By: Tom Behrens
Join in celebration of 125th anniversary of the MKT Railroad Depot. The prominent red caboose marks the downtown park. The Depot was built in 1898, and has been restored to serve as the Visitors Center. It is a central location for tourists and visitors to obtain information, brochures and maps of the City of Katy and Katy businesses.
The Katy Heritage Society Railroad Museum inside the Depot displays many original historical items, and explains how the Depot operated as a stop for passenger rail service in Katy until 1957. The park consists of a caboose, owned by the society, and the MKT Depot Museum, owned by the City of Katy.
A bit of Katy history:
The area west of Houston, which we know now as Katy, was called Cane Island. Cane Island city leaders, J.O.Thomas, L.C. Luckel, and R.M. Cash changed the name to Katy to commemorate the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, that was a economic boon to the town.
In 1895 the MKT Katy stop served as a water stop for steam engines. In 1989 it merged with the Union Pacific Railroad system before closing to make way for the Katy Freeway’s expansion. The Katy community still honors the railroad that brought prosperity to the community.
The depot, built in 1898, was moved twice before settling into its present address in 2005. The original structure was in use until about 1957, when passenger service was discontinued. The caboose located in the park is a retired caboose from the Copper Range RR in Michigan.
Inside the Depot Museum guests can observe historical artifacts from the original depot, including train car lights, vintage luggage, and old books. There’s also a replica of how the original waiting areas would have looked in the early 1900s.
Celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Katy Depot:
The closing of 1st Street between Ave A and Ave. B, between Hwy. 90 and 1st Street will be closed between 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. on January 14 for a planned parade to celebrate the Depot’s anniversary. Engineer hats for the kids, commemorative cookies, tours of the Depot, and a G-Scale model train set-up will help celebrate the day.
Many thanks to the Katy Heritage Society for sharing this historical information.