Old Oaks

The old Oaks in Katy are revered. When the first settlers arrived in Katy, it was merely a bald prairie with barely a tree in sight, and certainly known that resemble the towering trees we see today.

According to historians, nearly all of Katy’s trees were planted by early settlers to provide shade for the homes and the town.

“Every beautiful old oak that you see in Katy was carefully planted and maintained,” says Lopez.

Lopez says her great-grandfather Stockdick, Katy’s original ‘land man’, was always on the lookout for acorns whenever he traveled into Houston. “When he saw a really beautiful oak tree, he would stop and pick up several acorns from around the tree, bring them home, and plant them.

Lopez says many of the statuesque trees, or Old Oaks, that you see in and around Katy today are descendants of the beautiful old oak trees her great-grandfather scouted in Houston.

Fortunately, many of the modern day developers that have transformed the landscape of Katy have taken into account these old trees and recognized their significance and importance to the people of Katy. You can still see some of these magnificent old oaks in communities like Firethorne, Cane Island, and Woodcreek Reserve.

Read more from our Community Collection. Then for a deeper dive, head on over to the Katy Heritage Society for a more in depth look at the history of the Katy community.