Things were different back when city leaders buried a 1979 Pontiac Sunbird in a city park. The city of Oak Ridge North literally dug up its past in July when it unearthed a time capsule and its contents about 25 years after it had been buried.

The time capsule was buried in 1989, when Gary Louie was mayor, as part of the city's 10-year incorporation celebration, Louie said. The first city ordinance was written in 1979.

The car was recovered from the edge of the baseball field in Marilyn Edgar Park, and included newspaper articles, a letter from inaugural ORN mayor Bud Roesler, family and school photos, business cards and sports medals.

In 1989, the Oak Ridge North police department only had five officers, gas was about 90 cents a gallon, the Goodyear Blimp was based near Holzwarth and Spring Cypress roads, the Lake Woodlands Drive overpass was known as "the bridge to nowhere" because it led to a dead end, and there was a helicopter pad in the middle of the Woodlands Parkway and Gosling Road intersection, ORN Police Chief Andy Walters said.

Perhaps most noticeably, Oak Ridge North saw a large increase in population since its incorporation, said longtime resident Anthony Spagnoletti, owner of Spag's Collision Repair on Hanna Road.

For example, Spagnoletti–who donated the 1979 Pontiac Firebird–said a large group of residents would gather at then McCullough High School, work on their hot rods and race after school.

"It was a little bit of an Andy Griffith thing where you actually knew everybody," Spagnoletti said. "Every weekend, the garage doors were up, the hoods were up on the cars, the motors were hanging from the engine hoists. We had a blast; we were building cars and racing cars. You can't do that anymore."

Much of the city's development can be credited to collaboration with other Montgomery County leaders, Louie said. Together they ushered in the economic wave that started in the 1990s.

"I give The Woodlands, The Woodlands Development Company, and The Woodlands Township a lot of credit for being the impetus of that economic wave," Louie said. "Oak Ridge North and Shenandoah could have sat back idly and let things happen, but I think we were proactive about working together with other entities to be a positive influence on the community."

In 1993, Louie was appointed to the Town Center Improvement District, which served as a precursor to The Woodlands Township, where he served for 10 years, he said. The district was formed by state legislation, and allowed local entities such as Oak Ridge North and the city of Shenandoah to be a part of the area's development.

The city of Oak Ridge North is now collecting mementos, letters, and photos for a new time capsule to be buried on at 11 a.m. on Oct. 18 at Marilyn Edgar Park during the city's first Fall Festival. The capsule will be opened in 2064.

The deadline for donations is Oct. 8. Items can be dropped off at City Hall, located at 27424 Robinson Road; Simon's Barber Shop, 26797 Hanna Road; Compadres Texas Caf, 26797 Hanna Road; and Elder's Automotive, 27431 Hanna Road.