Guthrie hosts Christmas parade, dedicates Longhurst statue

Photo from Pembroke Fire Department Facebook

Guthrie still had its annual Christmas parade despite the rain Saturday and it dedicated a statue in honor of the man who was known as ‘Mr. Guthrie,” Bill Longhurst.

Longhurst, who owned and operated Longhust General Store for several decades in the Todd County town, died last year. He was an irreplaceable leader in the community as one of the founders of the Guthrie Main Street program, he was a former chairman of Guthrie zoning and planning and was instrumental in the senior citizens program.

Visitors to downtown will now think of Longhurst every time they see the statue that was unveiled during a ceremony following the Christmas festivities.

The parade made its way through downtown Guthrie in a moderate rainfall and it included entries from Todd and surrounding counties—including Rebecca Schleicher of Channel 5 in Nashville—who was the grand marshal.

Organizer Brandi Hembree thanked everyone in the community who supported the parade or who came out as a spectator in the less than ideal conditions. She also thanked the Guthrie Volunteer Fire Department for hosting the post-parade cookies with Santa and awards ceremony.

Photo from Guthrie Main Street Facebook