Save Katy Station Group Fights Columbia Demolition

Columbia's historic Katy Station, once a Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad depot, faces potential demolition, prompting local preservation efforts.

Updated on Oct. 31, 2026 in Historical

Weathered two-story brick railroad depot beside a rusted track and long platform canopy under overcast daylight. — Advocates have formed the Save Katy Station group to fight potential demolition of the historic Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad depot in Columbia, which dates to 1909. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Should Columbia work to save historic buildings like Katy Station from demolition?

Katy Station in Columbia, which served as a Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad depot beginning in 1909, faces potential demolition, prompting the formation of the Save Katy Station group. Joel Rhodes, Executive Director of the State Historical Society of Missouri, has joined the effort to preserve the building.

Why it matters

The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and reflects how railroads shaped the growth of most Missouri towns outside Kansas City and St. Louis. Its potential loss would remove a tangible link to that transportation history in Columbia.

Katy Station reopened as a restaurant in 1976, and the Columbia-branch tracks were officially abandoned in 1977. The current status of demolition plans and any final decision on the building remain unresolved.

The players

Joel Rhodes

Joel Rhodes is the Executive Director of the State Historical Society of Missouri and has joined the Save Katy Station group to help preserve the building.

Save Katy Station

Save Katy Station is a local preservation group formed in response to potential demolition plans for the historic Columbia depot.

The details

Katy Station began as a depot for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad in 1909 and later reopened as a restaurant in 1976, now home to Shiloh Bar and Grill. Joel Rhodes discussed the station's history and the broader railroad system with KBIA's Robin Crouch as the Save Katy Station group works to save the building.

1909: Katy Station began serving as a Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad depot.
1976: Katy Station reopened as a restaurant.
1977: The Columbia-branch tracks were officially abandoned.
1979: Katy Station was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Historical Thread

Railroads determined the growth of most Missouri towns outside Kansas City and St. Louis, and by the early twentieth century over 60 trains crossed the state nightly. Katy Station's potential demolition tests how much of that infrastructure legacy Columbia chooses to keep.

Columbia residents who value the city's rail heritage could see the outcome of the Katy Station preservation effort shape which historic landmarks remain downtown. The decision will determine whether a long-standing local gathering place keeps its physical presence.

The takeaway

Historic depots like Katy Station carry the story of how railroads built Missouri's towns, so local preservation efforts can keep that record visible in everyday places. Residents who want to follow the outcome can track coverage of the Save Katy Station group's work.