October 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the Woodlands and because of this, the city is now preparing events such as concerts and firework shows to celebrate the milestone. This showcases how big The Woodlands has grown since its inauguration, how did it become one of the largest communities in Texas?

According to the Texas State Historical Association, the creator of The Woodlands, George P. Mitchell grew up in Galveston, Texas, where he went on to attend Texas A&M University, there he majored in Petroleum Engineering, with intentions of working in the oil industry. Before he was able to really get a footing in the oil industry, World War II had raged around the world and Mitchell felt compelled to help his country, so he joined the Army Corps of engineers. After the war concluded, he went on to help create the Mitchell Energy & Development company which would go on to be a billion dollar company.

In addition to the company being a powerhouse in the oil and energy industry, it possessed a large quantity of Texas real estate. So, when Mitchell started to take an interest in real estate development, he decided to put the land his company owned to good use. This all culminated into the grand opening of The Woodlands being opened on October 19, 1974. Initially, The Woodlands would start out with 17,445 acres of land, which now spans 28,000 acres of land.

Immediately after the Woodlands was founded, Mitchell and his team of city planners went to work to create the well known landmarks of The Woodlands that we know today. In 1985, they opened the first hospital in the Woodlands. The year 1992 introduced the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. In 1996, the city got The Woodlands High School, and then in 2005, College Park high school opened. And, in 2004, Market Street opened, featuring a plethora of upscale shops and restaurants.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of its existence, the Woodlands website has outlined a week of festivities starting on the 14th through the 19th of October, with every day having a different event. Monday will kickoff the celebratory events with community leaders talking about The Woodlands area as a whole. Tuesday and Wednesday will act as days of community service, where every single village in The Woodlands will have a tree planted in their residence. On Thursday, there will be a currently unknown mural being presented at The Woodlands Waterway. Then, perhaps the most exciting event will occur on Friday, where Lyle Lovett, along with his band, will perform at The Woodlands Pavilion. The anniversary week will be capped off on Saturday with a public ceremony held at both Hughes Landing Band Shell and Northshore Park, where there will be lots of fireworks, and even a drone show! For more information you can check the official Woodlands website.