Lon Sanders Canyon - No. 1
Located just outside the City of Piedmont in Wayne County, Missouri, Lon Sanders Canyon is a shut-in formed by McKenzie Creek as it winds its way through the rocky canyon, forming waterfalls and pools along its path. The remnants of stone stairs cut into the steep bluffs and two small rock dams are all that remain of a failed attempt by a St. Louis entrepreneur named Lon Sanders to build a private resort in the canyon.
Lon Sanders was born in Corinth, Mississippi, in 1866. In 1887 he came to St. Louis, Missouri, where he started the Sanders Engraving Company, which manufactured electrotypers and engravers. The business was a success, and soon Sanders had plants in St. Louis, Memphis and Chattanooga, Tennessee. I’ve been unable to find information to indicate when he started construction on his ill-fated resort, or why it was never completed. If anyone has additional information, please feel free to add it to the comments below.
According to local lore, the trail leading down into the canyon is allegedly haunted. People have reported hearing the voice of a woman faintly calling out from the surrounding woods: “Please! Help me.” To add to the mystery of the area, in 1973, Piedmont (pop. 1,977) gained national notoriety when hundreds of people reported UFO sighting in the area. However, in my multiple visits to Lon Sanders Canyon Conservation Area, I have yet to encounter screaming women or aliens.
© All rights reserved - - No Usage Allowed in Any Form Without the Written Consent of the photographer, Mark S. Schuver.
The best way to view my photostream is on Flickriver: Nikon66's photos on Flickriver
Lon Sanders Canyon - No. 1
Located just outside the City of Piedmont in Wayne County, Missouri, Lon Sanders Canyon is a shut-in formed by McKenzie Creek as it winds its way through the rocky canyon, forming waterfalls and pools along its path. The remnants of stone stairs cut into the steep bluffs and two small rock dams are all that remain of a failed attempt by a St. Louis entrepreneur named Lon Sanders to build a private resort in the canyon.
Lon Sanders was born in Corinth, Mississippi, in 1866. In 1887 he came to St. Louis, Missouri, where he started the Sanders Engraving Company, which manufactured electrotypers and engravers. The business was a success, and soon Sanders had plants in St. Louis, Memphis and Chattanooga, Tennessee. I’ve been unable to find information to indicate when he started construction on his ill-fated resort, or why it was never completed. If anyone has additional information, please feel free to add it to the comments below.
According to local lore, the trail leading down into the canyon is allegedly haunted. People have reported hearing the voice of a woman faintly calling out from the surrounding woods: “Please! Help me.” To add to the mystery of the area, in 1973, Piedmont (pop. 1,977) gained national notoriety when hundreds of people reported UFO sighting in the area. However, in my multiple visits to Lon Sanders Canyon Conservation Area, I have yet to encounter screaming women or aliens.
© All rights reserved - - No Usage Allowed in Any Form Without the Written Consent of the photographer, Mark S. Schuver.
The best way to view my photostream is on Flickriver: Nikon66's photos on Flickriver