A week of celebrations kicked off The Woodlands' 50th anniversary Oct. 14, which will culminate with a concert on Friday and a fireworks and drone show on Oct. 19, the official anniversary date.
As a reminder of the changes that can take place across 50 years, Jim Carman, president and CEO of Howard Hughes Houston region, joked that the video message he is including in the time capsule commemorating The Woodlands' 50th anniversary would be stored on a device with a solar charger, in case today's technology is no longer compatible with that of 2074.
In the past 50 years, The Woodlands grew from an idea that inspired founder George Mitchell to a community with more than 120,000 residents amid an array of businesses, nonprofits and other enterprises that have grown up under its tree canopy, officials said at the event.
What they're saying
Before the event, several attendees reflected on the community and their part in its history.
Grant Irons, a Hometown Heroes award recipient, son of the late Gerald D. Irons Sr., and former professional football player, said The Woodlands has played a large role in his personal development. As a resident of the Village of Grogans Mill, the first village formed in The Woodlands, Irons was a student at Lamar Elementary, Wilkerson Intermediate and Knox Junior high schools, and he was a member of the first graduating class of The Woodlands High School, he said. Irons' father, for whom Irons Junior High School was named, was also a professional football player.
"I used to go to The Woodlands Athletic Center; my dad would train me," he told Community Impact. "We would get up at 4, 4:30 in the morning and we would see all the swimmers and the divers—even Laura Wilkinson—working out in the same gym, so we got a chance from an early age to see what dedication, hard work, what it's all about."
Dan Kolkhorst, vice president of land development for Howard Hughes, said he began working as a consultant for The Woodlands Development Company in 1985 in civil engineering, working on designing portions of the Village of Panther Creek. Through subsequent work in project management to his current position, he said the year 2000 stands out in his mind for growth in The Woodlands, when more than 1,000 homes were sold and more than another 1,000 were produced.
"It was a time of explosive, explosive growth," he said.
Former U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady also attended the event, and he said before the event this commemoration also marks the beginning of the next 50 years.
"It's been a remarkable 50 years for the community, and we've really maintained George Mitchell's vision of a community where the environment, people and industry could all prosper together," he told Community Impact.
What happened
Speakers at the anniversary kickoff and time capsule ceremony included The Woodlands officials such as board of directors Chair Ann Snyder, Vice Chair Kyle Watson and board member Richard Franks; U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw; state Rep. Steve Toth; representatives from the offices of Harris County Commissioner Tom Ramsey, state Sen. Brandon Creighton and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz; Bruce Tough, a founding member of The Woodlands board of directors; Palmer Buck, chief of The Woodlands Fire Department; and representatives from The Woodlands Rotary Club, The Woodlands Resort, Interfaith of The Woodlands and other local dignitaries.
Tough said the time capsule contribution from George's Coffee Club, a nonprofit that formed to communicate Mitchell's message, is a documentary being produced about The Woodlands. He also shared several memories from the community's early days, when his father, Coulson Tough, was "hired by George Mitchell to build a city in the forest." Tough said one artifact of the early days, the first tree that was cut down to build the Woodlands Parkway, was made into an art piece by a longtime community member and will be displayed at a future event with other artifacts.
A closer look
The time capsule is comprised of a number of items donated by community leads and groups such as:
- A letter from Jim Carman, president of Howard Hughes Houston Region
- The Woodlands 50th anniversary photo book
- A historical timeline
- An anniversary video complete with an iPad to play it in 50 years
- A Town Center site plan
- Interfaith of The Woodlands donated one of the last printed books of its community directory.
- The Woodlands Fire Department donated a patch and a Challenge Coin commemorating its 50th anniversary.
- The Woodlands Resort donated a scrapbook, a room key and a name badge.
- The Woodlands Rotary Club donated a book of its 50-year history and a Rotary flag.
- The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion donated a poster it commissioned with the performers that have taken the stage this year as well as its impact report and a letter.
- The Woodlands Township included a pickleball, a miniature trolley and a photo book among the items in the time capsule.
"It's a testament to the planners that continue to think, over the decades, and really turn this [community] into what is is today," Carman said.
Quotes of note
Letters from officials and dignitaries included in the time capsule included a letter from Jeff Young, president and CEO of The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, which said:
"Our namesake, Cynthia Woods Mitchell often referred to The Pavilion as a 'salute to the power of a dream.' She knew the impact the arts would have on our community and she made it her mission to create a space where families of all ages could connect with the magic of the arts. My hope is that as you are reading this, The Pavilion is a shining example of Mrs. Mitchell’s dream."
In her remarks, Snyder said the event also highlighted the spirit of giving advanced by the Mitchells, which will continue on Oct. 15 with the community's Day of Giving.
"What a special time it is for our hometown," Snyder said. "Part of George and Cynthia's vision included a spirit of generosity, which embodies that Interfaith stands for, our original hometown nonprofit. That generosity continues today with all of our residents and local businesses, which positively impacts The Woodlands."
The time capsule will be buried in Town Green Park, officials said.
