Late in 1933, Mittie J. Campbell was buried in the Conroe Community Cemetery on 10th Avenue, the tragic victim of a car accident; she was just 58.
Time and nature worked together to make everyone forget her. As the decades passed, the cemetery became overrun by thick vegetation; gravestones got knocked over and hidden – even the 2,000-pound stone that marked the plot of Mittie and her husband, Rev. Jessie Turner.
New generations of people drove by with no idea the dense patch of woods had once been the final resting place of over 350 men, women and children of Conroe.
In 2022, 89 years after Mittie was laid to rest, the magnificent Turner marker was restored to its original position by a team of volunteers in the Conroe Community Cemetery Research Project (CCCRP), a non-profit organization focused on restoring the cemetery, as well as locating and putting markers on every grave.
This past spring, 91 years after Mittie J. Campbell became a memory, the Conroe ISD School Board voted unanimously to name one of the district’s new elementary schools, scheduled to open in August 2025. Several prominent and praiseworthy individuals were considered, but the honor went to this woman who passed on so long ago.
Why Mittie?
During her abbreviated life, she quietly yet boldly broke barriers of race and sex, despite great personal challenges, becoming the first Black woman to serve as a principal in Conroe.
Early in 1898 and just two months after giving birth to her first child; she was teaching fellow teachers in a convocation of the Texas Colored Teacher’s Institute, about Texas history. Years later, just three weeks after her husband died the new widow was she was called on to teach other educators about instilling students with morals and a year later she demonstrated how to teach decimals to the intermediate grades.
In 1916, a year after her second marriage to Ebby Campbell, the manager of a wood yard, Mittie J. Campbell became the First Assistant in Conroe’s Black public school. The workload for Mittie and the other teachers was enormous: there were more Black students (459) than White (442), but there were 15 faculty overseeing the White students while there were only 5 faculty, including Mittie, for the Black students.
Mittie had her hands full there, functioning as the school’s only teacher of Grades 6, 7, and 8, all in Room 4. In that year there were 52 6th graders, 39 7th graders, and 52 8th graders – 143 students in the 12–14-year-old age group, but Mittie Campbell stalwartly filled the unenviable role, and her skills and excellent performance were being noted.
When the school’s male principal joined the Army, Mittie Campbell was promoted as the first female Black of the under-resourced, over-populated school. At the end of the school year, the Conroe Courier stated that there was much doubt about putting a woman in charge but, they reported, “she has made good” and the school had “its best session.”
At the end of 1918, a school building for Black students was completed and given the name, Mittie J. Campbell School, in honor of the woman who had worked tirelessly to educate Conroe’s youth, fellow teachers, and the community at large. There was still construction debt that the Black community was responsible to raise and Mittie Campbell was again praised for her leadership in fundraising efforts to pay the debt.
In 1927, the Conroe School Board decided that CISD schools needed to be renamed in honor of a Texas hero or a prominent Black person.
Thus, white schools were renamed the Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin, and the Mittie J. Campbell School became the Booker T. Washington. Mittie J. Campbell was no longer the principal and the school no longer bore her name, but her dedication and drive to teach carried on through the last years of her life, as she and the whole nation drove headlong into the Great Depression.
During the remaining years of her life she taught gardening, cooking, canning, sewing, and other survival skills to hundreds of impoverished Black families across East Texas as the nation fell headlong into the Great Depression.
Her love for mankind and education is most poignantly described in her own words: it was her way of “reaching the unreached.”
It is fine to name schools after famous people who seem to have moved mountains, but equally important to the history of Conroe and the nation are the names of those, like Conroe educator Mittie J. Campbell, whose every effort to “reach the unreached” and produce “worthy citizens” has shaken up and helped form the community in which we live today.
After an eight-month renovation and delays from Hurricane Beryl, Southern Star Brewing Company will reopen Saturday under new ownership.
The 16-year-old brewing company never stopped production of its beer, but its popular taproom has been closed since February for renovations. At noon Saturday, a new first-floor taproom and connected covered patio opens along with the brewery’s original taproom on the second floor.
“It’s been a long time coming and people are getting excited about it,” said Maggie Patterson, assistant general manager for Southern Star. “Drinking a beer out of a can is fine, but on tap, it’s a different experience and doing it in the place that makes it and being able to tour where it’s made is a pretty cool experience.”
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The history of Southern Star
Founded in 2008 in Conroe by brewmaster Dave Fougeron, the company was the first brewery in Texas to can craft beer. The first facility was on FM 3083 in Conroe.
A custom-built facility opened in 2016 on 13 acres in north Conroe. In addition to the brewing and manufacturing of craft beer, the venue also featured outdoor and indoor gathering spaces. A variety of community events took place there as well.
Earlier this year, the brewing company was bought by Walter and Susan Galdenzi who have a background in the hospitality industry. They come from outside Montgomery County but were previously patrons of Southern Star.
“They fell in love with it and wanted to do big things,” Patterson said.
The original taproom closed in February and the building has been under renovation since. The brewery employs around 25 people.
What’s new at the brewery
From the parking lot, visitors will first see a new covered patio and outdoor seating area attached to the front of the building.
Inside the front door to the right is a new indoor taproom with a stage and a bar with 16 craft beers on tap. To the left of the front door is a separate room where Southern Star merchandise will be sold.
The first-floor taproom and patio can accommodate up to 200 people.
The original taproom on the second floor is still in play with 12 craft beers on tap. The space still has a similar look but is a tad shorter in length because some offices were added. Approximately 100 people can fit upstairs.
Patterson sees the upstairs space as overflow seating for busy weekends and a potential spot for parties and private events.
The renovations also added a kitchen to the first-floor taproom and chef Misael Mejia was brought on board. The kitchen will be open in a few weeks and serve items that pair well with beer but with a homemade, from-scratch twist from chef Mejia’s background of Italian cooking.
Mejia has worked for fine dining restaurants and as a personal chef, and he was most recently cooking in South Carolina.
The new brewmaster is Henryk Orlik, who trained in the brewing process in Germany.
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What kind of beer does Southern Star brew?
As for beer, favorites like Bombshell Blonde, Strawberry Blonde and Southern Brunch remain and new beers will continue to be added.
Bombshell Hefeweizen was released earlier in the summer as was Bombshell Smash IPA. Patterson said for the first time, the brewery will feature a light lager. Buried Hatchet Stout was released earlier this year.
Southern Star’s newest beer, released in early August, is Conspiracy Theory. It’s a West Coast style IPA brewed with generous amounts of Simcoe and Amarillo hops.
The annual Oktoberfest is also available now. The German style festbier is amber-hued with a full malt aroma and a thick, creamy, foamy froth.
What to know about Southern Star’s grand opening
Southern Star’s grand opening party is from noon to 11 p.m. Saturday at 3525 N. Frazier Street in Conroe.
Admission is free and the first 15 guests get special Southern Star swag. The day will feature outdoor games, inflatables, shopping vendors, kids’ activities including a petting zoo, brewery tours, craft-brewed sodas and 12 craft beers on tap. There will be live music during the day and the group Dueling Pianos in the evening.
Recent dry weather has contributed to many issues that most homeowners are experiencing right now. Many factors contribute to putting lawns under undue stress. Ultimately drought, too much rain, improper fertilization or irrigation and maintenance practices can increase susceptibility. This week would be a great time to discuss how to handle several issues that shown up and doing damage to lawns. The two insects that tend to create quite a stir in the heat of the summer and into the fall are chinch bugs and tropical sod webworms.
The sod webworms are easy to spot for the most part. We have not heard of or have we seen infestations yet. However, it is always good to be on the lookout. As you walk through your lawn or mow, look for small moths (white/tan color & ½- ¾“long) flying up and out of the turfgrass. The moths lay their eggs in the grass which hatch every 7-10 days. The actual damage occurs from the larvae feeding on the leaf blades. The area will appear as it had been recently cut. Treatments should take place every 7-10 days to break the life cycle. Use products that contain one of the following active ingredients and follow the label. The product should contain carbaryl, bifenthrin or permethrin.
Another more natural alternative is Bt (bacillus thuringiensis). These products should be sprayed late in the afternoon so that the active ingredient is in good concentration when the worms feed during the night. Make sure to read the label on whatever product you choose and apply as directed by the label. Just keep an eye out for them just in case. It has been documented that they do not survive harsh winters. So hopefully our winter flurry took care of them for this year.
Another sight you will see is small dead spots that flare up around the yard. They dead patches will be irregular shapes and will appear almost overnight. The damaged areas will be in the hottest and driest locations. Next to the sidewalk or driveway or any location that is fully exposed to the sun. To check for chinch bugs, mix 1-2 tablespoons of liquid dishwashing detergent in 1 gallon of water. Pour the mixture over the marginally affected areas. Marginal is an understatement. It will be a clear divided line between dead and alive. Monitor for the bugs as they become irritated by the soapy mixture. The chinch bugs will come up to the surface.
Another option, if you do not want to do the soap trick, is to get down on your hands and knees and separate the grass blades in the areas adjacent to the dead spots. The grass should still be green in the areas that you inspect and yet still be close to the dead spots. You will see movement of the chinch bugs and they scurry around. Chinch bugs can be treated with carbaryl, bifenthrin or permethrin. Just make sure to read the labels of the products and apply them according to the instructions.
If you would rather leave the identifying to us, you can bring some samples into our office. In order to properly diagnose lawn issues, an adequate sample must be submitted. Include a square of turf from the margin of the affected area so that both healthy and distressed turf is included. The sample should be at a minimum of 6 inches x 6 inches and have a layer of soil on the root system. This will help us narrow down the problem and provide a good recommendation for treatment.
Turfgrass will still need the typical 1” per week watering through the summer. And with the recent heat and evaporation that is occurring, it is likely you may have to add an additional inch of water just to keep up. Just remember that deeper watering with less frequency promotes deeper roots and increases drought tolerance. Once temperatures cool down and lawn growth starts to slow down, reducing irrigation will help save water and reduce your water bill.
Don’t forget to send your garden questions to Plant Answers at 9020 Airport Rd., Conroe TX 77303 or e-mail: mpotter@ag.tamu.edu.
Texas has begun its harvest of vitis vinifera grapes. The harvest is happening along most of the northern hemisphere with each region experiencing slightly different results. The vineyards in Texas are harvesting at night when possible.
Here is what Heath Family Brands based in the Fredericksburg area has to say, “We have 25 acres of vineyards at Grape Creek and 11 different varietals, 35 acres at Invention Vineyards with 7 varietals and 8 acres at Kuhlman Estate with 5 varietals. All in the Texas Hill Country AVA. We have harvested the Albarino, Roussanne, Marsanne, Petite Sirah, Tannat, Malbec and Petit Verdot. This Summer brought a slightly earlier harvest this year. We are doing all night hand harvests at all our vineyards this year. This has the benefit of cool weather for the fruit and the pickers. The grapes go directly from the vine to the bins and to cold storage for an early morning crush. A slightly smaller harvest this year due to 2 hail events, but grapevines are resilient and quick to correct. We thin fruit for a variety reasons with improved quality in mind, we believe this year’s naturally reduced yields will be an exceptional crop.”
Becker Vineyards is down the road from Heath Family Brands in the Texas Hill Country. Their winemaker Jonathan “Jon” Leahy reported this to me about their harvest, ”Harvest has been fast and furious. There has been extremely good quality fruit. We’ve had quicker phenolic development this harvest. Normally it is slower because of hotter days but this summer we haven’t had as many days in the 100s. Evenings have been in the low 70s which has also bolstered the development. Unless a vineyard has experienced high winds or hail, fruit set has been excellent. It has been weird to have received white grapes from a grower and then two days later receive red grapes from the same grower. We don’t usually have whites and reds coming in so close together. The phenolic quality is similar to the 2017 and 2018 harvests. I’m excited!” Jon added, “This past week we harvested Reddy Vineyards Viognier and Tempranillo, Canada Family Vineyards’ Chardonnay, Lahey Vineyards’ Viognier, our Estate Grenache, Tallent Vineyards’ Cinsault and Tannat.”
Looking at the various grape varietals coming from the vineyards to the wineries, many of those varietals are unknowns to many wine lovers. Names like Alabarino, Roussanne, Marsanne, Tannat, Viognier, and Cinsault are not normally consumed by many wine lovers. However, after years of experimenting in the vineyards, these grapes varietals are wonderfully suited to be grown in Texas. Texas is establishing a reputation for now growing grapes that establish unique quality Texas wines. These wines will continue to bring Gold and Double Gold Medals to Texas wineries using quality Texas grapes!
Grape harvest is my favorite time to be at a winery. The incoming grapes bring an aroma that is heavenly. You can smell the bouquet of those grapes and taste the flavors that establish flavors in those wines. These flavors and bouquet are natural in the grapes with no flavors added, with the exception of barrel aging. Head to the Texas Hill County this weekend and enjoy the smells of those incoming grapes. It is perfume in the air!
Ron Saikowski may be reached at rsaikowski@comcast.net.
Blink Twice
Rated R for sexual assault, language throughout, drug use, some sexual references and strong violent contentRotten Tomatoes Score: 79%In Theaters
Making her directorial debut is Zoe Kravitz with this twisted thriller about a poor waitress (Naomi Ackie) who decides to follow a reclusive billionaire (Channing Tatum) to his private island home, where no cell phones are allowed and an eclectic group of men and women are along for the ride. Upon arriving, it seems like pure paradise with a beautiful locale, great food and wine, and even some seemingly harmless recreational drugs. But then clues start to surface that all is not right with the situation. I wasn’t quite sure what to think about this one from the trailer. It definitely looks like it might have a violent spin and that things might be a little messed up.
But I would have never guessed the reality of the story, which makes it very interesting and uncomfortable. I would say fun, but it is so disturbing that that would be a poor description of the events of this film. From the very beginning, the movie feels like a Jordan Peele adventure, where the movie isn’t actually about what the story is about. And there are many clues that this is the case. I can imagine a number of different explanations for the symbolism, and I really hope this is the best explanation. The cast here is solid, especially amongst the men, with Channing Tatum, Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Kyle McLachlan and Haley Joel Osment. The females are less well known, but Ackie is really good as the heroine on the hunt to figure things out and Geena Davis turns in a surprising performance as one of the billionaire’s assistants. I’m sure the plot twist will get out pretty quickly, and when it does, I wonder who the audience will be. It really doesn’t make for a good date movie and I don’t see a lot guys going to see it by themselves either, just for fear of looking and feeling creepy.
Just from its very nature, it might not have much of a box office, but then I can see it getting views once it hits streaming. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a good film. It’s just incredibly deranged and will make any viewer feel rather unbearable at moments. B
Danny Minton may be reached at danny@dannyminton.com.
A Montgomery Eagle Scout candidate is inviting Montgomery County area veterans to sign and leave inspirational messages inside a wheelchair-accessible mobile hunting blind he constructed.
The deer blind built by Cohen Rogers, 15, will be in the parking lot of military and veteran-themed restaurant Honor Cafe in downtown Conroe this week before it is donated to the organization Patriot Outfitters Aug. 26. It is scheduled to be there through Thursday to Friday.
Honor Cafe is at 103 N. Thompson Street.
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The project was coordinated by Montgomery High student Rogers and constructed by a team of roughly 15 fellow Boy Scouts, friends and family members. The completion of the project will put him one step closer to obtaining his Eagle Scout distinction.
The Eagle Scout Award is the highest honor available to youth members of the Boy Scouts of America, which will change its name to Scouting America in February. It recognizes a Scout’s many years of effort and successful completion of a long process that begins when they join the organization.
Rogers, a member of Troop 491, has been in Scouts since elementary school.
He enjoys hunting and the outdoors and wanted to bring the same experiences to disabled veterans across the state. His grandfather is a U.S. Air Force veteran.
“One day I was with my dad and we were in a hunting blind and I was really enjoying it. Out of nowhere my dad was talking about it would be a great opportunity if veterans could come out here and do this,” he said. “I was thinking about that and it seemed like a great idea to build a hunting blind that could go everywhere and not be on one tract.”
His dad, Tony, agreed, and his plan began to take shape.
The trailer portion was donated through Montgomery Trailers. On two work days July 20-21 the group constructed the blind from wood. Then another day was set aside for painting. A veteran in a wheelchair will be able to wheel into the hunting blind from a ramp.
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Rogers family friend and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Bobby Skinner connected with U.S. Marine Corps veteran Chris Sadler at Honor Cafe and the Sadler family agreed to host the trailer in the parking lot of their restaurant.
“I’ve never met someone who achieved their Eagle Scout that wasn’t a great person,” Sadler said. “The best thing about his project as a whole is seeing veterans come out of there with tears in their eyes after they were able to leave a message for a disabled veteran. Every one of them will ask me to thank him (Cohen) personally. His heart for veterans is so, so valuable to us.”
The trailer arrived last Tuesday. Passages include words of encouragement, scripture verses, service years and more. U.S. Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Conroe, signed it. Luttrell studied neuroscience at the University of Texas at Dallas after experiencing his own traumatic brain injury from a helicopter crash during a training operation.
Conroe mayor and U.S. Navy veteran Duke Coon also signed inside the blind.
“Veterans fought for our country and they should have something given to them because they’ve done something for us,” Rogers said. “They need to have something to let them enjoy life.”
The hunting blind will be presented to Patriot Outfitters representative Jay Fondren at Troop 491’s Aug. 26 meeting. Fondren served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and lost both his legs and had injuries to his right arm.
He also is an avid outdoorsman.
“They have only had stationary blinds so this will be their first mobile blind,” said Rogers’ mom, Wendy. “This will give them the opportunity to go to different tracts across the state. They are excited and we are too.”
Before campus renovations are complete at Conroe High School in late 2025, the Grady Spikes Memorial Tiger bronze statue on Texas 105 will be moved to a spot on Wilson Road.
Over the summer, the school’s main entrance moved to Wilson Road from Texas 105, where the main entrance had been since the school opened in 1964.
The renovation, part of a Conroe ISD 2019 bond, began on the campus in 2021 to reduce the number of entry points to the school for student safety and to reduce traffic on Texas 105.
The change left many Conroe alumni wondering what would happen to the Grady Spikes tiger. Also in question was the location of the taxidermy tiger “Apache” at the former front entrance.
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Future plans for the bronze tiger
“With regard to the items, district and campus administration are very mindful of the long and treasured legacy of them,” said Sarah Blakelock, executive director of communications for Conroe ISD. “The tiger statue will be moved to a location between the new entrance and the new gym.”
Conroe High’s new “The Pit” gym opened in August 2023.
The tiger statue honors beloved Conroe High coach, teacher and later elected official Grady Spikes. Spikes died suddenly in September 1999.
The class of 1967 sponsored the large bronze tiger statue and hosted fundraisers for it. It was dedicated in 2002.
Conroe ISD officials worked with Spike’s widow, Annette, and their sons Trey and Barkley, to determine that the statue would have better visibility at a spot between the new gym and new entrance.
The tiger statue will not be moved until construction is nearing completion, Blakelock said.
About Grady Spikes
Grady and Annette Spikes arrived in Conroe in June 1964. Grady wanted to learn coaching from the best of the best and Coach “CD” York was a state championship coach in Conroe.
After coaching and teaching, he spent time in other business ventures in Conroe before he was elected Justice of the Peace in 1990.
In whatever he did, Grady always gave 110 percent, Annette said.
“Regardless of what it was, from fishing to playing with the boys to being a good husband to me, he put his heart into everything,” she said.
The evolution of the statue
Conroe High graduate and artist Bill McGlaun sculpted the life-size, two-ton bronze beast that is 13 feet long and 9 feet high. It was dedicated on homecoming weekend in October 2002 and has long had a place in front of the Conroe High library.
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More visibility
Annette believes it’s a fitting tribute to her late husband that the statue will be placed close to the gym and football field because coaching meant so much to him.
“We appreciate them (Conroe High leaders) letting us have a voice in where it would be placed,” Annette said. “That meant a lot to us. I don’t have any misgivings about the move and the boys don’t either.”
Her granddaughter’s Conroe High volleyball team took pictures with the statue in front of the library in recent years, which made her very proud.
Apache and Mac
Blakelock confirmed that “Apache” the taxidermy tiger, located adjacent to the auditorium in a glass case, will remain in that location as renovations take place this school year in the auditorium.
Conroe High grad Mike Simpson was a taxidermist and prepared “Apache,” which was a gift to the school from the 1998-99 student council. At that time, he knew of a tiger that had died at the Cincinnati Zoo and was able to get that pelt to make a new tiger for the front of the school.
The original tiger “Mac” named for J. L. “Mac” McCullough, 50-year coach, teacher, principal and superintendent for Conroe ISD was at Conroe High’s previous career and technology building. When that building was torn down in 2023, Mac was taken in by Conroe taxidermist Martin Worley who now has “Mac” in storage.
When the time is right, Blakelock said there are many places at the refurbished Conroe High that could make a good home for “Mac.”
Montgomery County and Spring-area residents looking for their morning jolt or an afternoon pick me up now have several new options for getting a caffeine fix.
Several new coffee shops and drive-thru coffee stands have opened or will open soon in the area. A much-anticipated 7 Brew will open on Conroe’s west side Monday. In Montgomery, the first county location of PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans has opened on Walden Road.
Here’s what to know about these new coffee spots:
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7 Brew
The 7 Brew Coffee brand will have a soft opening for the chain’s first Conroe location at 3830 W. Davis Street Monday.
The chain launched in Rogers, Arkansas as a drive-thru only coffee stand. There are now 256 locations with 20,000 unique flavor combinations served.
According to information from the company, 7 Brew is all about creating memorable moments and fostering community connections.
“Our unique drive-thru experience, where Brewistas greet customers directly at their vehicles, brings an extra touch of warmth and energy to every visit. At 7 Brew, we offer over 20,000 drink combinations, from coffee and teas to smoothies, juices and energy drinks, catering to every taste and dietary preference,” according to a release.
A soft opening is from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday. A grand opening is set for Sept. 7.
Citizens Coffee Truck
In the same Conroe retail center as 7 Brew, Citizens Coffee Truck opened this spring.
Kyle Buthod launched Citizens Coffee Truck in 2020 and then grew to a catering and event business as well. They have a 1948 farm truck that has been turned into a drink and dessert truck.
The cafe is adjacent to Wake Church at 3830 W. Davis Street. Featured menu items are coffees, espressos, teas, refreshers, fruit bowls and popsicles and pastries. The menu also features two items for the pooches — Dog Beer and Bayou Bones.
Conroe cafe hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays.
PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans
In July, a ribbon-cutting took place for Montgomery County’s only PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans location at 17128 Walden Road in Montgomery.
PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans was founded in 1978 by Phyllis Jordan, a pioneer in the coffee industry who embraced high-quality beans, superior roasting methods and a passion for the art of coffee-making, according to company information. In addition to the coffee, their New Orleans style beignets are a specialty pastry.
The brand is in 14 states and has locations across Texas. Local franchise owners are Lenny and Ivonne Sims.
Downtown Conroe
Urban Grinds Coffee Company which launched earlier in the year is the new coffee vendor for The Collective in Downtown Conroe at 213 N. Thompson Street. The coffee stand has a variety of espresso drinks, London Fog, matcha and chai teas and specialty drinks like Brown Sugar Lovers, The Tiger, Rosemary Honey and Butterfly Lemonade. They have six homemade syrups as well. Pastry items are coming soon.
Galavant’s Coffee stand is back in downtown Conroe. After a hiatus, Galavant’s Coffee cart opened again in June at Clover House Antiques, 118 North San Jacinto Street.
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Beans & Brews Coffeehouse
Beans & Brews Coffeehouse, a drive-thru coffee franchise known for its high-altitude roasting, has opened its first Spring location.
The new location, is in the Rhodes shopping center, at 5200 FM 2920, Suite 100, in Spring.
Utah natives Kim and Walter Sims own the new location. They both grew up enjoying the brand’s high-altitude roasted coffee, and Kim fondly recalls doing her homework at her local Beans & Brews in the Salt Lake Valley.
After moving to Texas in 2018, the couple searched for a coffee shop with the same quality and flavors. When they learned Beans & Brews was expanding to the Lone Star State, they signed a multi-unit development deal to add two locations in the Spring area.
The new coffeehouse offers a full range of high-quality coffee beverages, teas, energy drinks and snacks and is a welcoming space for customers to enjoy. It has comfortable seating for 30 guests and a private conference room for meetings and events. The 12-seat conference room can be reserved for a small fee.
A Conroe road just south of the city’s Loop 336 has two different names for the same road and it turns out both names are correct.
Crighton Road is between Interstate 45 and FM 1314. East of FM 1314, the spelling changes to Creighton Road which extends east from FM 1314 to Albert Moorehead Road and FM 3083.
The two spellings represent two different families prominent in early Conroe who were neighbors and owned adjacent land in the area just south of Conroe.
Here’s what to know about the Crighton and Creighton families and how the road off of Interstate 45 got those names:
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Harry M. Crighton
Harry Moore Crighton was born Feb. 18, 1885 in Okalona, Mississippi to Alexander and Margaret Crighton. At age 15, he entered the University of Texas and later received a pharmacy degree.
Following his graduation, he came to Conroe to manage the Crighton Pharmacy for the Houston Drug Company, according to a narrative about Crighton provided by the Montgomery County Historical Commission.
Crighton served as mayor of Conroe from 1934 to 1937 at a time when the city was enjoying the prosperity of the nearby oil boom that took place in 1931 southeast of Conroe.
He was the inspiration for the Crighton Theatre in downtown Conroe the historic theatre which is still an entertainment venue today. It opened in 1935.
Larry Foerster, chairman of the Montgomery County Historical Commission, said Crighton was also involved in the oil industry in the 1930s.
“Crighton Road was originally built in the 1930s by Harry Crighton so that the trucks going to his oil leases around Grangerland in the Conroe oil field could go directly from old Texas 75 to his leases, thus circumventing downtown Conroe,” he said. “The oil field trucks were tearing up the Conroe streets such that automobiles were getting stuck in the muddy truck ruts. So it became Crighton Road.”
In a 2005 Courier report, Rigby Owen Jr. said for a short time in the 1970s, Crighton Road became Grogan Road because the Grogan family owned a sawmill at the corner of I-45 and the road. The road was switched back to Crighton at the request of Frank Guthrie. Guthrie’s wife, Hallie, was the daughter of Harry Crighton.
Crighton and his family moved to San Antonio in 1938. He lived there until his death on Dec. 28, 1948 at age 63.
Conroe mayor Duke Coon grew up in the Conroe oil field area and said the road has been named after the Crighton and Creighton families as long as he could remember.
He also noted that Crighton Road is within the city of Conroe and Creighton Road is not.
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Gerald Creighton Sr.
State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, said his grandfather Gerald Creighton Sr. and Harry Crighton were neighbors and friends who owned property adjacent to each other south of town in the general area of what is now the Crighton Ridge and River Plantation subdivisions.
The road was known as Crighton Road, but the name changed when it reached the Creighton family’s property and was known as Creighton Road eastward.
Because Gerald Creighton owned a number of timber tracts, Creighton Road continued east to FM 1485. Today, Creighton Road extends to Albert Moorhead Road just west of FM 3083 and Brandon Creighton he takes pride that the family name still marks the roadway.
“In recent years, more and more people are asking me about the name of the road so people do notice, he said.
Creighton said there is a fair amount of confusion in the community with the similarity of the names even though the families came from different backgrounds.
Creighton said his family routinely fielded phone calls about the Crighton Theatre.
“We used to keep a schedule handy because it was easier to give people the show times than try and explain why this wasn’t the Creighton Theatre,” he said.
Gerald Creighton Sr. died in 1966 at age 66 and is buried in Conroe. Foerster said his son, Gerald Creighton Jr., was a highly regarded Conroe lawyer, was on the Conroe ISD school board and was a respected community leader. Creighton Elementary in Conroe ISD is named in his honor.
Creighton Jr., Brandon’s uncle, died in September 2014 at age 83.
Magnolia ISD officials are calling for a local tax election in hopes of generating $7.4 million in funding for staff pay increases and additional constables for school safety.
As districts across the Houston region scrambled to come up with for the 2023-24 school year, Magnolia ISD found itself having to forgo teacher and staff raises as a means to operate under a balanced budget, said Denise Meyers, chief communications officer for the district. And while the district was able give a pay bump, officials are moving forward with a Voter Approval Tax Ratification Election.
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“Our turnover rate is about 20 percent, which is not very good for our district,” Meyers said, noting that the election would allow the district to retain and recruit more teachers and staff, which includes hiring more constables for future campuses. The district is also planning bring more incentive pay through a loyalty program for staff as well.
Voters on Nov. 5 will decide whether to increase the current tax rate to $0.9895 per $100 valuation — a $0.03 increase from its current tax rate.
“Based on the proposed tax rate, the average homeowner would pay $8.21 more a month,” said Board President Gary Blizzard in a written statement.
If voters approve the new tax rate, the district will not incur any new debt, but will receive $3.7 million more in local funding annually, which would then create another $3.7 million in state funding — a total of $7.4 million in funding annually.
This comes after Houston-area districts reported multi-million deficits as they face the 2024-25 budgeting process this summer, totaling at least $850 million in shortfalls.
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In response to why the district is calling for the election, the district cited the Texas Legislature failing to pass a teacher pay raise bill or a comprehensive school funding plan, despite broad support and a record $30 billion-plus budget surplus in 2023.
Currently, the basic allotment is $6,160 per student, a number that is $4,000 below the national average.
“That’s five years of continually being asked to do more, with less despite inflation and rising costs,” a release from the district reads. “According to the Consumer Price Index, average inflation since 2019 has increased by 17 percent. Truth is, driving a bus costs more today than it did five years ago; serving a hot lunch costs more that it did five years ago; and the simple act of turning on the lights or water costs more than it did five years ago.”
For more information about the district’s election, visit magnoliaisd.org.
