DECATUR -- The Decatur Historical Commission and Depot Museum will host its second annual Depot Birthday Bash, combining community history with a tribute to local first responders.
The event will start at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Depot Museum at 249 Main St. in Decatur.
The celebration will feature a birthday party for the historic depot, Decatur Firefighters Day and the rededication of the department's cosmetically restored 1917 fire truck. The ceremony will honor both past and present career and volunteer personnel from the Decatur Fire Department.
The depot dates back to October 1910, built to replace an original wooden structure that burned down in late 1907. Throughout the 1940s, the facility served passengers aboard the Kansas City Southern's Southern Belle line. It later operated as a whistle stop and freight depot before being abandoned in the 1970s.
Local businessman Lloyd Peterson acquired the property in 1991. Two years later, it reopened as the Decatur Depot Museum and Public Library. The joint operation continued until 2001, when the municipal library relocated one block north.
Today, the museum is run by the Decatur Historical Commission and Depot Museum. It opens to the public on Saturdays from May through September and year-round by appointment.
Those interested in more information may call Mike Eckels, curator and chairman of the commission, at (479) 422-0208 and leave a message or call Decatur City Hall at (479) 752-3912.
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