The
rails of the Missouri Kansas and Texas (MKT) Railroad reached Boonville,
Missouri on May 31, 1873. A year later on July 4, 1874, a large celebration
was held to dedicate a brand new railroad bridge. The beginning of a long
and prosperous partnership had begun. The only surviving Spanish Mission
Style Depot on the MKT, or "KATY", as it's affectionately known, is in
Boonville, Missouri. The railroad company built a total of five Spanish
style stations; the other four were in Caddo OK, Osage OK, Cleveland OK,
and Chanute KS.
M-K-T Engine 2-6-0, No.563,
12-25-4
In its glory days, the Boonville Passenger Station was a popular stop
for travelers on their way to and from the American Southwest. As many
as 25 to 30 trains a day chugged into town. Traveling salesmen, or drummers,
came by train with their sample trunks set up at the Fredrich Hotel
on Main Street. Since Boonville was centrally located in the heart of
what has become known as the Missouri
River Heritage Corridor, huge amounts of freight were brought
into town each and every day.
However, much as the railroads replaced steamboats, it was shortly after
World War II that the advance of the automobile and a new trucking industry
took its toll on America's railroads. It hit especially hard on passenger
service. The Katy was no exception. By 1958, the automobile had surpassed
the iron horse as the most popular form of transportation and passenger
trains dwindled.
The closing of the KATY Line
presented a rare opportunity: the creation of a "linear park", something
called a "rail trail". The Rails To Trails Conservancy, in Washington,
DC, headed a national movement to reclaim abandoned railroad rights of
way to create a whole new system of hiking and biking trails. Because
of a generous donation by the late Edward Ted Jones Jr., the Missouri
Department of Natural Resources was able to secure the right of way from
the UNION PACIFIC RR. What is now the Katy Trail, is the country's longest
rail trail: 200 from Machens in St. Charles County, Missouri to Sedalia,
Missouri, in Pettis County.
In 1994 & 1995, a concerned community effort was made to raise funds to restore and preserve the Boonville KATY Depot. The total project cost for this restoration was nearly a half million dollars. The Department of Natural Resources took the lead by committing $42,059 followed by the Missouri Rails Trails Foundation, Inc. with $47,641. The Missouri Highway and Transportation Department kicked in $293,250. The final $42,050 was raised locally. Organizations such as the Missouri River Heritage Foundation, the Boonville Area Chamber of Commerce and others worked to raise the money necessary.
A Lighted Memory, 1999, Painting with Light, W. Lammers
The construction of these five passenger stations started in 1910 and ended in the 1920s. Not so coincidentally, this was at the height of the KATY's passenger service. The Boonville KATY Depot was built in 1911 & 1912, in what was then a vacant livestock lot. The Cochran Construction Co. brought in a large amount of dirt to elevate the lot to its present level. The KATY employees constructed the 130 ft. by 39 ft. station with many items that were locally available at that time. The concrete floor support beams were 60-pound railroad rails. Some of the landfill were cinders from the old steam locomotives that ran through Boonville. The brick walkway and the archway bricks were brought in, by rail, from Coffeyville, KS.
The Boonville Katy Station with its Cupola and Spanish Tile Roof Restored, 1998
On May 1, 1958, the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad not only closed the Boonville station to passenger service but shut down passenger traffic altogether. On that day the south bound No 5 and the north bound No. 6 passenger trains stopped at the Boonville station for the last time. Most of the riders that day were traveling for the distinction of being among the last passengers on the KATY. The last crewmen on southbound No. 6 was Engineer H.E. Gregory, Fireman Don Lietzke, Porter Reginal Draffen, Conductor George Ebersole and Brakeman J.B. Garrett. This was the beginning of the end for the KATY RR. With the paving of the I-70 National Defense Highway just south of Boonville in the early 1960s, rail freight into the city also came to an abrupt halt. The KATY RR closed the old depot altogether.
KATY Caboose No. 134 and its tracks were donated to the City of Boonville by the UNION PACIFIC RR and moved to its site on February 9, 1991 under the direction of Wayne Lammers. On July 13, 1991, the City of Boonville and distinguished guests gathered to dedicate KATY Caboose No. 134.
Community sets up on Depot Dedication Day,1998
The KATY Restoration Committee was organized and CO-chaired by Mary Pat Abele and Danny Kammerich. Committee Members were Don Cowherd, J.B. Garrett, Wayne Lammers, Linda Potter and Nate Walker. In 1996 the funds were in order and construction was awarded to Hall & Riley Construction Co., of Boonville.
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