The property containing the Lehigh Portland Trails contains a number of stone fences (or rock fences) in various states of repair. The stone fences offer a glimpse of life when this part of the country was homesteaded. The fences were … Read More
The railroad history is rich at Lehigh Portland Trails! Our trail system is built on the remnants of four former railroad lines: The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (M-K-T) once ran east-west through Allen County, and a spur served the Lehigh Portland Cement plant. … Read More
Learn about the history and geology of John Brown’s Cave at Lehigh Portland Trails in Iola, Kansas.
The fossils in the limestone at Lehigh Portland Trails are concrete evidence of the abundant life that populated what was once a vast shallow sea.
A couple more historic photos of the Lehigh Portland Cement Company in Iola, courtesy of the Allen County Historical Society: This 1903 photo of the quarry shows a rough rail line, used to haul rock from the quarry to the … Read More
A few photos of the old Lehigh Portland Cement Plant and quarry, courtesy of the Kansas Geological Survey: For more great photos, see the entire Photos from Allen County collection.
More history about the Iola Portland Cement Company, which was the largest single employer in Allen County by 1955.
Back in 1979, Iola discussed turning the Lehigh Quarry Lake property into a public recreation area. It didn’t happen then, but with the development of the Lehigh Portland Trails, that vision moves closer to reality.
The Lehigh Portland cement plant in Iola was the first large cement plant west of the Mississippi river, and for many years was the largest west of Chicago.
One of the interesting features of the Lehigh Portland Trails will be the use of a historic bridge on the main trail. The Hegwald Bridge was built in 1909 and moved to the Lehigh site in May 2014.