New Franklin to Boonville - New Franklin, MO
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member YoSam.
N 39° 00.753 W 092° 44.144
15S E 522879 N 4318202
Another marker at the Katy Trail Trailhead in New Franklin
Waymark Code: WM14KKM
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 07/22/2021
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Geo Ferret
Views: 0
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County of marker: Howard County
Location of marker: foot of S. Howard St., just S. of S. Missouri St., New Franklin
Marker erected: 2010
Marker erected by: Missouri Department of Natural Resources

The 3.6 miles from New Franklin to Boonville cross the Missouri River floodplain and then the river itself. Trail users pass the once-important Franklin Junction and the 1816 town-site of Franklin, now farm fields.

The area round the old Franklin depot at milepost 189.1 revels ruins of the turntable and powerhouse. Franklin Junction once served as a major Katy junction, maintenance center and freight division headquarters.

At Kingsbury Siding, milepost 190.8, are monuments to the Santa Fe Trail, which began in Franklin, and to the first newspaper west of St. Louis. The trail briefly leaves the railroad corridor beyond Kingsbury Siding. After crossing highway 87, trail users detour left to a dedicated bicycle lane on the highway bridge over the Missouri River.

The railroad crossed a short distance upstream from the highway bridge. The first Katy bridge in 1874 was the fifth bridge to cross the Missouri. The current bridge, a 1932 replacement, was the longest lift-span in the United States when constructed. No longer needed, it is scheduled for removal.

Once in Boonville, follow the paved trail to Morgan Street, then turn right for one block. At the Boonville depot, you have returned to the Katy right-of-way. The trailhead lies a short distance passed the depot.

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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