Houston History: Katy

Houston’s westward expansion has brought Katy into the spotlight. The suburb has transformed from an outlying residential neighborhood to an economic destination itself, featuring corporate headquarters and the world’s largest industrial facilities.

Originally known as Cane Island for the cane-filled creek that ran through the coastal prairie, for decades the great grass sea sat untouched. In 1845, James Crawford received a land grant that included this area, but found it hard to attract settlers to the humid, mosquito-infested tract. Thirty years after he acquired the land, the only residents were Crawford, John Sills, and freedmen Thomas and Mary Robinson.

The winds of change arrived when the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad started laying rail through the area in 1893. Operation began in 1895, and that year, James Oliver Thomas laid out a plan for a town to tap into the new lifeline. In January 1896, the area was officially named Katy, after the MKT Railroad, which operators simply called “The K-T.”

In the early 1900s, many settlers arrived, forming a farming community. Rice farming quickly became the driving force behind the area's economy. After decades of growth and farming, Katy was official incorporated in 1945 as a municipality. The area received another economic lifeline with the construction of I-10 in 1966, which accelerated growth in the area.

The most recent census puts Katy’s official population at 16,000. That is just what residents refer to as "Old Katy," the official boundaries of the city. The Katy area contains nearly 300,000 residents, which includes large sections of unincorporated land.

Today Katy is home of the headquarters of Igloo Products Corp. as well as BP America’s operations. Academy Sports has corporate offices and product distribution in the area. The bustling residential community has created major retail growth, most recently along Katy Fort Bend Road at the entrance to Katy Mills Mall.

A major aspect of Katy is its public school system. The school district has 70,000 students across 63 campuses. The district is so large it boasts six Class 6A high schools, earning dozens of awards and accolades for extracurricular activities like football and track and field, producing talents like Cincinnati Bengals Pro Bowl quarterback Andy Dalton.

Now that you know Katy's history, learn about its future at Bisnow's upcoming event, The Future of Katy. Register here.