County of marker: St. Charles County
Location of marker Inside Klondike Park, on MO 94, N. of Augusta
Marker erected by: St Charles County Parks & Recreation
Klondike Park Campground is located on the site of the old Klondike Sandstone Quarry which closed in 1983. Today the old quarry area can be viewed from the trails that run throughout the park.
Marker Text:
St. Charles County Parks
The St. Charles County Parks Department operates several regional parks designed to conserve the environmental and historical heritage of the area. Located throughout St. Charles County, these parks offer open natural areas, trails, picnic shelters, camping sites, special events facilities, fishing lakes, and much more. This sign is dedicated to tow of the parks located in this area.
KLONDIKE PARK
Once the site of a silica sand quarry, the restored Klondike Park is a growing example of natures's resiliency. The 250-acre park features a modern conference center, picnic shelter, tent and cabin camping, a birding/wildflower area, a fishing lake and a bluff that overlooks the surrounding Missouri River Valley.
Located along the Katy Trail between Defiance and Augusta, Klondike Park is a popular destination for outdoor recreationalists. Natural and paved trails wind through tree-lined hillsides to give cyclists a challenging ride and hiker a tremendous views of wildlife, native plants, and rolling countryside. Boaters can utilize the park's ramp for access to the Missouri River while anglers enjoy fishing for bass, bluegill and catfish.
Recreation at Klondike Park doesn't end at sunset, thanks to six camper cabins and 41 tent campsites. The cabins have beds, electricity, and a sturdy roof. Campsites offer a picnic table, and a fire ring. A shower house (open April through October) and nearby restrooms are available.
Marker text:
Klondike Park
Klondike Quarry
Turning Rock into Glass
"The Klondike Quarry was a source of silica sand that was produced by quarrying and crushing the St. Peter Sandstone.
The hard rock on top of the limestone was first drilled and blasted in order to expose the St. Peter Limestone. Once the limestone was exposed and dug from the hillside, it was loaded onto trucks which transported the rock to the onsite crushing facility. The crushed limestone or silica sand was then placed in holding tanks where it was finally loaded onto railroad cars and transported by train to factories throughout the Midwest. It was then used in the production of glass products and other industrial materials such as brick and steel."
2nd Marker text:
Klondike Park
Klondike Quarry
Turning Rock into Glass
The Klondike Quarry is located near the eastern end of a 45 mile belt outcropping of St. Peter Sandstone that roughly parallels the Missouri River. Within the park, at an approximate thickness of 100 feet, the St. Peter sandstone lies about 85 feet below what was ground level. The sandstone processing began in this area, also known as the top of the stripping level.
Through a contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the tailings, or leftover rock, were placed as riprap on the Missouri River. Once the contract was canceled, the tailings were dumped on the east and west side of the quarry. Those tailing piles can still be found within the park today. Some of the rock was used in the construction of the park.
There is still evidence of the quarry history in Klondike Park. The lake, which was formed from the quarrying operation, is surrounded by the bluffs with exposed layers of rock. Likewise, leftover silica sand can be found throughout the park.
"The land was originally owned by Wilhelm (William) Engelage, a farmer from Prussia. In 1898, the Tavern Rock Sand Company bought a portion of the property and began Klondike Quarry. The silica sand mined from this quarry was mixed with soda and limestone to create glass products. The top layer was used to make amber glass because of its yellow, clay-stained color, while clear glass was made from the white sand found below 18 feet. Production reached a peak in 1945 when 233,420 tons of sand were exported from the quarry to meet the demands caused by World War 2. The quarry was permanently shut in 1983." ~ The Great River Road