From rice to good times

Three concrete rice dryers went up here between 1943 and 1966. The tallest is 177 feet, and it is still the tallest structure in Katy, Richmond and Rosenberg. The last rice was dried in 1987, then the property sat neglected for decades. Since 2021 a local Katy developer and Katy Heritage Society have been bringing the landmark back to life, stage by stage.

Follow the timeline The museum

The J.V. Cardiff & Sons rice dryers in a sepia-toned photo

Katy rice dryer history

The road so far

1943Katy, Texas

The first concrete rice dryer in Texas

In 1943 J.V. Cardiff & Sons started building the first concrete rice dryer in Texas. It still stands facing US Hwy-90, and an underground tunnel runs beneath the building, spanning the entire length of the silo.

The dryer under construction.
1945Second dryer

A second rice dryer

Business was doing well, so the Cardiffs decided to expand and built their second concrete rice dryer in 1945, with twice the capacity of the first.

J.V. Cardiff in a rice field.
1966177 feet

The tallest rice dryer in the country

In 1966 the Cardiffs hired Borton Company from Hutchinson, Kansas to build their largest and tallest rice dryer. When it was completed it stood 177 feet tall, the tallest rice dryer in the country. It is still the tallest structure in Katy, Richmond and Rosenberg.

The news in 1966.
1987The last rice

Last rice production

Rice drying wound down between 1986 and 1993. According to one of the Cardiff descendants, the last rice production was in 1987. Since then the entire property sat neglected and without a purpose.

Machinery left inside the dryer.
2021New chapter

A local developer and Katy Heritage Society

The property changed hands a few times after 1986, but it was never again used to dry rice and there was never any significant development. In 2021 a local developer in Katy bought the property and began working with Katy Heritage Society, the oldest non-profit in Katy, to restore The Dryer and bring life back to it.

The people who made it possible

The dryers today.
2022Onward

Re-imagining a historic landmark

While preservation of the buildings goes on, we have been busy with planning, architectural work and engineering. The beer garden, the farmers market, the train and the events came first; the museum, the restaurant inside the Silo, the marketplace and the gift shop are next. Please follow the project on our Facebook page.

What is coming soon

Market day at the silos.

A long concrete passage inside the dryer with a ladder along one side, before restoration — Inside the dryer, before restoration.

Coming soon in 2027

Katy Rice Dryer Museum

At the base of the tallest of the three J.V. Cardiff and Sons rice dryers, vintage artifacts from Katy's agricultural and pioneering history will be on display, along with photographs and tributes to local families.

From the date of purchase, local history and preservation have been at the forefront of our vision and plan. As a cooperative project between The Dryer and Katy Heritage Society, the museum will have heritage-rich displays and exhibits year-round. Schools, clubs and groups will be able to arrange special tours.

About the museum Katy Gift Shop

Then and now