Settlers coming to the Katy area in the mid-1800s found a cane-filled
creek on the vast coastal prairie. The area became known as Cane Island.
When the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT) Railroad laid tracks in the 1890s,
a stop 30 miles west of Houston was needed to refill the water tanks on
steam engines. Land agents were hired to find residents for a town, and
in 1896, that town was named Katy. Early residents were farmers and
ranchers, and businesses opened to support a growing community. By the
mid-1900s, rice farming dominated thousands of acres. The crops brought
migrating birds, and hunting became a second industry. Now known as one
of the fastest growing and most desirable locations in the nation,
Katy's roots are firmly planted in an area with rich history and a
growing population that is working hard to preserve it.