The McDade Magnolia in Conroe

Southern Magnolia, Magnolia grandiflora

For over 150 years, the McDade Magnolia has grown along the various incarnations of trails, rails, and roads heading west from Conroe, welcoming residents, visitors, and passersby alike.

The Story

In the 1880s, the land in Montgomery County was heavily wooded with a mix of pine and hardwood trees. With nearby Houston growing rapidly, the lumber industry established the town of Conroe to harvest the rich timberlands and ship the lumber to the city’s builders. A young, energetic entrepreneur named James McDade came to Conroe at this time to open shop and start investing in land that could be cleared of timber and then used as farmland. McDade eventually owned many pieces of property in Montgomery County, including a 148 acre tract on Old Montgomery Road where there still stood a magnificent magnolia tree that was saved from the timber harvest. In 1891, he decided that he would build his family home on this beautiful piece of property next to this magnolia tree. The old McDade home was located about 50 yards north of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe railroad tracks that served local sawmill and produce businesses in the area, including the McDade property. Years later the first paved state highway from Conroe west to Montgomery was constructed in front of the tree. Before he died in 1932, McDade made known to his daughter, “Lillie, let this be the last piece of property you sell”.

James McDade posing under his magnolia tree in 1918.

Lillie McDade was born in 1893 and grew up with her sister, Elisa Marie, under the Magnolia tree. Her sister became a num in Austin and Miss Lilly married Joseph O’Grady and they made their home in Houston until Mr. O’Grady’s death in 1945. Ms. Lilly then returned to Conroe and rented the original homestead land to a Mr. Koenig for grazing cattle. Soon after, the old road in front of the Magnolia was slated for widening and Mrs. O’Grady found that the surveyors had laid out the road near the Magnolia tree. This made Ms. Lilly “hot”, as she put it, and she marched down to the county surveyor’s office and told them, “The deal is off, you’ll get no right-of-way if you destroy that tree”. The county heeded her wishes and relocated the road further down towards the railroad tracks, where it still runs today. To this day, the highway has not disturbed the roots of this tree.

In another town there was a young man named Steve Kasmiersky, Sr. who had dreams similar to those of Mr. McDade. He had just built a house in a nearby community when Gerry, his wife, took an automobile ride out Highway 105 (now FM 2854). Not knowing what took her this way, she stopped the car in front of the Magnolia tree. She was so excited about the property she told Steve she wanted to build a new house behind the tree. Steve approached Mrs. O’Grady to ask about purchasing this land to build a beautiful riverfront subdivision. Ms. Lillie remembered what her father had said to her earlier in her life and had to discuss this purchase with her sister. Both sisters agreed, with one condition – that Ms. Lillie would live next door to Steve and Gerry. Steve was more than glad because he had such admiration for Ms. Lillie. When the survey was done, the 148 acres had shrunk to 128 acres because of course changes in the river. The other 20 acres had shifted to the other side of the river, and is now McDade Park. Steve started McDade Estates in 1971 with two houses on O’Grady Drive, named after Ms. Lillie.

The McDade Magnolia sits at the entrance to the new McDade Estates in 1970.

Over these many years this stately historic Southern magnolia tree has been a living landmark in the Conroe community. The magnificent old tree has served as a backdrop for numerous marriage and family photographs and many people in the Conroe community have voiced their concern for the welfare of the tree, especially as strong storms have felled branches over the years. The McDade Estate Property Owners Association continues to maintain the tree as a source of immense pride not only for the residents but also all those living in Montgomery County.

The McDade Magnolia is memorable for another reason: the center of the tree at ground level is gone and a narrow opening allows children to walk inside the tree. What lies in the dark abyss above head in the center of the tree fuels the imagination. Wintertime tales of lizards, spiders, and bats turn into springtime tales of baby birds and squirrels. In addition to animals, the Magnolia’s ecosystem contains colonies of resurrection ferns (Pleopeltis polypodioides) on its broad lower branches, rising with the spring rains and wilting back in the summertime dry spells.

Resurrection fern growth on lower branches of the McDade Magnolia.

The city representatives and residents of Conroe and McDade Estates, along with the Texas Historic Tree Coalition, held a tree dedication and celebration on the evening of Thursday, September 12, 2024. Proclamations recognizing this historic tree were presented and read by Ron Saikowski from the City of Conroe, the Texas State House of Representatives, and the Texas State Senate. In addition, the proclamation below was read by the TxHTC president, Marion Lineberry. Finally, a new Historic Tree marker was unveiled enshrining the story of the McDade Magnolia and accompanying the existing marker dedicated to Steve Kasmiersky, Sr.

Texas Historic Tree Coalition
Historic Tree Proclamation
McDade Magnolia

WHEREAS, the McDade Magnolia has been growing since the 1800s near the San Jacinto River in Montgomery County amidst logging and farming activities, road and housing development, and numerous major storms and hurricanes; and

WHEREAS, a prolific Conroe businessman and landowner named James McDade protected the Magnolia tree in the late 1800s from surrounding logging and farming activities to make the tree the site of his family home; and

WHEREAS, the McDade Magnolia witnessed the building of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe railroad line and the trains that serviced the local agricultural businesses west of Conroe; and

WHEREAS, the McDade Magnolia witnessed and survived the construction of a highway parallel to the railroad and, after the intervention of McDade’s daughter Lillie O’Grady, around the Magnolia; and

WHEREAS, Gerry and Steve Kasmiersky were inspired by the McDade Magnolia to establish McDade Estates with Lillie O’Grady, and to have the Magnolia serve as the gateway to the neighborhood; and

WHEREAS, the McDade Magnolia has witnessed multiple generations of Conroe residents gathering beneath the tree’s broad and unique canopy as it continues to survive the likes of hurricanes Alicia, Allison, Harvey, and Beryl;

NOW THEREFORE, the Texas Historic Tree Coalition does hereby proclaim the McDade Magnolia to be an official Historic Tree, which will be listed in our Historic Tree Registry as a living legend and testament to our history as a state,

ON THIS DAY, September 12^th, 2024.