The Historic Saluda Committee will present at the Saluda Historic Depot’s Train Tales on Friday to give a community update on its work and to screen the 1939 film, “Saluda Summer,” produced by Mary Dell Johnson, with photography by Gene Brandon.

Saluda Train Tales is a free monthly event held the third Friday of the month to educate the community about Saluda’s railroad history and the Saluda Grade. These events are at the Saluda Historic Depot, 32 W. Main St., Saluda, and start at 7 p.m. 

“Saluda Summer” is a 40-minute silent film with old- timey captions.

The film begins with the train and ends with the train. Other highlights of the film include the making of moonshine, the Apple Festival 1939 (before it went to Hendersonville), activity at the depot, downtown scenes, family gatherings and picnics, lots of Saluda folks, mountain vistas, waterfalls, a baptism at St. Matthews Baptist Church and more.

The Historic Saluda Committee was formed after a request was made that a committee be created to look at the future of Saluda from the perspective of overall historic preservation. In June 2010, the committee became an official entity of the city.

Saluda City commissioners appointed a seven-member panel to guide the work of the committee and to report to the board. The Historic Saluda Committee held its first official meeting on July 9, 2010, the day before Coon Dog Day and just three months after the first public meeting was held.  

Doors open for the presentation at 6:30 p.m. The events are free, and voluntary donations are accepted. 

Memberships and donations to the Saluda Historic Depot in 2018 will enable the group to receive incentive grant funds from the Polk County Community Foundation.  

-Submitted by Cathy Jackson