The Simmons & Wright Company
The Simmons & Wright Company is a two-story brick general store built in 1926 in Kewanee, Mississippi, featuring a front porch and a second-floor balcony accessible by a rear staircase. The interior preserves original wooden shelves, glass display cases, and a wood-burning stove, while a brick and wood warehouse built the same year sits behind the main structure alongside former agricultural processing buildings.
The store was founded in 1884 by William Simmons and Tom Wright, initially benefiting from its proximity to railroad tracks that brought goods to local farmers. After a fire in 1926 destroyed the original wooden structure, it was rebuilt that same year with the brick building that continues to serve the community today.
The store served as the social center of Kewanee, where farmers and townspeople gathered to buy supplies and share news. Today, visitors can explore the second-floor balcony that wraps around the building and imagine the daily interactions that once took place within these walls.
The store is located along Highway 11/80 in Kewanee and is roughly 12 miles (19 kilometers) east of Meridian via the interstate. Visitors should plan to visit on weekdays during morning and afternoon hours, as the store closes earlier on Fridays and the first and third Saturdays of each month.
In the 1950s, Bernice Simmons took over as bookkeeper after returning from college and ran the store for decades, becoming a familiar face who rarely left Kewanee except during her school years. She was known for spending her time resting on a green bench near the storefront and in a garden beside the building until her death at age 96.
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