Traveling through Callaway County history: Mokane, Callaway Energy Center

The old jail in Mokane lies in the Lions Club Park.
The old jail in Mokane lies in the Lions Club Park.

Follow along as the Fulton Sun visits each location in the Great Callaway 200 Scavenger Hunt from the Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society.

Callawegians have until Nov. 13 to race to 20 historical locations across the county. From early settlement and Civil War battles to religious communities and commerce, these places represent two centuries of county history.

Today, the newspaper is featuring two of the locations highlighted in the scavenger hunt - the Mokane jail and Callaway Energy Center.

Visitors to Mokane might notice a small stone structure with barred windows in the Mokane Lions Club Park.

Today, the little cell serves as storage space for the Lions Club, but generations ago, it served as a jail.

The Mokane Lions Club was founded in 1950. Over the years, it has sponsored the Fall Festival, sometimes known as the "Mokane World's Fair."

Mokane dates back to 1818 - the original settlement was closer to the Missouri River, but flooding pushed the community to move half a mile north.

The jail was similarly moved and rebuilt.

Mokane has been known by several names, including Smith's Landing and St. Aubert. The "Mokane" name refers to the initials of the Missouri-Kansas-Eastern railroad, which was built in 1893.

The town shrank after the railroad was moved to New Franklin. Today, the Katy Trail cuts down the path of the old railroad line.

Floods still impact the community - much like when mud filled the jail in the 19th century, the historic floods of 1951 and 1993 plagued the community. Waters rose again in 2019.

Callaway Energy Center - Missouri's only commercial nuclear unit - began operating in late 1984.

The nuclear plant operated at full capacity through the 1993 flooding.

According to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the plant generates 10 percent of the state's electricity - approximately 780,000 households.

The facility is licensed to operate until 2044. Ameren Missouri employs hundreds of workers at the Callaway County plant. The plant is also a major source of property tax revenue.

The 553-foot-tall cooling tower is made of reinforced concrete and cools approximately 15,000 gallons of water per minute.

The facility is 5 miles north of the Missouri River in the center of the Reform Conservation Area.

Learn more about the hunt at callawaymohistory.org/scavenger-hunt.