Once a railroad line, the Rock Island Corridor could be converted into one of the longest rails-to-trails projects in the country. The Rock Island Trail would stretch 144 miles across Missouri from Windsor to Beaufort, connecting with the Katy Trail in Windsor. Mark Chamberlin, a dairy farmer, and his neighbors worry about how having this trail run through their land could affect their livelihoods. More than a mile of the long unused Rock Island Railroad runs through Chamberlin’s property. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Missouri Central Railroad will have until the end of 2019 to reach an agreement over the fate of the Rock Island Corridor.
An MFA Inc. fertilizer plant sits next to what was once the Rock Island Corridor on Friday, Aug. 30 in Cole Camp, Missouri. MFA Inc. used to unload fertilizer directly from the railroad.
Mark Chamberlin's dog Penny shakes rain off her coat on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019 in Cole Camp, Missouri. Chamberlin owns 700 acres and leases another 700 acres for his 1,400 operation.
A corrugated metal wall of an MFA Inc. fertilizer plant sits next to what was once the Rock Island Corridor on Friday, Aug. 30 in Cole Camp, Missouri. MFA Inc. used to unload fertilizer directly from the railroad, but now MFA Inc. mostly relies on trucks.
Haw Creek flows under an abandoned railroad bridge on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019 near Stover, Missouri. This bridge is part of the Rock Island Corridor that is being considered for a new bike path.
Shrubbery encroaches on an abandoned elevator on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019 in Ionia, Missouri. The Rock Island Corridor ran through this elevator when it was still in service.
