The well-known Stewart & Wright Drug store on 2nd street.

Historical Katy, Texas 

If you stop and look around Katy with its shopping mall, car dealerships, stores, and sprawling homes, it’s hard to imagine what life was like for Katy’s earliest settlers. Folks who chose Katy as their home in the late 1800s did so for very different reasons than people do today. Back then, Texas was considered ‘wild country,’ so these early families were a courageous bunch, lured by cheap land and a strong desire to own a piece of Texas. With little more than their dreams for a better life, these families boarded the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (M-K-T) railroad destined for a place people called Cane Island. The name Katy came later and historians believe the city was named after the M-K-T railroad, which was better known as “The Katy.” Another legend says Katy was named after the saloon keeper’s wife of the same name, who was always there to greet weary travelers with a stiff drink. It was said some visitors would arrive and immediately head off to the saloon to ‘go see Katy.’  

Welcome to the dynamic Katy, Texas area where you are among neighborhoods of friends!
The Katy area’s high quality of life and low cost of living prove attractive to persons at every stage of life. The Katy, Texas area boasts strong community spirit, great schools, and a pleasant subtropical climate. There is plenty of affordable housing in safe, clean neighborhoods, and a thriving business climate. 

Living in the Katy area means an escape from the hustle and bustle of Houston, the 4th largest city in the US. Katy offers the charm of a small town, or the sophistication of suburbia. Housing in Katy ranges from apartments and condominiums to large estate homes with acreage to enjoy and maintain horses or with championship golf courses as their backyard. Subdivisions abound with tennis courts, swimming pools, and endless amenities for residents. 

Katy is named for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (commonly referred to as the "K-T Railroad", now a part of Union Pacific) that ran through Katy in the 19th century. Katy was once known as Cane Island. The name is derived from Cane Island Creek which runs just west of downtown. Cane Creek is a branch of Buffalo Bayou. The origins of the name Cane Island are believed to be from the fact that Katy was once a major sugar cane producer and rice producer. It has a festival the second weekend in October to honor and recognize the former rice producing town