Community members are invited to gather with the Save Katy Station group at Shilos Bar & Grill on October 4th.
Attendees will be invited to tour the historical building, listen to live music and purchase food and drinks.
The group is preparing to share historical materials, including photographs and the station's original blueprints.
Member of the Save Katy Station group Jimmy Roark-Gruender said explaining the history of the building may give attendees more perspective as to why it should be saved.
“The building itself actually tells that history of time, from being segregated women’s and men’s waiting areas to be a restaurant that welcomed everybody, and how society has changed over that time as the building has evolved,” Roark-Gruender said.
He adds that knowing history can help people understand what they are advocating for.
“If 100 people show up, then we have 100 people who know the full history of the building, understand the challenges going forward in the tasks that we’re up against, and they can go out and advocate for us and advocate for the building,” Roark-Gruender said.
Many Columbians have already come together to show support for the Save Katy Station group.
A press release on September 23rd announced that they have gained more than 1,000 supporters in the eight days the group has been established.
Matt Fetterly, local historian and media contact for the Save Katy Station group, says this has caused all types of people to come together despite differences.
“It’s become very clear that this is something that’s really bringing the community together, across political lines, across economic lines, across cultural lines,” Fetterly said.
