Katy, Texas

Everything Katy is known for

4 songs mention this city 9 artists from here

Katy, Texas, a thriving suburb just west of Houston, is home to a notable collection of musical talent. While known for its family-friendly atmosphere and highly-rated schools, the city also boasts a strong connection to various music genres.

Among the nine artists who call Katy home are country music star Clint Black and pop artist Kimberly Caldwell. The city is also mentioned in four songs, including "Route 90" by Clarence "Bon Ton" Garlow and "Desires" by Drake.

Music in Katy

Songs About Katy

Route 90
Clarence "Bon Ton" Garlow
35%
Desires
Drake
32%
"Katy, Texas, Dallas, Texas, you know, a different environment"
Railroadin’ Some
Henry Thomas
30%
"change cars on the Katy"
Sappy Country Song
Low Gap
7%
"All I need is a little Clint Black"

Artists From Katy

C
Clint Black
country Pop: 59
J
Jesse Woods
americana Pop: 44
K
Kimberly Caldwell
pop Pop: 39
B
Blessing Jolie
pop Pop: 30
G
Garbage Girlfriend
rock Pop: 25
H
Hayden Baker
country Pop: 21
J
Jon Kott Band
country Pop: 13
P
Paige Lewis
country Pop: 12
C
Coleton Black
country Pop: 1

Rivers & Roads in Song near Katy

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Katy.

Interstate 10 23 songs US Route 90 6 songs Brazos River 16 songs U.S. Route 59 3 songs Interstate 45 2 songs Texas Colorado River 6 songs

History of Katy

Katy: You're Driving Over a Buried Gas Tank RoadyGoat

1934

The ground under Katy is one of the more remarkable pieces of energy engineering in Texas. In the mid-1930s drillers found a natural gas field here so rich that during World War Two it was called the most important gas-condensate field in the country, spread under parts of Harris, Fort Bend, and Waller counties. Humble Oil, later Exxon, built a gas cycling plant that began running in 1943 and grew into what was billed as the largest such plant in the world, brewing aviation fuel for Allied forces; the gas-tax money doubled the town and helped build Katy's early schools, earning Katy the nickname the Rice and Gas Capital. Here's the twist: the field is largely tapped out, but engineers didn't abandon it. They run the emptied reservoir in reverse, pumping gas back down in summer and drawing it out in winter, so the porous rock beneath Katy is now an underground storage tank holding around 23 billion cubic feet, wired to roughly 16 pipelines that help heat homes as far away as the Northeast. (Sources: Community Impact; Handbook of Texas; Enstor.)

RoadyGoat →

The Katy Depot Couple RoadyGoat

Old downtown Katy grew up around the railroad. The town started as Cane Island in eighteen-seventy-two; the M-K-T — the Katy line — pushed through in the eighteen-nineties, and the depot you're near was built in eighteen-ninety-eight. Passenger trains ran until nineteen-fifty-seven, and the depot was later moved into a downtown pocket park. Paranormal investigators say it isn't empty. A ghostly couple is reported strolling the platform in turn-of-the-century dress — a man in a brown suit with braid-trimmed lapels, and a taller woman in a tall, perky hat — exactly the clothes a railroad-era couple would have worn waiting on a train that never quite comes.

The Ocean of Gas Under the Rice Fields RoadyGoat

1895

Katy began in 1895 as a stop on the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, the 'K-T' or 'Katy' (the town-name folklore about a railroad official's wife is false; it's the railroad's nickname), and grew into a rice-farming town with the state's first concrete rice dryers, which still stand. In 1934 a discovery well found an enormous gas-condensate field directly beneath the rice prairie, spanning Waller, Harris and Fort Bend counties. Humble Oil opened the Katy Gas Plant in 1943 to strip liquid hydrocarbons from the gas, and during World War II the field's huge reserves plus the proximity of Houston refineries made Katy the most important gas-condensate field in the United States, producing components for Allied aviation fuel. The wartime gas boom carried the town to incorporation on February 28, 1945: rice above, gas below, planes overhead. (Sources: TSHA; City of Katy; Houston Geological Society.)

RoadyGoat →

Katy

1820

Karankawa Indians hunted buffalo on this site as late as the 1820s. Present Fifth Street follows the course of the San Felipe Road, which was opened to Austin's colony in that decade. In 1836 Santa Anna used that road in his march toward San Jacinto. This site was in the 1839 land grant of Republic of Texas citizen James J. Crawford. In 1863 at their camp on San Felipe Road, 35 Confederate soldiers died and were buried in the locality. Cane Island, the original settlement, was known as a stagecoach stop. Developers platted Katy townsite after Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad ("The Katy Line") reached this point in 1895. The post office opened Jan. 23, 1896, in the postmaster's mercantile store. In 1897, William Eule grew a rice crop, initiating the locality's major industry. Eule's son Fred dug an irrigation well for the rice fields in 1899. The 1900 hurricane razed or damaged all improvements except two houses in Katy, but the town was soon rebuilt. Beginning in 1927, nearby petroleum developments enhanced the local economy. Incorporated n 1945, the town had 849 people in 1950 and 3800 by 1970. It is a tri-county municipality, lying in Fort Bend, Harris, and Waller counties.

Historical Marker →

Katy, TX

1934

Katy, first known as Cane Island, is on Interstate Highway 10 and U.S. Highway 90 at the intersection of Harris, Waller, and Fort Bend counties, twenty-five miles west of downtown Houston. The name Katy may have been taken from the name Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad or from the name of the saloonkeeper's wife. Before 1890 the depot was operated by the Hennesey family on the Texas Western Railroad, a mile south of the platted town site. Peter Black and the families of former slaves Tom Robinson and Milto McGinnis were also in the area. In 1894 the Pitts family moved north of town, and in 1895 M. A. Beckendorff, a surveyor for Waller County, moved to Pitts Road. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas had built through the site of Katy by the end of 1893, but no station was located there at that time. J. E. Cabaniss, the first railroad agent in Katy, took up his duties there in 1895. The depot was finished in 1898, enlarged in 1919, then sold to the city of Katy in 1977. In 1990 the depot was a museum operated by the Katy Historical Society. The Baptist and Methodist congregations were organized in 1898 and met either in homes or the school building until the Methodist church was built in 1904 for all to use. Katy had one-room schools circling the area; they were Schlipf, Sills, Stockdick, South Mayde, and Dischner. In 1919 the Katy Independent School District was formed; it registered 17,000 students in 1989. The Katy post office opened in 1896, with J. O. Thomas and W. P. Morrison, who owned grocery stores, as the first and second postmasters. William Eule introduced rice farming to the dry-land farmers in 1901, and rice replaced cotton, peanuts, and corn. The farming community supported several businesses: Dr. J. M. Stewart and John H. Wright came to Katy in 1898 and formed Stewart and Wright Drug Store in 1904; Wright built the first telephone lines and ran a water system; Adam Stockdick and J. H. Hayes were realtors; the Owens, Clardy, and Cobb families owned hotels; Charlie Mares had a saloon; Trangott Kellner ran a meat market; and Cabaniss operated a rice and peanut warehouse and lumberyard. In 1904 Katy had a reported population of 119. The following year it had two hotels, two livery stables, two lumberyards, and a saloon. The town gained a private bank in 1914. The Katy State Bank followed and operated from 1922 to 1932. Katy National Bank opened in 1955 and was replaced with First Bank, Katy, in 1989. The discovery well of the Katy gas field was drilled in 1934. The Humble plant ( Exxon ) was put into operation in 1943 with Joseph E. Clayton as superintendent. This plant, which extracted liquid hydrocarbons from gas, reached a peak production in January 1945 of 13,000 barrels a day. During World War II the size of the reserves and the proximity of Houston-area refineries combined to make Katy the most important gas-condensate field in the country. Development of the gas field resulted in a doubling of the population in Katy. From 1925 to 1942 it was reported at 400. It rose to 800 in 1943. The city of Katy was incorporated in 1945 with C. L. Baird as the first mayor and Arthur O. Miller and H. E. Romack as councilmen. After the 1940s the town continued to grow steadily. It reached a high of 9,866 inhabitants in 1988 before declining to 8,005 in 1990. By 2000 the population had increased to 11,775.

Tsha Handbook →

First Baptist Church of Katy

1898

On November 20, 1898, the Rev. T. L. Scruggs led the first official meeting of what would later become the First Baptist Church of Katy. Among the new congregation's first twelve charter members were W.H. Featherston, W. P. & Hattie A. Morrison and seven of their family and relatives. The Morrison and Featherston families did much to support the foundation and growth of the church, first named Zion Baptist Church. They met in the one-room Katy schoolhouse with several other denominations. The Rev. J. P. Durham, a circuit minister, was called as the first pastor. He visited once a month, alternating with the Methodists and others. In 1904 the congregation began to meet in a building erected by Katy Methodists. The Baptist congregation changed its name to Katy Baptist church in 1914 and erected its own building at a cost of $1,380. The Katy Baptist Church grew quickly with the rapidly expanding economy of the Texas Gulf Coast. A masonry building replaced the first worship center and the name first Baptist Church of Katy was adopted in 1948. Continued growth resulted in the addition of a much larger worship center and educational building in 1967. The church has contributed to worldwide missions as a member of the Southern Baptist Convention since 1905. Direct missions include an annual outreach in Mexico and the establishment of twelve mission churches in this area since 1946. The membership swelled to more than four thousand and the church relocated to a site just south of the original building as it celebrated its centennial in 1998. A white frame chapel was erected at the new site as a reminder of the first building and the original and continuing vision of the church. (2000)

Historical Marker →

Pittsville

1840

Planters preferring the prairie to the hazardous Brazos River bottoms settled this village in the 1840s. Named for store owners A. R. and Amanda (Wade) Pitts, it was a major commercial center by 1860. During the Civil War, the Pittsville Home Guard and Confederate cavalry units, which helped recapture Galveston, camped in the area. Notable residents included Robert Locke Harris and A. A. Laurence, Confederate surgeons; William Sheriff and J. Wesson Parker, Texas legislators and Fort Bend County judges; and John Huggins, innovator of horseracing techniques. The arrival of a new railroad to the south in 1888, and the subsequent founding of Fulshear, resulted in the gradual decline and eventual disappearance of Pittsville by the late 1940s. 					(2010)

Historical Marker → · 7.4 mi away

Briscoe, Dolph, Sr.

1890

Dolph Briscoe, Sr., cattleman, was born on September 1, 1890, in Fulshear, Texas, one of four children of Judge Lee Adolphus and Lucy (Wade) Briscoe. His father was a planter, jurist, rancher, and descendant of Andrew Briscoe . His mother was a granddaughter of Randolph Foster . On October 1, 1913, Briscoe married his cousin Georgie Briscoe, who resided in Fulshear, and a year later the couple moved to Uvalde. Their son, Dolph Briscoe, Jr. , became the fortieth governor of the state of Texas. Briscoe, Sr., started in his youth tending cattle at the periphery of his family's plantation. He worked beyond the bordered cultivated fields and quickly became a natural at roping, culling, and driving cattle. His entrepreneurial talents also emerged early. Already mounted by dawn, he began a newspaper route around Fulshear and won a Houston Post competition for increased subscriptions, as well as a scholarship to Peacock Military Academy . But Briscoe naturally gravitated toward the range life. "I had my chance at college," he wrote, "but I didn't want college. My father wanted me to attend the State University and study law, but I liked horse trading better." Briscoe ran mules and horses from Bee, Wilson, and Dimmit counties to the farmers on the coastal prairies, and business was profitable, especially soon after the harvest. He expanded operations and began selling in Arkansas and Missouri. He partnered with Leo Byrd and ranched along the Leona River. He traded cattle, formed a partnership with J. M. Patton and Albert Finley, and by 1919 was buying cattle by the thousands. He "went broke," he recalled, in 1921 and again in 1932. He next became a commission agent for Humble Oil and Refining Company for the Uvalde territory, and in the course of distributing for Humble (later Exxon ), he made friends with Ross Sterling , president of Humble and Briscoe's next partner in the cattle business. After buying the Chupadera Ranch in Dimmitt and Webb counties the two men went broke. In 1932 the cattle business, like many other businesses in the nation, went sour. Beef at two cents a pound would not even pay the freight costs. Briscoe faltered but did not quit. He leased in subsequent years the Catarina Ranch, then bought 35,000 acres of it. He ran the Margarito Ranch and put 5,000 Hereford cattle on it in northern Coahuila. He became a partner of Albert Finley in a 10,000-acre spread named the Gato and acquired the Rio Frio Ranch, 14,000 acres north of Uvalde. His O6 (Open Six) brand was an adaptation of the original Sterling-Briscoe O9 brand, which Dolph Briscoe, Jr., later used. The O6 rapidly spread across several counties as the indefatigable Briscoe began to build his cattle fortunes for a third time. In 1933 he founded the Uvalde Wool and Mohair Company, which became his official office when he was not out on his land. In 1973, in the midst of a school-tax dispute over the Briscoe holdings, the Dallas Morning News estimated that the Briscoe family owned 303,125 acres in five counties, and that with additional leased acreage they controlled a million acres worth $40 million. The Briscoes were consequently the state's largest landholders. By this time Briscoe hobnobbed with prominent Texans who came to socialize and to hunt at his ranches, particularly at the Chupadera, while he owned it with Ross Sterling and before it went belly up. Jesse Jones , millionaire and lumber baron of Houston, R. M. Farrar , president of the Union National Bank of Houston, former governor W. P. Hobby , Frank E. Clarity, former vice president of the Fort Worth and Denver Railway, Walter W. Fondren , Houston investor, John Mobley, general counsel of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, Duval West , a federal judge, Judge C. A. Goeth of San Antonio, and Edward W. Kilman of the Houston Post Dispatch were visitors to Briscoe's ranches. He was also active in Governor Daniel J. Moody 's campaign for office, and he helped extensively when his old friend Sterling ran for gov

Tsha Handbook → · 7.5 mi away

Fulshear, Churchill

1824

Churchill Fulshear, one of Stephen F. Austin 's Old Three Hundred colonists, was born in France. He worked as a mariner for a time, and was in Craven County, North Carolina, on December 9, 1800, when he married Betsy Summers. They were in Tennessee by 1808, when their third son was born. In the summer of 1824 Fulshear moved to Texas. He arrived already a man of considerable property and soon was settled on a sitio of land, granted in 1824 in what is now Fort Bend County. There he raised stock and farmed with his three sons, Benjamin, Graves, and Churchill Fulshear, Jr. His household also included his wife, a daughter, and a servant. Noah Smithwick arrived in Texas in 1827, walked from the coast to the Fulshear home, and was welcomed into the family's log cabin. There he was given his first Texas meal of "dried venison sopped in honey." In 1829 Fulshear ran for regidor at San Felipe but was defeated by Jesse H. Cartwright . He ran again in 1830 and was elected. Though he was old and lame, Fulshear fulfilled his duties, often traveling to check on the merits of land grantees in Austin's colony. He died on January 18, 1831. His three sons served as scouts in the Texas army during the Texas Revolution . They were on duty when Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna crossed the Brazos River on the road to San Jacinto. The town of Fulshear, in northern Fort Bend County, is named for Churchill Fulshear.

Tsha Handbook → · 7.5 mi away

Things to Do in Katy

historical 20.2 mi away
Tomball ISD Stadium

A $35 million high school football cathedral — because in Texas the stadium is the town square. Friday night lights at their finest.
quirky 24.3 mi away
Beer Can House

A house covered in 50000 flattened beer cans. 18 years of drinking and decorating.
food 23.4 mi away
Goodson's Cafe

Tomball cafe on State Highway 249, north of Houston. Ella Goodson took over the place in 1954, and the chicken-fried steak here has been called the best in…
quirky 11.5 mi away
Trio of Jumping Cows

A trio of multicolored fiberglass steers mounted to look like they are leaping skyward and salvaged from the 2001 CowParade Houston charity event now rises…
quirky 15.7 mi away
Court Amber Trail Cottage

A tidy blue cottage tucked into a Cypress subdivision. Proof that charm doesn't need acreage.
quirky 24.9 mi away
Virgin Mary Oak Tree

An oak tree in the Garden Oaks neighborhood where passersby report seeing the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe in the bark and leave flowers and religious…

Sports in Katy

🏆 STATE CHAMPIONS Class 5A · Football · 2021

Paetow — 2021 UIL 5A Division 1 Football State Champions

Most recent: 27-24 (OT) over College Station · 2021 5A Division 1 final

Katy, Texas – Paetow High School, a force in Class 5A football, has established itself with a significant state championship title. The Panthers' program continues to be a point of pride, reflecting the competitive spirit found throughout Texas high school sports. Their success on the field is a testament to the hard work and dedication of their athletes.

The school has also seen its talent advance, with notable alumni like Daymion Sanford moving on to major college programs and professional opportunities. Paetow High School remains a vibrant part of the local sports scene, with its football team consistently showcasing the skill and determination that defines Texas high school athletics.

State titles
2021
Most recent
2021, 27-24 (OT)
Class
5A
Key Players
  • Daymion Sanford — , college football linebacker for the Texas A&M Aggies
The moment

Paetow High School secured the 2021 5A Division 1 state championship by defeating College Station 27-24 in overtime.

Sources: Wikipedia · UIL State Championship Archives · SI High School (ScoreBook Live)
🏆 STATE CHAMPIONS Class 6A · Football · 2020

Katy Tigers — 2020 UIL 6A Division 2 Football State Champions

Most recent: 51-14 over Cedar Hill · 2020 6A Division 2 final

Katy High School, a Class 6A powerhouse in Katy, Texas, consistently fields competitive football teams. The Tigers have a tradition of excellence on the gridiron, reflecting the community's passion for high school sports. Their program has been a significant force in Texas high school football, showcasing dedicated athletes and robust team play year after year.

The school has also been a launching pad for talent, with several alumni moving on to professional or major collegiate careers. Nic Anderson, Dalton Johnson, and Ryan Mouton are among those who have continued their athletic journeys beyond Katy, illustrating the caliber of athletes developed within the program's strong framework.

State titles
2020
Most recent
2020, 51-14
Class
6A
Key Players
  • Nic Anderson — (2022) – college football wide receiver for the LSU Tigers
  • Dalton Johnson — (2021) – college football safety for the Arizona Wildcats
  • Ryan Mouton — NFL cornerback (2009-2013)
The moment

One memorable championship moment for Katy High School came in 2020 when the 6A Division 2 team defeated Cedar Hill with a decisive score of 51-14.

Sources: Wikipedia · UIL State Championship Archives · SI High School (ScoreBook Live)
⭐ HOMETOWN LEGENDS Class 6A · Athletics

Morton Ranch Mavericks — Morton Ranch — a college & pro athletic pipeline

5 alumni who reached major-college or pro sports

Katy, Texas – Morton Ranch High School, a Class 6A powerhouse, has a proud tradition of developing athletes who excel beyond high school. The Mavericks have seen a number of their own go on to achieve significant success in major-college and professional sports. These former students represent the dedication and talent fostered within the school's athletic programs, bringing recognition to their hometown.

Among the notable alumni are Kevin Foster, a basketball player who played overseas, and Tamyra Mensah-Stock, a WWE pro wrestler and Olympic Gold medalist in freestyle wrestling. The roster also includes Danielle Hunter, an NFL All-Pro defensive end, track and field athlete Elijah Hall, and LJ Cryer, an NBA G League basketball player. Their journeys reflect the diverse athletic opportunities at Morton Ranch.

Pro/D1 alumni
5
Class
6A
Founded
2004
Key Players
  • Kevin Foster — (2008) – basketball player who played overseas
  • Tamyra Mensah-Stock — (2011) - WWE pro wrestler and Olympic Gold medalist in freestyle wrestling
  • Danielle Hunter — (2012) - NFL All-Pro defensive end
  • Elijah Hall — (2013) - track and field athlete
  • LJ Cryer — (2020) - NBA G League basketball player
The moment

Tamyra Mensah-Stock is an Olympic Gold medalist in freestyle wrestling.

Sources: Wikipedia · SI High School (ScoreBook Live)
🏆 STATE CHAMPIONS Class 6A · Volleyball · 2020

Seven Lakes — 2020 UIL 6A Volleyball State Champions

Most recent: 2020 6A

Seven Lakes High School, located in Katy, Texas, holds a prominent place in Class 6A volleyball. The Spartans have achieved a significant milestone in Texas high school sports, securing a UIL State Championship in 2020. This accomplishment reflects the dedication and hard work within the program, bringing state-level recognition to the Katy community.

The school's volleyball program continues to be a point of pride for Seven Lakes. While no alumni are currently listed as having gone on to professional or major-college sports from this team, the 2020 state title remains a highlight, representing a peak achievement in competitive Texas high school volleyball.

State titles
2020
Most recent
2020
Class
6A
The moment

The 2020 6A UIL State Championship stands as a key moment for Seven Lakes High School volleyball.

Sources: UIL State Championship Archives · SI High School (ScoreBook Live)
🏆 STATE CHAMPIONS Class 6A · Softball · 2019–2026

Katy Tigers — UIL 6A Softball State Champions — 2 titles

Most recent: 2026 6A Division 2

Katy High School's softball program, a Class 6A powerhouse in the heart of Texas, has established a strong record in UIL state championship play. The Tigers have brought home two state titles, showcasing their consistent performance at the highest level of high school competition.

These achievements reflect the dedication and skill fostered within the Katy softball community. The program's success is a source of pride for the school and the entire Katy area, underscoring a tradition of excellence on the diamond.

State titles
2 (2019–2026)
Most recent
2026
Class
6A
The moment

The 2019 6A state championship stands as a significant moment for Katy High School softball.

Sources: Wikipedia · UIL State Championship Archives · SI High School (ScoreBook Live)

Everything Near Katy

383 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

Explore Katy on the Map
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