On February 28, 1910, Judge John W. Lewis and J.O.H. Bennette dedicated the land to the City of Conroe for Lewis Park in an effort to build a public place where people of all ages could play and enjoy the game of baseball. It was history in the making!
With personal permission from the author, we have included in this packet an article written by Robin Montgomery, Ph.D. titled “The Dolly Gray Houses: Foundational Links to Greatness” with emphasis on the section titled “Founding of Lewis Park.” It is a delightful tale of how the idea of the park came about and how key community leaders and members came together to make it happen. Dr. Montgomery has also submitted a letter of support for designating our park as a Lone Star Legacy Park.
There are several other articles written by Dr. Montgomery with regard to the historical activities that took place at Lewis Park. There is great significance of the park in the world of baseball and in the Texas Oil Boom, particularly when Mr. George W. Strake, Sr. owned the semi-professional baseball team, the Conroe Strake Wildcats. Please enjoy a photo of the team taken on August 21, 1935 on the field at Lewis Park, where they played their home games. This photo is courtesy of the Heritage Museum of Montgomery County and can be found in the museum in a book titled, simply, Montgomery County History.
We have included a copy of the legal documents on record from 1910 through 1984 when the City of Conroe obtained ownership of various parcels of land that make up today’s Lewis Park. The current layout of the park was established in 1987 and renovated in 1999 to include an ADA compliant playground, several other play structures, a large covered pavilion, 3 full-court basketball courts, a parking lot, and of course, the famous baseball field. The grandstands and press box of the Wildcats days are gone as are the advertisements in the outfield, but the spirit is still there.
Lewis Park is visited by dozens of children and adults every day. This year, the baseball field has been reserved for practice or games 355 hours with attendance at about 3,123. The covered pavilion has been reserved 207 hours. The numbers do not include the neighborhood families within walking distance that visit the park for a stroll or picnic or to play on the playground. The park and its amenities are open to the public and usually very busy on the weekends. It is a fantastic place to enjoy outdoor play or to watch a pick-up game of basketball or baseball!
Lewis Park also hosts charitable work. Mr. Luke Redus of Compassion United is under the pavilion every Saturday morning with volunteers to feed a hot breakfast to the homeless. There is great need in the community for this venue to host events which will benefit the community and citizens in the area, including tournaments and donation stations. Such events drive the head-count up significantly for Lewis Park and uphold its positive image.