Singing at the Depot in June opens Second Saturdays

Published 2:00 pm Tuesday, May 21, 2024

The historic Chatsworth Depot and the Wright Hotel on First Avenue and Market Street in downtown Chatsworth have been important gathering places since the city was founded early in the 20th century. The Whitfield-Murray Historical Society continues that tradition through its annual Second Saturday events at these properties.

The 2024 Second Saturday season gets underway on June 8 with the return of the popular Singing at the Depot. Highlights include “congregational” singing of favorite selections from the well-known “redback” Church Hymnal used in area churches for decades with a few special songs by Murray County’s own Winkler Sisters (Linda, Charlotte, Rita and Vicki). The depot, Chatsworth’s oldest building, will be open for tours of the talc and railroad rooms from 1 to 4 p.m. with the singing getting underway in the freight room at 2. There is no admission charge.

For many years travelers on the original Louisville & Nashville Railroad through Chatsworth could spend the night or get a meal at the Wright Hotel. This National Register historic site was constructed in 1909 and operated into the 1960s. The three-story structure will be open for free tours on June 8 also from 1 to 4 p.m. It features period furnishings along with exhibits about early Murray County history.

On display this summer will be a local Native American artifact collection from the Tankersley family, treasured items from the archives at the hotel (such as an original 1911 “History of Murray County”), coins collected at Chatsworth’s old Fort Theater and a collection of photographs featuring homes in the area from the 1910s.

Second Saturdays are sponsored by area businesses including Bradley Ace Hardware, Peeples Funeral Home, Krystal/Bojangles/Captain D’s, First National Community Bank and Murray County’s elected officials: Clerk of Court Donna Flood, Tax Commissioner Billy Childers, Probate Judge John Waters, Magistrate Judge Connie Reed and Sheriff Jimmy Davenport.

Second Saturdays in July and August will feature more tours, trains and music. For more information, check the Wright Hotel and Chatsworth Depot Facebook pages as well as the historical society website at www.whitfield-murrayhistoricalsociety.org.

Submitted by the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society.