The Kiwanis Club of Baytown was organized on March 12, 1946 with 32 Charter Members. It was originally called the Tri-Cities Kiwanis Club, because the City of Baytown, as we know today, had not organized yet and the cities of Baytown, Pelly and Goose Creek were sharing the new organization. The first President was L.A. Wilkie and they met at the Rebel Inn.

The club started raising funds and organizing projects and was soon contributing to the area. They organized a Boy Scout Troop, founded the Key Club and Keywanette Club at Robert E. Lee High School and helped organize the North Shore Kiwanis Club, all by 1949. In the years to come they would acquire the Key Club and Keywanettes at Ross S. Sterling High School and work with the Circle K Club at Lee College. We are presently sponsors for Key Clubs (co-ed now) at Robert E. Lee, Ross S. Sterling and Barbers Hill High Schools.

After several fund raising ideas, the club found their only annual fund raiser, “The Kiwanis Apple Sale”, in 1949. That year they sold 800 boxes at $5 each. After a few “rocky” years, the sale now is looked for each year by Baytown residents. Now, every Halloween is also Kiwanis Apple Time in town and as many as 3000 boxes have been sold to fund all the projects for the following year,

The Baytown Kiwanis Club is the largest in the Division 28 of the Texas/Oklahoma District and a leader in the Texas/Oklahoma District of Kiwanis International.