Amory, Mississippi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Amory is a city in Monroe County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 6,956 at the 2000 census.
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[edit] History
Amory is the first planned city in Mississippi. The Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham Railroad needed a mid-point between Memphis, Tennessee and Birmingham, Alabama for their locomotives, and they laid out the new town of Amory in 1887. People from nearby Cotton Gin Port on the Tombigbee River abandoned their town and moved to Amory.
[edit] Geography
Amory is located at GR3.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.7 km² (8.0 mi²). 19.4 km² (7.5 mi²) of it is land and 1.3 km² (0.5 mi²) of it (6.37%) is water.
[edit] Transportation
Road transport is served by US 278, Mississippi Highway 6, and Mississippi Highway 25. Rail transport is offered by BNSF Railway, the Alabama and Gulf Coast Railway, and the Mississippian Railway. Ship transport can be accommodated on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.
[edit] Economy
Gilmore Memorial Hospital is well regarded as having one of the better maternal wards in northeast Mississippi—residents of other cities drive extra miles to give birth there. Other business sectors include sports equipment manufacturing, wood pulp processing, and the furniture and textile industries.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 6,956 people, 2,876 households, and 1,903 families residing in the city. The population density was 358.1/km² (927.2/mi²). There were 3,147 housing units at an average density of 162.0/km² (419.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 69.85% White, 29.18% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.16% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.79% of the population.
There were 2,876 households out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 19.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 82.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,789, and the median income for a family was $37,891. Males had a median income of $30,913 versus $21,356 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,092. About 17.1% of families and 20.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.6% of those under age 18 and 17.4% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Culture and events
In honor of its cultural and historical heritage, the city of Amory holds an annual festival each April known as the "Railroad Festival" in Frisco Park in downtown Amory. Among other attractions, the Railroad Festival includes southern foods—such as fried catfish, barbeque, and apple fritters—rides, arts and crafts, and live music. Although the time of year—April—often results in rain during one or more days of the 3-day festival, turnout is generally quite large, with as many as 40,000 visiting the festival over the period of a weekend.
In addition to the annual Railroad Festival, in September of every other year, Amory is host to "Entertainment for Education", also known as "Stars Over Mississippi", in which a number of celebrities and entertainers host a benefit concert to raise funds for local scholarships. Past performers and attendees have included Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Nell Carter, Sandi Patty, Kathie Lee Gifford, Kathy Ireland, and Prince Edward.
[edit] Famous and notable Amorians
Among famous and notable individuals from Amory are actor John Dye, former entertainment executive Sam Haskell, Mississippi State Senator Hob Bryan, and controversial early blues singer Lucille Bogan.
[edit] See also
- Amory Lock on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway
- Cotton Gin Port
- Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham Railroad
- St. Louis-San Francisco Railway
- Mississippian Railway
- Alabama and Gulf Coast Railway
- BNSF Railway
[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- City of Amory, MS
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