later known as the Rabon Hotel), serves as a host to Sam Houston and many travelers on the Houston-Hutsville stagecoach line. - Larry Foerster, Montgomery County, Texas Historical Timeline, Vol. 1 p68.

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In March of 1838, Isaac Decker was granted 177 acres of land by the Republic of Texas and issued to him by the Board of ...
08/27/2026

In March of 1838, Isaac Decker was granted 177 acres of land by the Republic of Texas and issued to him by the Board of Land Commissioners of Montgomery County. The settlement of "Decker Prairie" in southwest Montgomery County is named for Decker, an early settler and boot and shoe cobbler, located just north of Spring Creek inside today's county line. - Larry Foerster, Montgomery County, Texas Historical Timeline, Vol. 1, p38

Montgomery County Newspaper Publisher and Surveyor Wade, John Marshall (1815–1879), soldier, newspaperman, and surveyor,...
08/26/2026

Montgomery County Newspaper Publisher and Surveyor

Wade, John Marshall (1815–1879), soldier, newspaperman, and surveyor, was born in New York in 1815. While in the Creek Indian nation under circumstances that are not known, he met Sam Houston, who advised him to travel to Nacogdoches, Texas, where he arrived in October 1835.

Wade joined Thomas J. Rusk's company, bound for Bexar, but became ill on the way and was left at San Felipe. While recovering from his illness, he went to Montgomery, where he remained until after the Texas Declaration of Independence. On March 12, 1836, he joined Capt. Joseph L. Bennett's company, afterwards commanded by Capt. William Ward. Wade and four others were detailed to man the "Twin Sisters."

After the battle of San Jacinto, he rejoined Ware's company and was discharged on June 12, 1836. On July 4, 1836, he was elected captain of a company stationed at Victoria. A printer by profession, Wade worked on the Telegraph and Texas Register at Columbia and Houston. He was also deputy surveyor of Montgomery County. In 1845, he began publishing the Montgomery Patriot, which was afterwards moved to Huntsville. In 1850, he married Louisa Virginia Tinsley in Walker County. The couple had five children.

He returned to Montgomery County in 1854 and served again as deputy surveyor until after 1870, when he left office during the administration of Governor Edmund J. Davis. Wade died in Travis County on October 9, 1879, and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery.

Framed image AI-generated using original photo

“If baseball's mightiest names are playing on a heavenly field of dreams, Marvin "Tex" Williams of Conroe is slugging ou...
08/25/2026

“If baseball's mightiest names are playing on a heavenly field of dreams, Marvin "Tex" Williams of Conroe is slugging out some of the biggest hits.

Williams, who died Dec. 23, 2000 was a Negro League player during the 1940s whose impressive batting stats might earn him a multimillion-dollar contract in today's market.

His life touched the edge of American history when he, Jackie Robinson and Sam Jethroe were the first Negro League players asked to try out for an all-white major league team, the Boston Red Sox.

Somehow, Marvin Williams passed largely unnoticed in Conroe, where he and his wife Gloria lived quietly much of their life while raising two sons, Marvin Jr. and Billy.” - Houston Chronicle

Marvin Williams
Nickname: Tex
Career: 1943-1950
Position: 2b
Team: Philadelphia Stars
Born: February 12, 1920
Died: in Conroe, Texas, December 23, 2000 - Rosewood Cemetery

Baseball Career Highlights:
"Having the opportunity to play in the Negro Leagues, playing in the East-West All-Star game in 1944, leading the league in RBIs in 1952, and winning the batting title in 1952 and 1954."

Professional/Personal Accomplishments:
"After leaving the Negro Leagues, I tried out with the Boston Red Sox. I worked at Sears for 19 years and coached little league baseball for one year."

Awards, Honors, Titles, Championships,
Schools, Colleges:
• Texas League Batting Title "Most Valuable Player"

Source: NLBM Legacy 2000 Players' Reunion Alumni Book, Kansas City Missouri: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Inc., 2000.

AI-Generated baseball card using original photo

Willis, Texas, was named in honor of Peter J. and Richard S. Willis, who were prominent landowners and merchants in the ...
08/24/2026

Willis, Texas, was named in honor of Peter J. and Richard S. Willis, who were prominent landowners and merchants in the area. They donated a townsite to the Houston and Great Northern Railroad in 1870, which helped establish Willis as a prosperous community. The town's development was significantly influenced by their contributions, and it became a key shipping point for timber and agricultural products. - CountyGenWeb.com

Peter Willis: Early Life and Career
Peter James Willis Sr. (1821–1873) was a Maryland-born merchant who arrived in Texas in 1836, shortly before the fall of the Alamo. He and his brothers, William and Richard S. Willis, became successful merchants, first supplying wood for steamboats along Buffalo Bayou and later opening general merchandise stores in Washington-on-the-Brazos and Montgomery. Their enterprises laid the foundation for substantial economic growth and land development in Montgomery County.

Peter married Caroline Womack, and together they had six children. In 1854, they commissioned local builder John Shelton to construct an impressive family residence on College Street in Montgomery, named Magnolia after their daughter, Magnolia, who was born in the house on June 15, 1854

Photo of the Peter Willis Family

The Museum made the news! Call this week and make reservations to hear the former Texas State Poet Laureate. This coming...
08/24/2026

The Museum made the news! Call this week and make reservations to hear the former Texas State Poet Laureate. This coming Saturday at the Heritage Museum of Montgomery County at 1pm

John Elmore, born in 1887, came to Tamina, Tx as a young man. His older brother and sister purchased the family's first ...
08/23/2026

John Elmore, born in 1887, came to Tamina, Tx as a young man. His older brother and sister purchased the family's first land in Tamina. He served as the first black mail carrier in Montgomery County. He's also credited with naming Tamina's streets after early Tamina families. His parents, Wilson and Laura, had been enslaved in Alabama.

As the railroad was established, a hitching post developed along the railroad, and a mail sack was hung at the hitching post. Elmore then distributed the mail among the Tamina residents.

Elmore lived quite a remarkable life. He traveled the country as a younger man, returned to Tamina and opened a store, and later in life, traveled to Africa and brought back young men to study at Prairie View A&M since he was never able to complete his own schooling.

- BySondra Hernandez,[email protected],By Sondra HernandezAug 8, 2017

AI-Generated image using original photo of John Elmore

Address

1506 Interstate 45 North Feeder, TX (Inside Candy Cane Park) Mailing Address: PO Box 2262 Conroe Tx 77305)
Conroe, TX
77301

Opening Hours

Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

(936) 539-6873

Website

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