15. Spring Historical Site

"Initially a farming community supported by crops, including sugar cane and cotton, Spring was platted by the Houston & Great Northern Railroad in 1873. That same year, Callahan Pickette became the town's first postmaster. In its early years, Spring served as a commercial center for the surrounding area. It was also a focal point for German settlers, including Carl Wunsche, who was prominent in the town's development. The area still has a strong German heritage.

A new rail line reached Spring in the early 20th century and, with a round house and railway shops, the town grew in importance as a rail center. Developer R.L. Robinson subdivided land south of the original town, and the commercial area shifted to accommodate the rail junction. The railroads facilitated the development of the lumber industry; Spring boasted a number of mills, both large and small, in the boom era of lumber production. With the boom came the need for new businesses, including hotels, saloons, an opera house, gambling houses, a hospital and a bank. In 1907, residents established the Spring Independent School District.

The loss of the roundhouse and the onset of prohibition led to population decline, and the saloons, hotels, and other rail-supported businesses closed in the 1920s. Still, the dwindling community persisted creating a volunteer fire department in the 1950s and sustaining its school district, which integrated in the mid-1960s. As the population began to grow again in the early 1970s, new businesses opened, including many specialty shops. With its proximity to a growing urban center and, itself an area commercial center, Spring continues to attract new residents and businesses but retains its unique identity and its link to its early history."

Corey and I decided it might be interesting to see what the history of our hometown was like. Having both grown up here in Spring, Texas, we were kind of surprised to see the roots in which our town was founded upon. We would have never guessed that we were under such heavy German influence and its actually quite interesting to see how the town developed in such a way. Our town had its ups and downs, but I think it deserves much more recognition than its ever gotten. It would seem like to me that Spring was such a thriving city that got overshadowed by much more popular places such as Houston, especially being so close by, and Dallas and Austin. I'm glad to have grown up in such an influential town that has had so much interesting history.