JEFFERSON CITY, MO, MAY 22, 2024 – Thanks to a generous donation from Dan and Connie Burkhardt, Katy Trail State Park will receive a new “welcome center.” The new center will be housed in the Treloar Mercantile, which is located near the Treloar trailhead (mile marker 84.7) and across from the Treloar elevator, which is also owned by Missouri State Parks. Join Missouri State Parks on National Trails Day Saturday, June 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for an open house event at the new center.
The historic Treloar Mercantile was built in 1896 for the arrival of the KATY Railroad and retains many of its original fixtures. The Burkhardts purchased the Treloar Mercantile in 2018 and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2022. They purchased the building to preserve it and for community events on the trail. The Burkhardts spent their careers at Edward Jones and later created Magnificent Missouri, a not-for-profit that works with Missouri State Parks to advocate for and improve Katy Trail State Park. Magnificent Missouri has hosted many special events on the trail, bringing visitors to Treloar to learn more about the history and natural scenic beauty of the area.
In 1985, Ted Jones, then managing partner of Edward Jones, and his wife Pat donated $2.2 million to purchase the trail corridor and develop the trail's pilot sections. Their generosity laid the foundation for completion of the 240-mile Katy Trail, the longest developed rail trail in the nation. To cement the ongoing legacy of the Joneses’ contributions, the Burkhardts have requested the new welcome center be named the “Ted and Pat Jones Welcome Center at the Treloar Mercantile.”
“We’re excited to have a presence on the Katy Trail with the new welcome center,” said David Kelly, director of Missouri State Parks. “This year, we will have limited hours while we figure out staffing, displays and office space within the building. Signs outside the building will announce if the center is open. Visitors can watch us grow as we expand exhibits, add retail merchandise and increase additional hours of operation in 2025 and beyond.”
The public is invited to join the Missouri State Park team Thursday, June 13, from 4 to 7 p.m. to participate in a community meeting that will help guide the welcome center’s development.
For more information concerning Katy Trail State Park, please call 573-449-7402. For more information on the Missouri State Park system, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
