Weldon Spring to Matson
Points of Interest
From Weldon Spring to Matson is 4.60 miles, one of the shortest distances between trailheads in Katy Trail State Park. At milepost 56.7, less than a mile from the Weldon Spring trailhead is a junction with the Hamburg Trail, a converted haul road for the U.S. Department of Energy's Weldon Spring Site. The eight-mile trail connects the Katy Trail to the Weldon Spring Site interpretive center and to the visitor center at August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area.
This area is within Weldon Spring Conservation Area, managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Including the Weldon Spring-Greens Bottom Segment, the Katy Trail runs through the conservation area for a total of six miles.
Three-quarters of a mile past the Hamburg Trail junction, trail users reach Femme Osage Creek. Daniel Boone and members of his extended family settled on Spanish land grants near the Femme Osage starting in 1799. The creek crossing has a Lewis and Clark Expedition historical marker describing the expedition's May 1804 stop at Boone Settlement.
Defiance, at milepost 59.1, received its name after preventing Matson from having the only Katy Railroad stop in the area. An 1898 commercial building in Defiance shows the double identity of railroad towns: it has two fronts and faced both the railroad tracks and Defiance's main
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Erected by Missouri State Parks.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Katy Trail State Park, and the Lewis & Clark Expedition series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1804.
Location. 38° 39.564′ N, 90° 44.798′ W. Marker is near Weldon Spring, Missouri, in St. Charles County. Marker can be reached from State Highway 94, 2.1 miles east of State Highway DD, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1835 Katy Trail, Saint Charles MO 63304, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Weldon Spring to Greens Bottom (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); Weldon Spring Site (about 800 feet away); Baseball in Defiance (approx. 2.3 miles away); School Days In Defiance (approx. 2.7 miles away); A Defiant Tale (approx. 2.7 miles away); Historic Centaur (approx. 2.7 miles away); a different marker also named The Weldon Spring Site (approx. 2.8 miles away); John L. LeCave Memorial Trailhead (approx. 3.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Weldon Spring.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 26, 2021. It was originally submitted on March 26, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 129 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 26, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
