As one of the earliest settlers of the area, Andrew Montgomery established a trading post that later took on his namesake as Montgomery County in December 1837.

"The first settlers began arriving in Montgomery County by at least 1830 or possibly earlier than that," said Larry Foerster, chairman of the Montgomery County Historical Commission. "There was a petition by residents here, at that time east of the Brazos River, to have their own county seat."

In 1837, Montgomery County, located about 45 miles north of downtown Houston, spanned across the present-day counties of Grimes and Walker as well as portions of Madison, Waller and San Jacinto. By the 1870s, the modern boundaries of the county were established to encompass an estimated 1,050 square miles.

The Montgomery County area was part of an original Stephen F. Austin colony included in contracts developed by Spanish and Mexican authorities in the early 1800s, according to the Texas State Historical Association.

"Hundreds of people from Montgomery County participated in one or more of the battles, including one of the residents who died at the Alamo and two that died in battle of San Jacinto," Foerster said. "Our roots go back to three Texas revolutions."

As the third oldest county in the state, the discovery of several artifacts from early Indian cultures like the Atakapans indicates the area has been inhabited for more than 10,000 years, according to the historical association.

Several factors are responsible for the county's growth, including the creation of railroads through the area in the 1870s and '80s, Foerster said. The county transformed from a primarily agrarian and timber economy to a hub for oil and gas in the early 1930s after oil was discovered in the area. The oil and gas boom lessened the impact of the Great Depression as roads, schools and public buildings were constructed to support future growth.

With urban sprawl continuing from the Greater Houston area, Montgomery County has become one of the fastest growing counties in the state.

"By the late 1950s and early 1960s, [transportation officials] began developing Interstate 45," Foerster said. "With that expansion of a major artery from Houston to Dallas, more and more people wanted to migrate out of the bigger city of Houston and live on the fringes. They moved into nice, secluded subdivisions here in Montgomery County, and they are still doing that today."

Established by the state Legislature in the 1950s, the members of the historical commission are appointed by the Montgomery County Commissioners Court to assist in the preservation of historical sites, structures and heritage in the area.