Clifton City to Pilot Grove - Clifton City, MO
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member YoSam.
N 38° 45.743 W 093° 02.456
15S E 496443 N 4290409
Points of interest and history along the Katy Trail State P
Waymark Code: WM124H7
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 02/25/2020
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member iconions
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County of marker: Cooper County
Location of marker: MO-BB, Katy Trail State Park Trailhead, Clifton City
Marker erected: 2010
Marker erected by: Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Marker Text:

Clifton City to Pilot Grove

Over the 12.1 miles from Clifton City to Pilot Grove, the terrain shifts from the Osage Plains to the Ozark Border, becoming more rolling. Trail users can expect gradual uphill grades after the Lamine River. East of Clifton City, riders cross the Lamine River at milepost 214.2 on a through-truss bridge; the 1913 vehicle bridge is just upriver.

Don;t miss one of the few remaining railroad signal lights in Katy Trail State Park at milepost 213.2. As the trail skirts the Lamine River, watch for Sweeney Quarry on your right at milepost 212.7. Traveling next to the Lamine provides excellent views of the river and bottomland forest.

The historic Pleasant Green plantation house is visible at the milepost 210.9 road crossing. A gravel road leads one-third of a mile to Highway 135. On the way, the 1868 Methodist Church is on the right. You can return to the trail by the same gravel road, or turn right on Highway 135 and return to the trail after three-quarters of a mile. Upon reaching the trail, turn left (east) to continue on to Pilot Grove.

At milepost 209.2 you'll find the village site of Pleasant Green. During the Civil War, Clear Creek was a camp site during a march of Union Gen. Nathaniel Lyon and 2.400 troops. Between mileposts 207 and 208, the elevated railroad bed over Taylor Branch, bordered by oak woodlands, has exceptional views. The trail continues on a gentle incline through farm and fields to Pilot Grove.

Web link: [Web Link]

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.



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