Spring is located off Interstate 45, twenty miles north of Houston in north Harris County. The area was originally inhabited by the Orcoquiza Indians, who were first visited by Spaniards in 1746. In the 1820s some of Stephen F. Austin’s colonists settled nearby. William Pierpont established a trading post on nearby Spring Creek in 1838, and by 1840 Spring had a population of 153. In the mid-1840s German immigrants, most notably Carl Wunsche, settled in the area and began farming the land. Sugar cane and cotton were the main cash crops, but vegetables were also raised. The town had a sugar mill for syrup making and two cotton gins.
After the Houston and Great Northern Railroad built through Spring in 1871, the town grew considerably. A post office was established in 1873. By 1884 Spring had two steam saw and grist mills, two cotton gins, three churches and several schools. In 1901-03 the International-Great Northern Railroad connected Spring with Fort Worth. A sawmill was built near the tracks, and lumbering became an important business for a time. By 1910 the population had risen to 1,200. In 1912 the Spring State Bank was established. It was robbed several times in the 1930s; erroneous rumors have attributed one robbery to Bonnie and Clyde.
In the 1970s Houston suburbs expanded northwestward, and an increasing number of subdivisions and residential areas grew up around Spring. Today the town supports a population of nearly 40,000 residents. As you might imagine, the largest employment sector in Spring is retail trade. Manufacturing comes in at a distant second, closely by professional services, the sciences and technology, as well as the manufacturing sector. The wholesale market employs a significant portion of the community, as does the finance and insurance industries.
The Old Town area provides a strong economic base to the town, and a popular gathering place for locals who enjoy a casual stroll through the area, perusing the unique offerings that merchants bring back from around the world. They take a break in one of the many cafés and restaurants for a quick cup of coffee or a leisurely meal with friends and family.
Spring Facts
Population 131,657
Persons per household 3
Subdivisions 22
Deed restrictions enforced
Government unincorporated
Education – Spring Independent School District (281) 586-1100
Mobility
Metro Park & Ride to downtown Houston
Metro Park & Ride to Greenspoint
Rush-hour drive to downtown 40 minutes
Spring Quick Reference
New home information (281) 443-6633
Police
Harris County Constables (281) 401-6205
Harris County Sheriff Department (713) 755-6044
Fire
Northeast Fire and Rescue (281) 456-9166
Spring (281) 355-1266
Utilities
Electricity
Entergy (800) 368-3749
Reliant Energy (713) 207-7777
Spark Energy (713) 259-0175
For outages or service call
CenterPoint Energy (713) 207-2222
Entergy (800) 968-8243
Street light repair (get number off pole) (713) 207-7777
www.centerpointenergy.com
Gas – CenterPoint Energy (713) 659-2111
Telephone – Embarq (800) 788-3500
Cable – Time Warner Cable (281) 774-7777
Spring is located off Interstate 45, twenty miles north of Houston in north Harris County. The area was originally inhabited by the Orcoquiza Indians, who were first visited by Spaniards in 1746. In the 1820s some of Stephen F. Austin’s colonists settled nearby. William Pierpont established a trading post on nearby Spring Creek in 1838, and by 1840 Spring had a population of 153. In the mid-1840s German immigrants, most notably Carl Wunsche, settled in the area and began farming the land. Sugar cane and cotton were the main cash crops, but vegetables were also raised. The town had a sugar mill for syrup making and two cotton gins.