ABOUT THE ORIGINAL McKITTRICK FARMERS MERCANTILE

A Town Shaped by the MKT Railroad

 

McKittrick was named for Thomas H. McKittrick Sr., a prominent Missouri railroad investor and financier involved in regional rail development during the late 19th century. His work—alongside other St. Louis–based backers—helped fund the infrastructure that connected rural Missouri communities to larger markets. His father was prominent St. Louis merchant, Hugh McKittrick. 

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Hugh McKittrick, a St. Louis businessman and partner in the Hargedine-McKittrick Dry Goods Company, was part of the generation of investors and merchants whose work supported the expansion of rail-served rural towns throughout Missouri. Firms like Hargedine-McKittrick supplied goods to local merchants along newly built rail lines, helping establish the commercial backbone of communities such as McKittrick during the Missouri–Kansas–Texas (MKT) Railroad era.

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The railroad brought opportunity:

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• Farmers could ship grain, produce and livestock efficiently

• Merchants could stock goods from St. Louis and beyond

• Small towns like McKittrick gained economic purpose almost overnight

 

The Mercantile was constructed in direct response to this growth—both physically and economically tied to the MKT line.

 

Why “Farmers Mercantile” mattered

Across rural America, “farmers’ mercantiles” and farm-supply cooperatives helped communities keep essential goods and purchasing power local. Members pooled demand, bought supplies more efficiently, and (in many co-ops) returned earnings to members based on use through patronage-style refunds. That tradition fits the role a mercantile played in a railroad-era town: practical commerce first, and community life right alongside it. 

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The Role of the Mercantile in Daily Life

 

Like many mercantile buildings of the era, the McKittrick Farmers Mercantile served multiple functions:

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• A general store supplying farming families and railroad workers

• A community hub for news, trade, and gathering

• A commercial anchor supporting the surrounding agricultural economy

 

Its brick construction reflected permanence and optimism—confidence that McKittrick would endure as a working town along the rail line.

 

Notably, the building remains one of only two original commercial brick structures in McKittrick today.

 

Location Matters: Then and Now

 

The Mercantile sits at what is now 500 Walnut Street, facing the former rail corridor that has since become the Katy Trail State Park. Across the way lies the trailhead and former rail service area—once gravel and coal sheds, now a gateway for cyclists and hikers traveling the length of Missouri.

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This continuity of place is rare.

 

What once welcomed rail traffic now welcomes trail travelers—linking McKittrick’s past directly to its present.

 

Preservation and Continuity

 

Nearly all exterior elements of the building remain original, including:

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• Brickwork and footprint

• Storefront proportions and window placement

• Its orientation to the former rail line

 

Today, the building has been thoughtfully restored and repurposed as The Mercantile on the Katy Trail, honoring its history while serving modern guests.

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Rather than erasing the past, the Mercantile continues its original purpose: to provide rest, refuge, and connection for people traveling through McKittrick.

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A Living Railroad Legacy

 

The story of the McKittrick Farmers Mercantile is inseparable from:

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• The rise of the MKT Railroad

• The agricultural backbone of rural Missouri

• The transformation of rail corridors into shared public spaces

 

From rail shipments to bicycle wheels, the Mercantile has remained exactly where it belongs—on the McKittrick line.

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