The waypoint of the combination is at N38° 32.698 & W090° 36.342.  This is in an area called "St. Louis County Palisades" and consists of 200' high bluffs. This area can be very dangerous as the trail runs very close to the edge and not recommended for small children! Just back up the old road towards Lawer Ford is a small rock quarry where kids 40-50 years ago had beer parties (before drugs. I guess). The gravel was taken from the river by a company called "Missouri Aggregates", hence the shortened name, "Aggets". The old road was also called "Zombie Road" by the local kids. The last 1/2 mile of the road near the top is not "easy", but the views as you're walking along the bottom of the valley are great. The old dredge is still in the river by the chain link fence.
There are a lot of trails throughout the area with several limestone overhangs or shelters, and great views from the bluffs overlooking the river and valley with Lone Elk Park and West Tyson Park located on the bluffs across the river. In fact, you can take the RR trestle at Sherman/Jedburgh that goes over the Meramec river, if you're so inclined, and join up with Chubb Trail. Enjoy the area.

I am the historian for the County Parks Department.  I have received a

copy of your inquiry about the history of the area east of Glencoe.  If

you are interested in its 19th-century history, I would suggest looking

at the series of county atlases.  These large books were published of

the county in 1862, 1870, 1878, 1893, and 1909 showing all the property

owners as of those dates.  I use them as a starting point for

researching historic properties.  

If you would like to send me your mailing address, I would be glad to

send you copies of the atlas pages I have from the Glencoe-Sherman area.

I have not heard this area called Yeatman, but it is true that James

Yeatman, one of the greatest philanthropists and civic leaders of

19th-century St. Louis, had a country house in the hills just southwest of

Glencoe.  It is described in Winston Churchill's novel of Civil War St.

Louis, "The Crisis."

Sincerely,

Mr. Esley Hamilton

Dear Stephen,

Thanks for the clarification.  I'm sending two of our county assessor's

maps showing the property lines in that stretch of the river.  I have

marked the owners.  You can see that for part of the distance, the maps

don't show any land at all between the railroad line and the river.  We

are currently working on a trail along the river from Valley Park to

Glencoe to be called the Al Foster Trail.  So within the next few years,

that land should become more accessible.

Esley Hamilton

This is a 145.7 acre tract that was donated to the County by

Bakewell in 1995 as a part of a land deal where we sold them a 6 acre tract

in south county for cash plus this land.  It is beautiful and in the

spring has a wealth of wild flowers.

     Unfortunately, at this time it is not open to the public because

the only access is through private property still owned by Bakewell.

     However, the County will be developing the Al Foster Trail which

will run along the abandoned railroad tracks just to the south of this

property which could allow us to make this property available to the

public with access from the riverfront area. The trail will probably open

sometime in early 2000.  Please call Herb Liu at 889-2875 for more

information.

    This is all part of the Meramec Greenway effort to create trails

along the entire length of the Meramec.  For more info on the greenway, 

you can call Ben Knox at 822-9904.

     Thanks for your inquiry.

Susan Sedgwick

Stephen............

Sorry that it is taking me so long to get back to you...... has been a

busy

week!!

As to the land East of the Wye.... there are no buildings that I am

aware

of.  Lawlerford Rd. runs North from the Wye and about 1/2 of its

distance is

now St. Louis County Parks Dept. property.  Due East (along the old

right-of-way) is mainly owned by Department of Natural Resources (State

Parks).  There are plans underway to put in a hiking/biking trail along

the

old right-of-way in the relatively near future.  The Master Plan calls

for

the trail to extend West from Castlewood State park to at least

Glencoe.

As far as a station, there was one in what is now Castlewood State

Park,

possibly one in Sherman, and then one in Glencoe.  The area known as

Yeatman

used to contain a full-sized Wye for the MoPac RR.  It served the sand

plant

which is along the river and now no longer used.  The plant was in

operation

through the late 70s. 

Where our station is, there used to be a spur line running up

"Lime-Kiln

Branch" to what is now the park on Hwy 109. 

Hope this helps you out!  Any more questions??  Feel free to contact

me,

anytime.