Video: Hidden Treasures — Amory Regional Museum

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AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) – Each town in Northeast Mississippi, big or small, has its own history making it unique. Amory, now 125 years old, is known for its rich railroad town history and much more.

“If it wasn’t for the Frisco Railroad, there would be no Amory. Amory is exactly halfway between Memphis and Birmingham which is why Frisco decided to put it here. This is also where the Frisco branched off to go south to Columbus, Mobile and Pensacola. Everything was centered around the railroad in Amory for so long,” said museum Director, Bo Miller.

At the height of Frisco’s business, 12 passenger trains stopped through Amory every day. One thousand people worked for the railroad, making it a way of life in the Monroe County town. Today you can revisit those days at the Amory Regional Museum.

“Most people say ‘Wow, I did not know this was here,’ or ‘How neat that Amory has preserved all of this history.’ For a town the size of Amory, to have a museum of this quality is amazing. It’s unbelievable,” Miller said.

The city owned museum opened in 1976. It’s housed in Amory’s first hospital. There’s some ghost stories too.

“Rumor has it Dr. M. Q. Ewing, who was the chief of staff at the hospital when it closed, likes to roam around the hospital at night when we’re not here. I have had some of the neighbors across the street tell me they’ve seen Dr. Ewing, and I did have a former employee say she’s seen Dr. Ewing. I personally have not seen him, I would like to meet him if he’s here. Of course a lot of people say ‘it’s a hospital, is it spooky is it scary,’  and yes, a lot of people were here and they died here, but a lot of people were born here also. I was born in this hospital. So I look at it as a place where a lot of life began,” said Miller.

Exhibits at the museum also showcase Amory’s earliest inhabitants.

“Every town needs to preserve their heritage, it’s who you are. It’s where you come from. It’s what makes a town unique,” said Miller.

The museum is open every day except Mondays. It is located on 3rd Street South in Amory. For more information visit, http://www.cityofamoryms.com/our-community/amory-regional-museum/