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Chair: Ted Yarbrough
Thomas the Tank Engine Will Visit the Chatsworth Depot.
Hotel Turns 115
August 10, 2024
1 pm to 4 pm.
The Chatsworth Depot and the Wright Hotel, owned by the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society, announce the conclusion of their summer Second Saturday events with guided tours from 1:00pm until4:00pm on Saturday, August 10. This last regular summer opening celebrates Thomas the Tank Engine at the Chatsworth Depot. The Hotel is celebrating its 115th anniversary with special displays and souvenirs. Admission to tours and trains will be free, but donations are appreciated. The Chatsworth Depot, constructed in 1905 by the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, is the oldest public building in town. The passenger waiting room contains a museum showcasing the talc industry in Murray County. The station agent’s office and the freight room contain historic railroad artifacts and exhibits related to the depot. The 1960 caboose, located behind the Depot, will be open for all to visit. Historical society members will be on hand to give tours and answer questions.
A special guest HO Scale and G Scale Thomas and his friends will be running on the depot’s permanent indoor model train displays. The always popular ‘Big Blue Train’ will make its second 2024 appearance, offering train rides around the block to those in attendance. There will be a special area inside the depot with wooden Brio Trains for the smallest train fans to get ‘hands on’ playtime with Tho mas and friends. Youngsters from 1 to 100 love model trains, especially Thomas and his friends from the island of Sodor.
Making a return visit will also be kid powered train rides! This train car that the kids crank with their own hands (somewhat like riding a bicycle, but with your hands) and power it down the tracks. The train car runs on a 7 1/8-gauge track and carries the youngsters at their own pace. Each person gets to ride and power his/her own car. This will be an activity your family will not want to miss!
In addition to the trains, Will and Ralph Callahan, hikers from Chatsworth, will be sharing some of their experiences, showing some equipment used in hiking, and answering questions our guests might have. Will stated, “My brother and I did the Appalachian Trail the first time in 2019, and then we hiked it again in 2022. I hiked the Continental Divide Trail in 2021 and Pacific Crest Trail in 2023 totaling over 10,000 miles.” Be sure to come visit the depot to hear the remarkable story of these two brothers!
Around the corner from the Depot located on First Avenue is the historic Wright Hotel at the intersection of Market Street and Second Avenue. Built with locally produced materials, the Hotel opened in 1909 and the 115th anniversary of that historic occasion is the focus of events there over the next year. The business operated into the 1960’s, sometimes under the name “Chatsworth Hotel” and today is a double listing on the National Register of Historic Places—first as an individual site and again as a part of the downtown Chatsworth historic district.
A property of the historical society for almost four decades now, the site will feature some new photographic displays as well as offering souvenir T-shirts, buttons, magnets, and coasters to commemorate the Hotel’s first 115 years! Proceeds from these items as well as donations will go toward the continued preservation of the amazing three-story building.
The Historical Society would like to thank the 2024 business partners who make the programs possible. Many have been supporting Second Saturdays for many years. Partners are Peeples Funeral Home, Bradley’s Ace Hardware, Bojangles, Captain D’s & Krystal restaurants, Chatsworth First Community Bank, and the Murray County Elected Officials. Be sure to tell them you appreciate their supporting the historic properties of Chatsworth anytime you visit or contact one of these.
In 1904 the Louisville and Nashville railroad system ran from Cincinnati, Ohio to Etowah, Tennessee. In order to complete a direct line to Atlanta, the L&N railroad system began laying tracks from Etowah south. In 1905, tracks were laid through Murray County. The Chatsworth Depot, now located adjacent to the Wright Hotel, was built along the tracks during this period. It contained a waiting room, an agent's office, an express baggage room, and a freight room. The L&N Railroad employed many Murray County residents, and trains would stop daily to transport residents traveling to and from Cartersville and other points. President Franklin D. Roosevelt once spent a night in his private car at the depot on his way to Warm Springs, where he went for polio therapy. The depot is the oldest public building in Chatsworth.
The restored depot currently houses two museums: one chronicles the growth of the local talc industry; the other documents more than a century of railroad service in Murray County.
The Talc Museum contains a collection of historical information and artifacts relating to the talc industry in Murray County, including maps, documents, photographs, news articles, tools and special equipment.
The Railroad Museum concentrates on passenger and freight service through Murray County. Original items from several Murray County depots are on display along with an extensive display of tools, equipment, documents, and photographs related railroad history. A G-Scale model railroad and a HO-Scale model railroad are both operable and located in the depot.
A 1960 Seaboard Coast Line caboose is also on display on the grounds of the Depot Museum.
Caboose after restoration
Friends of the Chatsworth Depot
The depot has had the exterior recently restored thanks to a grant obtained by the City of Chatsworth. Past grants from Lowe’s and donations from area businesses and residents have allowed for the exterior of the caboose to be restored and pending financial resources, work on the interior restoration is in progress. Some of the caboose restoration has been done by the local high school construction club, giving the students some real-life experiences while helping to develop their appreciation of history.
Today, the Depot is again a busy place. The second Saturday of April each year the depot hosts a ‘Model Train Expo’ with model trains operating inside and outside the building while displaying the work of area model railroad groups. May through August will find visitors coming to music concerts on the second Saturday of each month. The third weekend of October the depot opens for the local Black Bear Festival with special displays. Tours are always available when the depot is open for these events. A highlight each year is the Polar Express where model trains run in winter scenes and the story is read by a local retired educator as the children enjoy refreshments. More info and updates can be found on the Facebook page, so be sure to look up the depot and like the page to keep up to date on all the events.
- Ted
The Chatsworth Depot, originally on the L & N Railroad, has been moved a block from its original location behind the Wright Hotel.
Directions
The Caboose and Depot are located adjacent to the Wright Hotel
Photos from Past Music Events at Chatsworth Depot!