ONLY - Tunnel on the MKT Railway - New Franklin, MO
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 39° 00.753 W 092° 44.144
15S E 522879 N 4318202
Marker at the New Franklin Trailhead on the Katy Trail.
Waymark Code: WM14JAM
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 07/15/2021
Views: 0
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
Photo text: MILEPOST 178.9
This picturesque, cut-stone arched tunnel was built 1892-93 and is 243 feet long. It was the only tunnel on the MKT line.
Marker Text:
New Franklin to Rocheport
The distance to the next railhead at Rocheport is 9.90 miles. Traveling east, the trail is tree- or bluff-lined with views of the agriculture landscape. Bonne Femme Creek at milepost 187.8 is the first bridge crossing for Katy travelers heading for Rocheport. The Lewis and Clark Expedition camped at the old mouth of this creek on June 7, 1804. Capt. William Clark called it "Good Womans River." Capt. Meriwether Lewis and two men paddled partway up the Bonne Femme.
The former site of Pearsons at milepost 184.5 has a panorama of cropfields and the remains of al old tile grain elevator. Davisdale Conservation Area (milepost 182.1) offers primitive camping, hiking, picnicking, hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities. Starting at milepost 180, Diana Bend Conservation Area gives Katy Trail visitors an opportunity to visit a wetland.
At milepost 178.9 is the one and only tunnel on the former Missouri, Kansas & Texas line (MKT). The blackened ceiling stands as a reminder of the trains that passed through this tunnel from 1893 to 1986. Trail users should note the outstanding stonework. The tunnel is in the National Register of Historic Places.
Just past the tunnel, to the right and around the bluff, is the Diana Bend Conservation Area overlook. The Katy Trail crosses Moniteau Creek before entering Rocheport.