Does anyone know the order in which Kingwood Villages were built. What year did construction start on the first one. When did the golf courses come in.

Where did the kids go to school back then? What happened when we were annexed. Did the city of Houston move in right away and take over city services? Did you have a grocery store here?

We've been told that somethings in our house may not be up to Houston code like windows, tree lightening, etc. but that they are grandfathered in. True?

Mucho Thanks in advance from one of your neighbors ;-) 

COH codes aren't a big deal until you have to fix something, then you have to comply.

I know that my grandparents moved to SWH in 73 or 74. They were the first house on their street. My aunt went to Foster, KMS and was the first graduating class of KHS. Any kids prior to that went to HHS. There was a grocery store, but I don't remember what it was called.

As far as subdivisions, the closer to the front of KW the older the subdivision. Forset Cove and Woodland Hills were among the first and then I would think Hunter's Ridge, Sherwood Trails, Elm Grove, that subdivision by KHS (can't remember the name of it), Bear Branch, Greentree, Sandcreek, Foster's Mill, Mills Branch, Kings Point, etc. These are just guesses on a time line, but like I said, pretty much front to back. 

Seems it was said in some older threads that the oldest houses are in Trailwood. I'm in SWH and my house wasn't built till 1975. Forest Cove is not part of Kingwood as in the master planned community, it was here before Kingwood was started. 

"Kingwood, also know as the "Livable Forest," was created by the Friendswood Development Company in 1971 and has grown rapidly since. The new community was named "Kingwood" after King Ranch, one of the original developers before being bought by the Friendswood Development Company. Now (2005) Kingwood has a population of about 65,000, and has almost 200,000 people living within a ten mile radius."


The front of Kingwood has the older homes built in the 70's, as they started building there and worked their way toward the back. 

Ahhh, I forgot about Trailwood. Yes it would be close to the beginning as well. I know Forest Cove isn't technically party of Kingwood, but I still think of it as KW. 

We've been told that somethings in our house may not be up to Houston code like windows, tree lightening, etc. but that they are grandfathered in. True?


That's true. Yes, the codes are always changing and older homes had different standards. But when something needs repairing you will have to update it at that point. The plumbers and electricians, etc, will tell you that. Things like that will even come up in a home inspection when there is a sale and repairs are being done. 

Trailwood was the first village in KW, the grocery store was Minimax. My parents moved to KW in 1976 and moved to Bear Branch. You could only go as far as the Country Club. Foster Elementary was the only school in Kingwood, my brothers were bused to Humble to go to middle school and the high school. 

The house that would looked at in Elm Grove had the fuse box for the house inside the master closet. The inspector told me definetly not up to code and would cost about $1500 to have it flipped to the outside. It was built in 83. 

Yes, dk156, the first grocery store was Minimax and it was located where Steinmart is today. On the right hand side of the building, was Alspaugh's! Next to that was the Mexican Rest.(?), then the Book Bay Book Store, then The Pine Needle stitchery shop. The Movie Theater was located where Sears is now. When it closed down, Rowlands Gymnastics bought the building. Jamails grocery store was where Gold's Gym is now. You could buy good cabernet table wine 3/10.00 back then, and I often saw Don Nelson from Channel 13 in there! LOL! NorthPark ended at WLHP, but WHLP was not built yet. Kingwood Drive went as far as the High School. This is how it was in 1983. 

We moved to Forest Cove in 1970. There was no "Kingwood" at that time. Shortly after, Trailwood Village was created. That was the first village. Woodland Hills was next. In the beginning, Kingwood Dr. was a two way street that came to a dead end at Trailwood Village! Originally there were no grocery stores, restaurants etc. The strip center up front on Kingwood Dr. soon held a groc store (where Steinmart is) Ace Hardware, Hall and Hall Pharmacy, Bullfrogs and Butterflies (children's clothing) Pop's ice cream parlor, etc. etc. 

Foster Elementary was the first elementary school, middle and high school kids were bused to Humble in the very beginning. The 4th of July parade began at Foster Elem., went up to Woodland Hills Dr., turned left on Woodland Hills Dr. and ended at Magnum Grocery Store (later it was Jamails and now Gold's Gym)At the end of the parade someone always ran in and bought boxes of popcicles for the children who had been on the floats :)
Forest Cove is not part of Kingwood proper. It was here many years prior. As I said above, we lived in Forest Cove and watched Kingwood be built. My friends parents were one of the first to build in Forest Cove in the 60s I believe and they said they often heard/saw a panther or two around what would now be Kingwood Drive! Kingwood was all woods-part of the Big Thicket at the time. 

One more thing-ha--sorry, I keep remembering things :) The reason Black Cat Junction (Loop 494) was named that was due to the black panthers that were sometimes seen, heard.

Also, in the 70s the trestle bridge (Hwy 59) was the only way into Forest Cove, the area. It was two way and extremely scary when a big truck would be coming the opposite direction in the next lane. 

There is a little book about the history of Kingwood. It was written by a sweet man who sold homes in KW in the beginning. I wish I could remember his name. He passed away about 3 or 4 years ago in his early 90s. He was a member of the KW First Presbyterian Church and they have copies of it in their library. It is very interesting. Now I will not be able to sleep until I remember his name. Used to have dinner with him at Luby's on Wednesday nights with my parents.

There is a lady still living here in her late 80s or early 90s whose husband was sent up here to develop KW. She actually named KW The Livable Forest. 

The first two neighborhoods were Trailwood and SWH. Kingwood Dr. stopped at the country club and there was no high school. This was all in 1977.

Kids in high school back then went to Humble and I was part of the last class to have both KW and Humble kids both go to Humble. That class graduated in 1981.

June is correct. The strip center where Gold's is now was built in 1977 and the first tenant was Magnum Foods. I worked for the construction company that built it and then for the grocery store itself as a sacker.

The first three golf courses were built with the country club in the early 70's and Deerwood was built either in 1979 or 1980. It was built in conjunction with Fosters Mill coming in. The Forest Course wasn't built until many years later.

The villages were actually built from South to North and then East. Trailwood, SWH, NWH, Bear Branch, Sherwood Trails and Kings Forest were the first ones....in no particular order. Kings Lakes was also put in first as a nod to the "golfing community" layout Friendswood was going for at the time.

The big red brick building on 494 where Administaff is located used to be a Safeway back in the day. It went out of business and was never anything else other than Administaff. 

Back in '72 when I moved here, there was only Trailwood as part of Kingwood. Forest Cove was started in the late '50s and there wasn't even a grocery store here then, had to go into Humble for groceries. Minimax came in in '73 and had a dress shop on one side and Pop's Ice Cream shop to the right, where Alspaugh's moved into later. The Chase bank at KW drive and Chestnut Ridge was originally a Texas Commerce bank. The old two-lane bridge over 59 was the only crossing until about early '74, I think. In Trailwood, by the Apartments, where the Methodist church now has parking, was a convenience store called Baby Giant and some offices and a hair salon in the ground floor underneath apartments. The bridge at Walnut connecting to Trailwood Village drive was opened in '73, and you had to go allllll the loooong way around Chestnut Ridge to KW drive to get from FC to TW...seemed like a long way back then.

Wasn't very much in Humble back then, either. Dairy Queen, Monterrey House, Humble Inn, were about it for restaurants, unless you wanted to sit in your car for an hour or two and wait for on of the few table's at Bill's. Two grocery stores, Foster's food market and a Super Duper or something like that. Handy Dan and Walker-Kurth were the lumber/hardware places. I still miss the old Hyden's Seafood restaurant that came in on the 59 northbound feeder... 

How about the 59 Dragstrip,and Hassell lumber yard. 

Oh, heck, how could I forget Hall and Hall pharmacy where Jason's Deli is now. All sorts of cool stuff in there

In Forest Cove, Jack's was originally a 7-11, across the street was a gas station that was closed more than it was open until it got bought by a guy named Leo, the convenience store closer to the freeway was called Scotty's, and had gas there too. I remember the long lines during the gas crisis in the 70's and waiting for a couple of hours each morning to fill our cars up. 

How about the 59 Dragstrip,and Hassell lumber yard. 

Yep, every Sunday was filled with the roar of those engines. I had forgotten about old man Hassell. 

This is fun to read!! Thanks for the info sufferbus:) 

[i]There is a little book about the history of Kingwood. [i]

I would love to have a copy of that book. Strange to say but with 11 years in KW this is the longest I've lived in the same community all my life. I was in Baton Rouge for 15 years but lived in 4 different places in and outside of the city. 

I've lived here since the early 80's and a lot has changed! The Safeway (Administaff) building was also a appletree something or other. The tiny post office was in the jamails shopping center on northpark (golds gym). Sonic was big time when it was built inthe early 90's but originaly it was where Kroger is now. Oriental gardens was in the shopping center in front of trailwood behind what was an Exxon station. The best ice cream was at Chezzies cones on northpark. Roland's was inside the athletic club. The movie theater was in kingwood drive behind where the burgerking turned Starbucks building. The roller skating rink was on Russel Palmer road in what is now the church building. I'll think of more. 

And for those that are shocked by the kids fighting on the Greenbelts, when I was at woodland hills Elementry, you could always meet at the "hills" for a good but whooping after school. 

I've told this story on here a few times, but what the heck, I'll tell it again.

KW Dr. stopped pretty much right where the country club is. There was a dirt road back to the job site where the high school was being built and that dirt road continued back until it dead ended at a locked metal gate. The gate was chained up really secure with a big old pad lock on it.

I worked for KSA back in the 70's during the summers. We would pickup trash and dead squirrels and clear land for the road crews. Any way, ever couple of weeks, Exxon would deliver some 55 gallon drums to the KSA office which was right beside the big water tower on Kingwood Dr. We then had to load them on a truck and take them to the "dump".

The "dump" was actually a clearing in the woods that had perpetual fire going. We would bring trash, dead foliage, dead animals, and 55 gallon drums to burn. You have to go through that locked gate I mentioned earlier and drive down this very narrow path to a clearing and there was the fire. It would have been hard to walk to, so taking the vehicle was really the only option.

We would dump those 55 gallon drums of "whatever" that Exxon brought over and run like hell because they would smoke like a hippie.

The Randall's shopping center in the back of Kingwood would pretty much be dead center where that fire was. I guess when the time was right, they bulldozed the ground and built Town Center and Randall's over that dump site. 

Wow! ya'll brought back some memories! My folks bought a house in Forest Cove in 67, one of only two houses on their street back then. Growing up I remember the drag strip, Jameals and don't forget Holiday Foods. My first girlfriend worked there. I got my first ticket in from of Humble Food market, and I remeber when sonic was across the street....those were the days. Partying under the 59 bridge.... 

QT - There is a little book about the history of Kingwood. [i]

[i]I would love to have a copy of that book.

Great idea. Maybe we could get a copy and copy it and post on KU. I think the man's name was Kip. If you bought a custom house in the 70s you probably knew him. I'm sure he would feel honored if we posted the book. Actually is a small book with a card stock cover. 

Oriental gardens was in the shopping center in front of trailwood behind what was an Exxon station.

It was in the strip center going onto Forest Cove on Chestnut Ridge behind that Exxon station. They moved as soon as the strip where they are now opened up. The spot they started up in used to be a place called Armen's Deli, The first place out here to have real gyros on the rotisserie.

The Safeway (Administaff) building was also a appletree something or other.
Yep, It became an Appletree for a while when Safeway pulled out of Texas. That Safeway was great, Had a decent record section (that was roped off on Sundays for the blue law) and generic white cans of beer that said nothing but "beer" on the front! 

Casa Elena (Steinmart Center) had the best chips and salsa, I would order To Go when I had a Snack Attack. Chezzies Ice Cream with their giant waffle cones on Northpark was a popular stop on a bike ride. MiniMax and Jamail's were the local grocery stores. And Safeway was our haven for air conditioning, a break from August heat (and food) when we were without power for 10 days after Hurricane Alicia. I miss the old Country Store on Russell Palmer (Texaco). The Pine Needle yard store had some unique things for needle workers but I always thought they were snooty. I think there was a Ben Franklin or TG&Y up front near Sears. The YMCA was where Kids in Action is/was. We are Charter Y Members and have a brick. :) There were so many accidents on HWY 59 during the weekends before the medians were put in. Some of those fast cars on the freeway came from the Drag Strip on 494. I remember when the Lake Houston Bridge to Atascocita was built. There were so many deer driven into our city as their homes were unearthed. But we were happy to have another way out of the city. The flood of 1994(?) flooded that same bridge as it did the San Jac bridge on Hwy59. Kingwood was almost an island. 

The roller skating rink was on Russel Palmer road in what is now the church building. I'll think of more.

There was also a putt putt course behind that rink too. Didn't last too long though. You could buy minnows for fishing at Countryside.

There was a nice area outside of the movie theater that had walking paths and a small stream running through it. There was a Pizza Inn over there. I used to work there one summer.

How many people remember Ron's Crispy Fried Chicken? It was in the strip center down by Rico's and on the very end.

Someone earlier had mentioned Haydens. I also remember that Riggles was the only sporting goods store in Humble and was next door to Haydens.

If you couldn't find it at Riggles, you had to go to Oshman's in Greenspoint. Deerbrook hadn't been built yet. 

Wow this has been so much fun to read!! My family moved here in 1976. We bought a house in Trailwood. Who remembers the firefighters cooking the 4th of July BBQ's? We had to go over that rickity bridge to get to Kingwood scared the crap outta you if there was a big truck coming!! Humble was like a blink of nothing really. I remember riding my bike to Hall & Hall & later Winns. I loved having the movie theater there and the pizza hut. There was also a candy store in the shopping strip and Apple Tree Kids opened there. There was a hamburger place in Forest cove I can't remember the name of but LOVED the burgers!! Oh and remember the visitors center? It was a white building on the right side of Kingwood Drive I think there are apartments there now. The little sleepy town of Kingwood is not small anymore!! 

I remember Mr Riggles too! Nice man!
:) 

Cookin Queen: The author of the book you are referring to was my sweet old neighbor Tip Barnes, who passed away due to cancer a few years ago. I helped care for him until he moved in with his daughter. I have the book with a sweet note from Tip in it. If people want copies, I can make some. Tip was the salesman for the all the new homes going into Trailwood. 

KT....I would love one and I am more than happy to pay what ever costs you have in getting me one.

What was the name of the book? 

There was a hamburger place in Forest cove I can't remember the name of but LOVED the burgers!!

Old Timers.

We used to go to KC's Rags in the Minimax shopping center to buy our curduroy pants. 

I would love a copy! I often wish I had taken more pictures of Kingwood growing up. In Middle school on half days we would all hang out at the shopping center in where Stein Mart is & eat at Casa Elena or Pops Ice Cream & just hang out in that shopping strip. Also Humble Middle school was where Ross Sterling Middle School is now. 

I mean our "corduroy" pants. 

Tinman it was called Kingwood The Early Days by Tip Barnes. I don't know who to ask to recopy it tho. Do you just want to borrow mine? I'd be happy to let you read it. You can PM me and I will give you my address and you can swing over and pick it up. I have his daughters address, maybe I can ask her where to get copies of it. Tip was so proud of his book. He wanted to write another one, but he became quite ill. He was such a dear friend and neighbor. 

Did anyone eat breakfast at Cliffs? (Red Curry) The Age of Video (Northpark)brought VHS rentals to Kingwood long before the grocery stores did. I think our first home was painted by paint from the first Sherwin Williams on North Park (Akashi Restaurant) There was Furrows Hardware (Chili's) in Humble as well as Handy Day (Big Lots) for home improvement. Alspaugh's (Steinmart) was more handy than anything as they are to this day. Another True Value opened for a short time (near Hunan Gardens)but only lasted a few years. Backstreet's Grill (near KW Garden Center) had a Bennigan's feel. Porter Walmart was in a strip center (Big Lots) I loved their huge Sidewalk Sales. 

OMG!! Who remembers Fotohut?? My sisters worked there in H.S. LOL I just keep remembering things! ;) 

I remember when they built Creekwood they bused forest cove kids there because they were already riding a bus!! Totally sucked for Foster Elementary kids! :( 

Fotohut!! LOL I remember!