The Martin & Sue King Railroad Heritage Museum has teamed up with Delta State University Archives to produce a new exhibit, “The Business of Cleveland.” Bringing photographs of Cleveland out of the vault, the exhibit will feature many photographs, as well as artifacts, from businesses that are part of the history of Cleveland. The public is invited to come share their stories of shopping, working and playing in Cleveland’s business district.
A “Community Chat” exhibit opening with refreshments will take place Monday, February 27th from 4:30 to 6:30 and Tuesday morning from 10:00 to 12:00.
The public is encouraged to stop by the Railroad Museum to share personal stories of what it was like doing business in Cleveland. The “chats” will become a part of the University’s Oral History collections.
The advent of the railroad line and the trains brought commerce to the town of Cleveland. Supported by the “King Cotton” agrarian society, Cleveland prospered. While cotton lost its place as king, Cleveland’s downtown changed with the times but kept true to its hometown-downtown charms. Many may take for granted the name of “Cotton Row” without appreciating how this name came to be. Others may not realize that the Crosstie Walking trail once was the lifeblood to downtown cotton merchants, the railroad tracks. This exhibit offers visitors a chance to see Cleveland’s commerce grow and adapt to the changing times primarily through photographs and a selection of artifacts.
The exhibit will be on display in the train museum though the summer.
For more information, contact Lisa Miller at the Railroad Heritage Museum (662.843.3377) or Emily Jones at the University Archives (662.846.4780).
