In 1889, the town of Eupora (earlier known as Early Grove) was established on a spur track of the Georgia Pacific Railway. The same track that I grew up by in an old house on Adams Avenue.
This was the beginning of my little hometown and in a way the beginning of the person that I would become to be today. The new house built by the track would be the old house that I was brought home to from the hospital. The buildings that came after the track would be the same buildings that I first looked up to in awe. The families that came to settle here would be the ancestors of the amazing people who raised me. This town, these buildings, these people..they have all played a part in making me.
I have the sweetest memories of growing up here as a child. Playing under the muscadine vines in our backyard, walking down the street to buy chicks at the Co Op (now Jan's Place), going to town to hunt for treasures in Mr. Edwards "junk" store (my favorite find from there was an old yellow dress that made me feel like a princess), bike rides to Mr. Pumpkin's house, swimming in the lake, and of course walking those railroad tracks.
CIRCA 1889 is a tribute to those beginnings as I begin this new one...
Today, I am still a local of this sweet place, now living in Ms. Gary's old house, raising my little boy, reliving the fond memories I have of growing up here as we make new ones. These days we love picking muscadines in the summer for Nanny to make her homemade jelly, walking to the cafe for lunch in "our spot", going to town on Saturday to shop at the antique stores, bike rides down the street, swimming at the lake, and sharing our backyard eggs with the neighbors. The tracks are grown over now, but I reminisce everytime we go by them.
Life here hasn't changed too much. It's still a slow pace, friendly town - you might even say Mississippi's version of Mayberry. We are holding on to as much as we can of the good ole days, because when you hear those tales of when Eupora thrived and downtown would be so busy that you thought you would fall off "high side", you just can't let it go.
CIRCA 1889 will be a collection of my love for design, historic architecture, antique finds, chicken farming and living in this small town of Eupora...
Pictured: Train passing I Main Street, "low side" I couple in buggy I Main Street "high side", 1950's I The Adams Ave house, July 1990