Thomas Park
Having a picnic in a Katy park can be a small, family affair
Have you ever planned a family picnic, only to find other families with the same idea thronging to the park you have chosen? Have you ever wished you could find someplace a bit smaller? Less crowded? More private? There is such a place, right in the heart of Katy.
Thomas Park is a charming little recreational area at the end of 3rd Street, just off Avenue D. This quaint green space boasts large trees, a play ground, a gazebo, picnic tables, park benches and paved walkways. It is spacious enough to contain everything including a restroom facility, yet small enough to feel like you have your own personal green space.
At one end of the park, the key attraction is the Tri-County Marker designating the junction where Katy’s three counties meet: Waller (to the North), Fort Bend (Southwest), and Harris (East) Counties. The original marker is a triangular, concrete pillar, whittled to a nub by time and weather.  The county names engraved into each of the pillar’s three sides are equally worn by time and weather, making them difficult to read. The pillar is now permanently affixed atop a triangular base of concrete, surrounded on all sides by bricks and marble plaques engraved with each of the County names. The plaques, as with the sides of the pillar, face the direction of their respective counties.
The park is named after Oliver Thomas, one of Katy’s founding fathers. Thomas moved with his family from Mississippi to help settle this growing farming community along the MKT Railroad. In 1885, Thomas purchased 320 acres of land. He created the initial plan which became the original
 blueprint for the City of Katy. His plan included two parks, one which became Mary Jo Peckham Park, and the other which became the town square. Thomas Park was donate in 1907 by one of his heirs, J. O. Thomas, L C. Luckel, and R. M. Cash.
Do you know of any other small picnic areas suitable for family fun in or near Katy?
