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Ya'll come to
Amory, yuh heah? |
Amory is the perfect site for a railroad festival,
because Amory's very
existence
is due to the railroad. The town was
established by the
K.C.M.&B. Railroad (Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham) at the
halfway point between Memphis and Birmingham and named for
railroad magnate, Harcourt Amory. The K.C.M.&B. eventually
became the Frisco,
which in turn was purchased by the Burlington Northern in the
1970's. The BN merged with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
Railway in 1995, resulting in the current BNSF Railway.
The town of Amory was plotted and the first lots were sold at auction in
November 1887. Incorporation followed in 1888. People rushed in
to buy
property and the new railroaad town was on its way!
Then, along came the Mississippian Railway, which still operates daily.
It is a
25-mile short line railroad operating between
Fulton and
Amory, where it connects with the BNSF. The Mississippian, which
is operated by Homan Industries, was
presented the Golden Box
Car Award for its achivement as
being one of the best managed short line railroads
in the nation. Steeped in history, the Mississippian was built
during the early 1920's and continues today as a viable,
cost-effective means of transportation for Homan as well as
other industries.
The Amory Railroad Festival was begun in 1979 and has been held every
year
since. It has been a huge success! The event
attracts upwards of 60,000 visitors
each year and has been cited by the
Southeast
Tourism Society as one of the Region's Top 29
events.
2012 will be no exception. The Amory Railroad Festival Committee plans to
stage the very best festival ever, featuring outstanding
entertainment, delectable food and quality arts and crafts.
Bring the whole family and plan to spend at least
one full
day in Amory.
Ya'll come! Yuh heah?
