So…why are we telling readers about a local museum down the road in a county outside our readership area? Read on, and you will learn the ties to our communities and to our state’s history that make this collection a Texas Treasure.
A strange procession made its way through Conroe during the fall of 1985. The Grogan-Cochran House, built in 1924 with timber milled at the local Grogan-Cochran Lumber Company, was separated into two halves so it could be moved from downtown Conroe to its current location adjacent to I-45. It became the main building of the Heritage Museum of Montgomery County, which opened in May of 1986.
It is a state treasure hidden in plain sight. The museum, located adjacent to Candy Cane Park, regularly hosts visitors from throughout the nation—and the world. These travelers often congratulate the museum staff on the interesting displays of local historical artifacts.
On August 23, 2015, the museum gained another structure: the Strake-Gray Oilfield House, which was originally located in the Conroe Oilfield near Duffy Road and FM 1314. The prefabricated structure is believed to have been ordered from the Sears and Roebuck Catalog, delivered by train and constructed on site in 1938 to be the home of the oilfield superintendent. (A minuscule oilfield bunkhouse is adjacent to the Strake-Gray Oilfield House and is one of the museum’s outdoor exhibits.) Sarah Bess Gray Crow, the daughter of Clyde “Dolly” Gray, who was the second oilfield superintendent and the coach of the company baseball team, grew up in the house. She donated the building to display artifacts documenting the history of the Conroe Oilfield and the people who lived there.
These two historic structures, however, are a fraction of the story. Once inside, museum visitors can view hundreds of photographs, documents and memorabilia that paint an accurate picture of the Republic of Texas, early statehood, and the Montgomery County of yesteryear.
One of the first displays visitors encounter pays tribute to noteworthy people who have ties to Montgomery County. Students who tour the museum often recognize the names of Isaac Conroe, Peter Willis, and Margaret Montgomery (who married Owen Shannon). Nearby, an exhibit displays memorabilia donated by Pat Spackey, a descendant of Dr. Charles Stewart, the Montgomery County resident who designed the Texas flag.
An adjacent room contains a mock-up of a general store, as well as a reproduction of the inside of a log cabin. All of the artifacts (such as farm implements, vintage clothing and cooking utensils) were donated by residents of Montgomery County.
Nearby, several rotating displays ensure the museum always has items of interest to repeat visitors.
Children are often fascinated by the museum’s collection of vintage telephones; most have no idea how to dial a phone with an actual circular dial, says Dr. Mike Hall, a retired history teacher and professor who lends his expertise to visitors on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Some of the telephones in the collection are from an earlier era, such as the one that was originally in the lobby of the Conroe Hotel. (There were no phones in rooms, so guests had to go to the hotel lobby to use the phone.) The museum also displays the switchboard that was once used in the nearby Madeley Building to connect residents’ calls.
In addition, the Heritage Museum is the home of the Mark Clapham Art Collection, which includes the paintings, drawings and sculptures of the well-known local artist. “
Outside, there are a variety of exhibits, including sawmill equipment, a 1904 printing press, and a 1930s fire extinguisher that was used in the Conroe Oilfield. Perhaps the most visible is the neon Pegasus that was originally atop the Mobil service station in downtown Conroe.
More than a museum
Dr. Suann Hereford was born in Conroe to parents who were also born in Conroe. When she retired in 2021 after 30 years as a counselor/professor at Lone Star College – Kingwood, she was hand-picked to fill the vacant position of the museum’s executive director. “I hit the ground running,” Suann says. One of the first things she did was to create the museum’s Intimate Gathering Series and host the first of many presentations. Held at the Strake-Gray Oilfield House, these events allow visitors to learn about a variety of topics in a casual environment. Past programs include presentations by local sculptor Craig Campobella, the Moorhead Blueberry Farm, and ghost tour guide Leah Lamp. Intimate gatherings usually include about 35 people. They are offered at no charge, but reservations are required.
Sometimes, larger gatherings are held at the Owen Theater, such as presentations by two noteworthy Conroe High School graduates: Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annette Gordon-Reed and Col. James Ray, who was held for nearly seven years in North Vietnam as a prisoner of war.
The museum also hosts Saturday Pioneer Events for children and families. Recent programs include lessons in basket-making and beekeeping, and presentations by Texas Snakes and More Company. “We also do targeted programs for home school groups, special needs groups, and senior citizens who live in assisted living and retirement communities,” Suann says.
A friendly place
When visitors arrive at the museum, they are greeted by Suann, Mike, or one of the other friendly members of the staff (Doug Collings, the assistant to the director; or Dr. Blake Spencer) and are directed to the guest register. Thanks to this record-keeping, the staff knows that during the past year, the museum hosted 20 international visitors from countries including Canada, South Africa, England, and Spain, as well as 236 visitors from states other than Texas. Not to be outdone, 615 Texans from counties other than Montgomery County visited the museum. Furthermore, the museum hosted 1,223 visitors who live in Montgomery County; another 1,766 attended organized tours and programs.
Many visitors, especially those who live in the area, are so impressed with the Heritage Museum that they become Friends of the Museum through donations both large and small. “Donations make up one-third of our annual budget,” Suann explains, and helps the museum continue its mission of promoting “the rich historical and cultural heritage of the community.”
The Heritage Museum is open on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. For more information, visit heritagemuseum.us.
In the 1820s, the fourth and last colony of Stephen F. Austin was settled in our area of the state. When Texas won her independence in 1836, Montgomery County was named the third county in the Republic of Texas. It included all of what is today Walker and San Jacinto Counties—and parts of Grimes, Madison, and Waller Counties. When Texas joined the United States, they were asked to downsize the counties, resulting in the borders we see today.
The town of Montgomery was the geographic center of Austin’s fourth colony and was the original county seat. Three courthouses were built and occupied there from 1838-1889.
Dr. Charles Stewart, a medical doctor and pharmacist in Montgomery, had quite the resume: Soldier with the Army of the Republic of Texas; Interpreter between Sam Houston and Santa Anna at San Jacinto; Signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, and first Secretary of State of Texas. He also designed the Lone Star flag and the original Seal of the State of Texas.
George Strake persisted in a search for oil in Montgomery County after others performed tests and left. Many thought he was out of his mind. He discovered oil in 1931—and because of his persistent belief when others bailed, he controlled 50% of the producing acreage in the oil field. By 1956, with over 900 producing wells, the Conroe oil field was the third largest in the nation. Strake became one of the state’s wealthiest citizens, and he is known for donating land for one of the largest Boy Scout camps in the nation.
Richard W Grogan founded the Grogan-Cochran Lumber Empire with mills in Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas. In 1917, the Tamina Mill (The Woodlands) was built, and the Magnolia Mill was bought in 1927. Grogan came to control several other sites and industries in the county. In 1964, oil entrepreneur and philanthropist George Mitchell acquired about 50,000 acres from the stockholders and heirs of Grogan. He founded The Woodlands in 1974 as a master-planned community where the natural forested environment would be preserved, and residents could live, work, learn and play.
Make no mistake, growth followed the path of the railway. Montgomery and Old Waverly were not on railroad lines and declined. Willis, New Waverly, and New Caney were born by the rails and did well.
The first railroad was built in the early 1870s, originally with a north-south line to Houston. In 1889, an east-west line came through. With Conroe at the rail crossroads, it prospered more than any community, and the county seat was relocated there.
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