*By Cathie Baldwin and Bob Baldwin
Cathie and I arrived at our cozy home on Turtle Rock Court, located in Panther Creek, in June 1989, just when The Woodlands was still a young community with only 15 years of existence. That summer, Turtle Rock Court became a true showcase of new homes, as all the houses were completed at the same time and families moved in simultaneously. This provided the perfect opportunity for us to get to know each other and form bonds with our neighbors from the very start.
Back then, Grogan’s Mill was the only developed village, founded in 1974. During our home search, we stayed at The Woodlands Conference Center, as it was the only hotel available. Additionally, our dining options were limited: the conference center had a small restaurant, and the only nearby alternative was Ace Chinese, located in the newly opened Panther Creek Center.
Our shopping routine required longer trips. The Woodlands Mall didn’t exist yet, and our usual destination was Greenspoint Mall. Working in Houston, I could take advantage of the newly opened Hardy Toll Road, which made the commute easier, although I had to stop to pay the toll. From Turtle Rock Court, it only took me about 15 minutes to reach the entrance to the Hardy.
One of the most memorable moments we experienced was the great Christmas freeze of 1989. Temperatures dropped to 5 degrees Fahrenheit and wreaked havoc on the area’s infrastructure. The pipes in our kitchen and garage burst due to inadequate insulation, and we saw our neighbors, who were on vacation, suffer similar damage.
Back then, Woodlands Parkway ended at Kuykendahl, with no signs of future developments like Sterling Ridge. The bridge over Spring Creek had only one lane in each direction, and all you could see along Kuykendahl was a sea of trees. Little did we know the growth this area would experience over time, led by the visionary George Mitchell, and what today we know as Creekside.
We enjoyed biking along The Woodlands’ concrete trails, though the options were limited at that time. Our daily activities revolved around Panther Creek Center, where we ran errands at the Chase bank and shopped at the Randall’s grocery store.
Unfortunately, our time on Turtle Rock Court was brief. Just a year after we moved in, we were reassigned overseas, and when we sold our house, we suffered losses due to the oversupply of new homes in the area.
The Woodlands has evolved enormously since those days, but our memories of those early years will always hold a special place in our hearts.
*Bob was born in Pennsylvania, and Cathie in Georgia. He met and married Cathie in Alaska, where her father was serving in the U.S. Air Force, and Bob was serving in the U.S. Army.
