Katy Trail - St. Charles
Posted by: 
Tollybrew
N 38° 46.801 W 090° 28.843
15S E 718838 N 4295379
Katy Trail State Park is built on the former corridor of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT) Railroad (better known as the Katy). This is currently the eastern terminus of the trail.
Waymark Code: WMFMK
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 06/25/2006
Views: 68
When the railroad decided to cease operation on its route from Machens in St. Charles County to Sedalia in Pettis County in 1986, it presented the chance to create an extraordinary recreational opportunity -- a long-distance hiking and bicycling trail that would run almost 200 miles across the state.
The opportunity for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to acquire the right-of-way was made possible by the National Trails System Act, which provides that railroad corridors no longer needed for active rail service can be banked for future transportation needs and used on an interim basis for recreational trails. Because of a generous donation by the late Edward D. "Ted" Jones, the department was able to secure the right-of-way and construct the trail. In 1991, the Union Pacific Railroad donated to the state an additional 33 miles of rail corridor from Sedalia to east of Clinton. Additional purchases and donations have been added. Today, Katy Trail state park is open for 225 miles from St. Charles to Clinton and is operated by the Department of Natural Resources as part of the state park system.
This trailhead is located in historic St. Charles, Missouri at Frontier Park. This is the site of the launch of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The first train on the MKT RR to pass through St. Charles was on April 1, 1894. A passenger could ride all of the way to Galveston, Texas. In 1921, thieves stole $110,000 from the St. Charles Katy depot in one of the largest station and mail robberies in U.S. history. On April 11, 1986, the last Katy train rode the tracks to St. Louis.
