Montgomery County, Texas

Montgomery County is on Interstate 45 forty miles north of downtown Houston in the East Texas Timberlands Region. The county is bounded on the north by Walker and San Jacinto counties, on the east by Liberty County, on the south by Harris County, and on the west by Waller and Grimes counties.

Cities, Towns & Communities

History

In December, 1837 the Republic of Texas Congress established Montgomery County, which was named for its largest settlement. The new county was carved from Washington County, and its borders originally extended from the Brazos River on the west to the Trinity on the east, and from the Old San Antonio Road on north to the San Jacinto River on the south, an area which included future Grimes, Walker, San Jacinto, Madison, and Waller counties. The county’s present boundaries were established after the establishment of Waller County in 1870. The town of Montgomery, situated on the stagecoach line that ran from Huntsville to Houston, was made the first county seat and became the focal point for new immigrants to the area. The first courthouse, a two-room log structure built in 1838, was replaced in 1842 by a two-story building of hand-hewn lumber, and in 1855 a large Greek Revival-style brick courthouse was completed. The population grew quickly during the 1840s and 1850s, as large numbers of settlers, lured by the abundant land, moved to the area. In 1850 the population was 2,384, and by 1860 it reached 5,479.

County Histories

A History of Montgomery County, Texas, by William H. Gandy.

The Choir Invisible: An Early History of Montgomery County, by the Montgomery Historical Society.

The History of Montgomery County, 1975, by Robin Navarro Montgomery.

Montgomery County History, 1981, by the Montgomery County Genealogical Society.

Courthouses

Montgomery county has had three county seats: Montgomery, 1837-1874, Willis, 1874-1880, Montgomery 1880-1889, Conroe, 1889-present.

The first Montgomery County Courthouse, built in Montgomery in 1838 was a two-room log structure. It was replaced in 1842 with a two-story building made of hand-hewn lumber. In 1855 a large Greek Revival style brick courthouse was built in Montgomery.

After Conroe became the county seat, a Greek Revival style courthouse designed by Eugene T. Heiner was built in 1891. In 1936, the current courthouse, a modern style stone building opened. The courthouse was extensively remodeled in 1965.

Location

Conroe, TX 30° 18′ 42.7572″ N, 95° 27′ 21.7836″ W

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