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 McKittrick to Treloar - McKittrick, MO Posted by:  YoSam.
N 38° 44.036 W 091° 26.670
15S E 635200 N 4288399
History, mileposts and notice of what to look for on your journey
Waymark Code: WMRP29
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 07/15/2016
Views: 3
County of marker: Montgomery County
Location of marker: McKittrick Trail Head, mile post 101.8, Katy Trail State Park
Marker erected: 2000
Marker erected by: Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Katy Trail State Park
Marker text: McKittrick to Treloar
points of interest
Katy Trail State Park users cover the largest segment between trailheads on the entire trail from McKittrick to Treloar: 16.1 miles. McKittrick is a former Katy railroad town, and the remains of the depot and coal sheds are still present in the trailhead area. For about the first seven miles, the trail to Treloar runs near the Loutre Slough, which branches off the Loutre River and later empties into the Missouri River.
These first seven miles offer classic Katy scenery of high dolomite bluffs on one side of the trail and bottomland agriculture on the other. The small former railroad villages of Case and Gore stand at mileposts 96.9 and 93.8. From Case, the Katy trail enters one of the most spectacular stretches of the state park. Between Gore and Bernheimer, trail users have outstanding views of the river and bluffs. Gore was one of many Katy towns on this stretch -- along with McKittrick and Case -- named for Missouri, Kansas and Eastern Railroad investors. The rail line here was especially vulnerable to floods.
The Katy Trail moves away from the Missouri River shortly after the Smith Creek bridge, and enters the floodplain as it approaches Treloar. Treloar, another railroad town founded with the arrival of the Katy in 1892, has two old grain elevators as reminders of how important the railroad was to local economies.
History of Mark:
The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (MKT)
Begun in the 1870s, the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, also known as the Katy, ran through much of the Missouri River valley by the 1890s. With the Pacific Railroad running from St. St. Louis to Jefferson City by 1856 and the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad becoming the first cross-state railroad in 1859, the Katy was a relative late comer to the railroad game. However, it provided a vital link between the agriculture of central Missouri and the quickly developing American southwest. The Katy added to Missouri's prosperity, supporting towns along the corridor and causing several new towns, such Mokane and Tebbetts, to spring up almost overnight.
The Katy Ceases Operation
In the fall of 1986, the Katy experienced severe flooding that washed out several miles of track. Due to the cost of repair, the fact that railroad use was in decline, and the company was in financial trouble, the company decided to cease operations. On Oct. 4, 1986, trains 101 and 102 became the very last trains to use the corridor and the Katy ceased operations on its route from Sedalia to Machens.
The Railroad Amendment
The National Trails System Act Amendments of 1983 provided 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. When the Katy Railroad ceased operations, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources filed for a certificate of interim trail use for the corridor from Sedalia to Machens and it was granted in April 1987. The department used the opportunity to develop one of the most successful rails-to-trails conversions in the United States.
The Development of Katy Trail State Park
The first section of the trail from Rocheport to McBaine opened in April on 1990. In August of 1990, another section from Augusta to jut northeast of Defiance opened. The rail corridor from St. Charles to just past Sedalia was developed by 1996. Through a donation from the Union Pacific Railroad, the department then extended the trail to Clinton, opening the section between Sedalia and Clinton in September of 1999. Funds from the Missouri Department of Transportation will be used for construction of the final section of Katy Trail from St. Charles to Machens. Future plans include the Rock Island Trail-Katy Connector, which will connect the trails at Windsor to Pleasant Hill.
Web link: Not listed
Additional point: Not Listed
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Visit Instructions:
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