The Katy Trail State Park recently received a donation in the form of a historic welcome center.
This item is available in full to subscribers.
We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, or you are a print subscriber who had access to our previous wesbite, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you have not yet logged in to your account on this new site.
If you are a current print subscriber and did not have a user account on our previous website, you can set up a free website account by clicking here.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
The Katy Trail State Park recently received a donation in the form of a historic welcome center, housed in the Treloar Mercantile near the Treloar Trailhead. Dan and Connie Burkhardt purchased the property in 2018 with the goal of preserving the 1896 building and opening it to the public for special events.
“They are going to do great things with it,” said Dan Burkhardt. “If you want things to last, give them away.”
On Saturday, June 1, which is designated as National Trails Day, Missouri State Parks and Magnificent Missouri celebrated the opening of the Ted and Pat Jones Welcome Center during an open house event. Ted Jones was the past managing partner of Edward Jones.
The couple donated $2.2 million to purchase the Katy Trail corridor in 1985. Today the Katy Trail stretches 240 miles across Missouri. The welcome center has been dedicated in their names.
Anthony Orazio, park supervisor, oversees the Katy Trail State Park from Matson to Mokane. He said state park employees would be on hand to chat with visitors on designated days.
“This is the heart of the state,” said Orazio. “We are dedicated to conservation and preservation in the heart of the Missouri River Valley.”
Days scheduled to be open are June 7 and 15; July 6 and 20; August 3, 11; Sept. 7 and 20; and Oct. 5, 11, 20. The annual Sweet Corn Festival will be held August 11 and the Grain Elevator Party will be held Oct. 20.
The public is invited to attend a community meeting for questions and input as the State Parks continues to develop the goals of the welcome center. The meeting will be held Thursday, June 13, from 4-7 p.m. at the Treloar Mercantile.
In addition to the mercantile, things to explore include the Farmers Bank of Treloar, a native tree arboretum, the historic grain elevator and Missouri’s largest carved ear of corn.
