Fulshear-Katy Community Guide 2024-25

OUR HISTORY

FULSHEAR REACHES A MILESTONE

The history of the area is intertwined with both prosperity and hardship, but ultimately, it has been the story of unrelenting perseverance and determination. As Fulshear proudly celebrates 200 years of its history in 2024, it is evident that the spirit of this proud community remains alive and well through the residents, community leaders, and business owners that turned out in record numbers for the City’s Bicentennial Celebration hosted at Fulshear High School in March. “Our city stands as a beacon of achievement and progress in Fort Bend County, proudly earning its reputation as the premier address in the region. As a testament to our commitment to safety, we take pride in being recognized as one of the safest cities in the United States. Moreover, our city’s dynamic spirit is evident in its rapid growth, solidifying our position as one of the fastest-growing communities in the nation,” says Annel Guadalupe, Director of Economic Development for the City of Fulshear. “In heartfelt appreciation to each citizen, your invaluable contributions have woven into the very fabric of Fulshear’s history, propelling our city to new heights of achievement, safety, and growth, making us all proud stewards of this flourishing and exceptional community.”

population dropped to around 100 people. Fulshear incorporated as a general law city with the State of Texas in 1977, and converted to a home-rule city in 2016. While both towns were originally established around railroad stops, their explosive growth over the past decade or so has been fueled by the westward growth of the Houston area, primarily due to the construction of new transportation infrastructure. Interstate 10 was originally opened in 1966, and the Katy area quickly felt the impact as its population began to grow rapidly. I-10 has now ballooned to an average of 26 lanes, including feeder roads and HOV lanes, and is one of the primary factors that has fueled the unprecedented growth of the Katy area. Meanwhile, the original development of the Westpark Tollway, as well as its recent expansion, has helped to fuel the current growth that has made Fulshear the fastest-growing city in the State of Texas. Real estate developers invested heavily in the community, developing numerous master-planned communities, office buildings, and retail centers. This has created a booming new market for industrial and distribution centers along the I-10 corridor.

S eparated by a mere 8 miles, the cities of Fulshear and Katy are more than just neighbors. They share a rich history, a vibrant present, and a promising future. The Fulshear Katy area, with its unique blend of cultures and traditions, has emerged as one of the most dynamic and diverse regions in the State of Texas. What is now known as Fulshear was originally established by Churchill Fulshear in 1824 as part of a land grant that he received from the Mexican government. While he passed away several years later, his son Churchill Jr. and his brothers served in the Texas Revolution, scouting the Mexican army as it crossed the Brazos River into the area that is now Fort Bend County. Churchill Jr. settled in the area and became a prominent landowner and cotton farmer. After the landowners in nearby Pittsville declined to provide a right of way for the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railroad, the railroad approached Fulshear, who agreed to provide the right of way. This turned out to be a wise decision, and by the late 1880s, Fulshear became somewhat of a “boom town.” Immigrants began flocking to the area, and shortly after the turn of the century, the town,

which originally centered around Churchill Fulshear’s cotton gin and flour mill, had grown to include several saloons, stores, shops, and even a hotel. Much like Fulshear, the area that is now Katy was part of a land grant to James J. Crawford and ultimately derived its name from the MKT Railroad Company, which was often shortened to the “K-T.” The town site was originally platted in 1895, but the Great Hurricane of 1900 destroyed nearly all of the homes in the Katy area. Determined, the residents worked tirelessly to rebuild, and within a few years, they had developed the infrastructure to support local businesses, which included a hotel and saloon, among others. Within a few years, many more families began moving to the area with anticipation of prosperity, and the town grew around the original railroad stop. Katy quickly developed into a thriving farming community, with rice, peanuts, and cotton as its primary crops. The Katy Independent School District was founded in 1918, and the City of Katy was ultimately incorporated in 1945. Fulshear also fell on hard times during the early 1900s as the Great Depression caused many of its residents to move away in search of work, and the town’s

8 FULSHEAR-KATY COMMUNITY GUIDE & DIRECTORY 2024-25 ISSUE