Tomball: A German Railroad & Oil Town

Tomball is one of those Texas towns that changed its name and then changed its luck. It started as a railroad stop called Peck, renamed itself for a local congressman, Thomas Henry Ball, and grew up around the depot as a trading center for the German farm families of the Klein and Decker Prairie country north of Houston. Then, in 1933, the ground gave up a fortune: a major oil field came in beneath the town, and Tomball briefly billed itself 'Oiltown, U.S.A.' The gas company that developed the field struck a remarkable deal — it supplied the town with free water and natural gas for decades, a perk residents remembered long after. This walk threads Tomball's two big stories, the railroad and the oil, through a compact historic district: a pioneer museum village, restored settler homes, the depot heart of downtown, and the German roots underneath it all. Comfortable shoes will serve you well.