Willis, Texas
Population: 2,764
Located in Montgomery County
Willis Texas is a thriving town with a proud past. The township happened when the Houston and Great Northern Railroad decided to run a railroad track from Houston to Chicago. The Willis brothers donated their land to the railroad in 1870, which is where the city is now located. Willis has grown by leaps and bounds since the trains begin to travel through the town. Willis has a unique history. There were hotels, opera houses, dry good stores and many other successful businesses in the 1870's and 1880's. The tobacco industry plays a vital role in Willis history. There were several cigar factories which provided jobs for people. Tobacco was the #1 crop for a number of years and Willis cigars were popular throughout the world. Willis cigars won first prize at the Columbia World Exposition. A historical marker was placed on Bell Street marking the Smith Tobacco Company. At the fall of the tobacco industry, Willis returned to the timber industry. The farming of cotton, watermelon and tomatoes became leading cash crops. In 1874, Willis won a fight with Montgomery to be the county seat. In spite of that the courthouse was never moved to Willis. Willis became the county seat in 1889. Throughout the years Willis was mainly an agricultural area, with the main industries being timber and livestock. The 1980's brought a slow change as trend turned toward manufacturing. At present, Willis is the gateway to Lake Conroe. The I-45 corridor is in the city limits. Hwy 75 runs down the center of town, has the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Rail Service. The Houston Intercontinental Airport is 35 miles to the south and the Montgomery County Airport is 10 miles to the East of Willis. When you come to Willis you see lush pastures and rolling hills. There are cattle and horse ranches everywhere in the community. We are a historical town with the best of city and country, full of friendly, Texas people. Our schools are the finest, with Sam Houston University just down the road, along with Baylor located in Houston. Our beautiful Lake Conroe is a pleasure. We have tournament fishing as well as large and small craft enjoying our community. Our waterfront homes and communities are exclusive and mostly gated, surrounded by the Texas National Forest. We also enjoy the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, which are open year round with different functions every week. We also have a multitude of the finest golf courses available. We are a proud family style city, come see for yourself! As you drive thru Willis you will notice an abundance of wisteria, magnolia and peach orchards. We have many annual events, such as the Montgomery county fair, Willis birthday bash, trail rides, circus and rodeo and many other family events, most held at the Montgomery county fairgrounds located across from the municipal airport. Traveling downtown you will see antique shops, auctions, restaurants, and we boast of our friendly townspeople, and exemplary schools. Willis is conveniently located between here and there but not far from anywhere; a 30 min drive to Houston, 10 to Conroe, Huntsville and 15 to Cold Springs or Livingston. We are the perfect country town with a little of everything!
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