Amory, Mississippi | |
|---|---|
 Frisco Park in 2005 | |
 Flag  Logo | |
 Location withinMonroe County and the state ofMississippi | |
| Coordinates:33°59′14″N88°29′10″W / 33.98722°N 88.48611°W /33.98722; -88.48611[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Monroe |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Corey Glenn (I)[2][3] |
| Area | |
• Total | 13.14 sq mi (34.03 km2) |
| • Land | 12.53 sq mi (32.46 km2) |
| • Water | 0.61 sq mi (1.58 km2) |
| Elevation | 240 ft (73 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 6,666 |
| • Density | 532.0/sq mi (205.39/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code | 38821 |
| Area code | 662 |
| FIPS code | 28-01260 |
| GNIS ID | 2403095[1] |
| Website | cityofamoryms |
Amory/ˈeɪ.mər.i/ is a city inMonroe County,Mississippi, United States. The population was 6,666 at the2020 census, down from 7,316 in2010. Located in the northeastern part of the state near the Alabama border, it was founded in 1887 as a railroad town by theKansas City, Memphis and Birmingham Railroad. As a result,Cotton Gin Port, along the Tombigbee River to the west, was abandoned as businesses and people moved for railroad access.
Amory was founded as a planned railroad town. The Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham Railroad was expanding in theSouth and needed a midpoint betweenMemphis, Tennessee, andBirmingham, Alabama, to service their locomotives. They laid out the new town of Amory, near the Alabama border, in 1887.
Believing railroad access to be critical, people from nearby Cotton Gin Port, about 1.5 miles away and located along theTombigbee River, abandoned their town and moved to Amory. All that remains of the former Cotton Gin Port are the ruins of buildings and an old cemetery.
Two field recordings were made at Monroe County Training School in Amory.[6]
On the evening of Friday, March 24, 2023, Amory wasstruck by a fast-moving EF3 tornado, resulting in significant residential damage, as well as multiple injuries and two fatalities.[7] At Amory High School, cameras caught the tornado damaging the building, ripping the roof off the building and flying debris impacted the schools' athletic facility.[8] The same tornado also impactedEgypt prior, andWren thereafter.[9]
Amory is in northern Monroe County, on the east side of the valley of theTombigbee River. TheTennessee–Tombigbee Waterway forms the northwestern border of the city.
U.S. Route 278 passes through the south side of the city as Sixth Avenue, leading west 8 miles (13 km) theUS 45 freeway and southeast 22 miles (35 km) toSulligent, Alabama.Okolona, Mississippi, is 15 miles (24 km) to the west via US 278 andMississippi Highway 41.State Highway 25 passes through Amory as Main Street, leading north 26 miles (42 km) toFulton and south 16 miles (26 km) toAberdeen, the Monroecounty seat.State Highway 6 leads northwest from Amory 11 miles (18 km) toNettleton and 26 miles (42 km) toTupelo.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, Amory has a total area of 13.1 square miles (34 km2), of which 12.5 square miles (32 km2) are land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2), or 4.63%, are water.[4]Amory Lock on the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway and part of its upstream pool are along the northern edge of the city.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 739 | — | |
| 1900 | 1,211 | 63.9% | |
| 1910 | 2,122 | 75.2% | |
| 1920 | 2,861 | 34.8% | |
| 1930 | 3,214 | 12.3% | |
| 1940 | 3,727 | 16.0% | |
| 1950 | 4,990 | 33.9% | |
| 1960 | 6,474 | 29.7% | |
| 1970 | 7,236 | 11.8% | |
| 1980 | 7,307 | 1.0% | |
| 1990 | 7,093 | −2.9% | |
| 2000 | 6,956 | −1.9% | |
| 2010 | 7,316 | 5.2% | |
| 2020 | 6,666 | −8.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 4,524 | 67.87% |
| Black or African American | 1,764 | 26.46% |
| Native American | 16 | 0.24% |
| Asian | 19 | 0.29% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.02% |
| Other/Mixed | 190 | 2.85% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 152 | 2.28% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 6,666 people, 2,900 households, and 1,666 families residing in the city.
As of the2010 United States census, there were 7,316 people living in the city. 69.5% wereWhite, 29.0%African American, 0.2%Native American, 0.2%Asian, 0.3% from some other race and 0.7%of two or more races. 1.4% wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
As of thecensus[12] of 2000, there were 6,956 people, 2,876 households, and 1,903 families living in the city. The population density was 927.2 inhabitants per square mile (358.0/km2). There were 3,147 housing units at an average density of 419.5 per square mile (162.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 69.85%White, 29.18%African American, 0.12%Native American, 0.06%Asian, 0.16% fromother races, and 0.63% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino 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% weremarried 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. Theper capita income for the city was $14,092. About 17.1% of families and 20.7% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 31.6% of those under age 18 and 17.4% of those age 65 or over.
Business sectors in the city include sports equipment manufacturing, wood pulp processing, and the furniture and textile industries.[citation needed] The city is served by North Mississippi Medical Center Gilmore–Amory.
In honor of its cultural and historical heritage, the city of Amory holds the annual "Railroad Festival" in April in Frisco Park in downtown. Among other attractions, the Festival includes southern foods—such as fried catfish,barbecue, and apple fritters— rides, arts and crafts, and live music, most notably the local band The Gents who have brought fans out for years with theirMotown,Blues Brothers, and classic oldies show. While spring rains are possible during the 3-day festival, turnout is generally quite large, with as many as 40,000 visiting the festival over the period of a weekend. The festival was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It returned in 2022, however it was cancelled again in 2023, as Amory was still recovering from the deadly tornado that hit the city on March 24. The city was able to have the Railroad Festival in 2024 though.
In addition to the annual Railroad Festival, Amory held "Entertainment for Education", also known as "Stars Over Mississippi", an event in which a number of celebrities and entertainers hosted abenefit concert to raise funds for local scholarships. Past performers and attendees includedVince Gill,Dolly Parton,Nell Carter,Sandi Patty,Kathie Lee Gifford,Kathy Ireland,Brad Paisley,Brooks and Dunn,Ray Romano,Tony Danza,Patricia Heaton,Doris Roberts,Whoopi Goldberg,Brad Garrett, andPrince Edward.
Most of Amory is served by theAmory School District, while a small portion is served by theMonroe County School District.[13]
Amory Christian Academy is a small private Fundamentalist Baptist school in Amory.
Road transport is served byUS 278,Mississippi Highway 6, andMississippi Highway 25.Rail transport is offered byBNSF Railway, theAlabama and Gulf Coast Railway, and theMississippian Railway.Ship transport can be accommodated on theTennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.
Municipalities and communities ofMonroe County, Mississippi,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Village | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This town also has portions in adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
