KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
October 31, 2020
By Natalie Cook Clark
On this All Hallows Eve, will you share spooky stories about Katy's past or jump at a sound you can’t place?
Photo credit: Laurie St. Cyr
Katy has a rich history and with it, legends and tales passed down through the generations. From haunted homes, unexplained events at a local high school, or UFO sightings, Katy has it all to make for a fun Halloween season.
Haunted Homes in Katy
Nothing says spooky like a good haunted house tale - and Katy has some.
Ghosts in Katy
“Do you see her?” asks Carmen Feuer who took this picture at 2:30 a.m. one morning on her Katy property. “I believe it to be a woman and not very nice looking if you zoom in on her face.”
Photo credit: Carmen Feuer
Paranormal investigator Paul "Elvis" Amos, of Cryptozoological Paranormal Investigations, claims to have identified several haunted houses in Katy. Many houses in Old Katy have noted unexplained happenings, but even residents in newer (compared to Katy's age) developments have reported unusual experiences too.
"We try to debunk everything. We normally can, and most of the time it's a hot water heater or AC unit, etc.," explains Paul "Elvis" Amos. "Most of the popular Katy locations we went to we found nothing. The best paranormal Katy experiences we've had were in private residential homes, which we obviously can't say who or where they are."
A Cinco Ranch Haunting
"We did have an experience at a home in Cinco Ranch where a young couple was experiencing a menacing poltergeist,” says Amos. “They had objects moving around the house and sightings of a shadow figure. I was in the attic with the husband and we both saw a dark shadow figure. That stuff sticks with you."
In this case, the family's haunting story has a happy ending.
"We worked with the family and they are no longer affected by the shadow figure that used to bother them,” says Amos. “We want to help people. This is why we do what we do."
For more information on C.P.I. visit their website or Youtube channel.
As Amos points out, the vast majority of "unexplained sounds or experiences" can always be explained by a natural cause. Still, it's fun to wonder this time of year.
A Katy mom shared a picture her daughter took in their Katy home.
Photo credit: Shannon Collopy
“I love ghost stories and watch all the ghost hunting shows,” says Shannon Collopy.
Aside from the picture she shared and reporting a few strange noises, the Collopys haven’t experienced what they believe to be a true Katy ghost story.
A Woman in White
Mystery Woman in White (or Gray) on Clay Road
Laurie St. Cyr with KT Paranormal also investigated the popular legend of a lone woman in white seen at Greenhouse and Clay Road. Legend has it the woman can be seen when drivers turn off their headlights and take the sharp turn near the bayou (not recommended to our readers for obvious safety reasons).
KT Paranormal investigated the local haunt prior to the development of the location today.
"The turn is sharp and I don't recommend doing it with your lights off. Safety is always number one for us," says St. Cyr. "We did investigate this and at the turn, we did see a woman in white. It was very brief and one of the students with me noted that she looked like she was dressed from Little House on the Prairie."
Reports of sightings occur frequently at this location, but visitors must take caution and be safe while driving. Most sightings occur when people are not looking.
Last year, a Katy mother and daughter reported seeing a strange sight on that road.
"We were driving and turning near the gas station when I saw a woman walking towards the station in black pants, black top, and a gray jacket," says the mother. "She looked like an older woman to me."
She commented on the woman to her daughter who claimed that when she looked back, she saw a young woman in a grayish, white dress. Strange? Or a fun illusion on a dark road.
Mayde Creek High School Ghosts?
One of the biggest local paranormal investigations took place at a Katy high school. In October of 2011, St. Cyr's group was summoned to investigate paranormal activity that seemed to be happening at Mayde Creek High.
Photo credit: Laurie St. Cyr
"At the time I worked for the District, so people knew what I did with my son and his friends on the side. The administration, at the time, asked us to come conduct an investigation and of course, we were thrilled to do so," says St. Cyr.
More Activity at Mayde Creek Than Any Other Investigation
St. Cyr's process is to set up video equipment, meters, and also set aside dead time: a time allotted (once the team is set up) to wait and observe to see if any paranormal events happen.
"At Mayde Creek High School, we experienced the most activity of any of our investigations," says St. Cyr. "We got pictures of orb movement. On camera, we got something that moved across the stage and took sixteen minutes to do so. In the foyer by the office, one of us took a picture and saw a shadow just outside the principal's office."
Computers Turning on Randomly
While at Mayde Creek, St. Cyr's paranormal team also walked by a row of computers that suddenly turned on.
"At the time I thought that was strange but I decided to talk to the technology staff at the high school to see if any back-ups were scheduled for that night," says St. Cyr.
Unexplained electronic activity is a common sign of paranormal activity according to paranormal experts. St. Cyr says the school confirmed that there were no back-ups set for those computers and there was no reason why they should have turned on.
"I know we didn't touch them or even get close enough to bump one accidentally,” says St. Cyr. “That was strange."
Setting Limits and Debunking Rumors
Don’t miss more creepy Katy tales and legends, like the haunted cemeteries lace and I turned down the offer every time," says St. Cyr. "Our first priority after safety is to debunk anything. Then if we can't, it's fun to be curious and open to what is out there."
UFO's Visiting Katy?
Not all fun Katy legends center around ghosts and witches.
“Katy does have a lot of UFO sightings, but the phenomenon is throughout Texas and probably even further,” says one local man and UFO enthusiast.
Avenue D in Old Katy is a hotspot for Texas UFO sightings.
“Most of the time when you spot one, you’re not looking for one,” he says. “They can come at the most sporadic times. During the day they can look like glowing orbs and can be anywhere from way up high to down low. Nighttime is another good time to see them. Most often they look like moving stars, and that's just how I describe them to people.”
Katy made headlines back in October of 2017 when a resident stopped his car at Highland Knolls and Grand Parkway to take video of what he believes is a UFO. The story of his sighting aired on ABC.
More UFO Sightings
Amos may have spotted his own UFO in Katy.
"It was late at night when I stepped outside to get some air,” says Amos. “ I saw two cars coming down the road when all of a sudden, a red and white light came out of the tree line and shot up and disappeared. Both cars stopped and obviously saw it too, so I wasn't alone. I can't explain what I saw," said Amos.
Don’t miss more creepy Katy tales and legends, like the haunted cemeteries here.