The rural area, about an hour and a half northwest of downtown Houston and half an hour east of College Station, is sure to see major changes.
"The peace and quiet, the wide-open spaces, appealed to both of us," explained Patty Schroeder, who, in 1992, moved from Houston to Anderson, which is the seat of Grimes County.
But the area's wide-open spaces are about to look a lot different.
Trillionaire businessman and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted a video on X of a proposed 100 million-square-foot factory called Terafab.
To put the size in perspective, the Pentagon is 6.5 million square feet inside.
Musk said Terafab workers there will build AI computer chips for self-driving vehicles, robots, and space-based data centers.
Governor Greg Abbott just announced the project is getting a $30 million state grant, and Grimes County and nearby school districts have approved tax breaks.
"A lot of mixed feelings about it, mixed emotions," said Bobby Williams, who was born and raised in Anderson. "You hear some people are ready for it, the majority of people I think are against it."
Some residents say their homes and properties have already been bought out to make way for construction.
Now, they wonder if the mega-factory will lead to the local jobs they've been promised. And, if so, at what cost?
"Change is coming, and we just have to embrace it, learn about it, and support each other," said Schroeder.