Small Town, Big History: Interurban History Museum in Amo Indiana
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The history of small towns often comes alive through stories passed down from one generation to the next.
However, as time goes on, pieces of this history can sometimes be forgotten.
In the small Hendricks County town of Amo, Indiana, the community came together to preserve their shared heritage by bringing local artifacts together and creating The Amo Interurban History Museum, where the town’s story is displayed for all to explore and cherish.
The History of Amo
While I knew the Town of Amo for Amo's Pizza and the Vandalia Trail, there's even more in this small town. The Town of Amo's original name was Morrisville after Joseph Morris who laid out the town in 1850.
Residents changed the name to Amo just a few years later as the new name means love and reflects what they wanted it to be which remains today.
Amo's boom as a town came when the railroad was being extended from Indianapolis to Terre Haute, and the interurban depot was added. Factories and other businesses sprung up as well as homes for residents creating a small town. They even had a skating rink!
Amo is still a small town today, but has a lot of love and a lot of history!
The Interurban History Museum
The Interurban History Museum officially opened in September 2024 due to efforts from local residents to preserve their collective history. When I visited a few weeks ago, I ran into Rosie Burch Bell who told me about some of the history and items that were on display. All items are either donated or on loan.
They have so many interesting relics including a replica of the school's basketball court that is made from actual flooring from the court! The space is shared with the Amo Reading Room, which serves as the town's library and gathering space.
More in Amo
While you're in Amo visiting the museum, you can grab coffee or ice cream at the Cup and Cone or pizza at Amo Pizza and General Store. You can also enjoy the beautiful outdoors and bike, run or walk on the Vandalia Trail!
We explored the trail this summer after grabbing coffee and ice cream. The paved trail is great for bikes, scooters and strollers. You could easily spend a whole morning or afternoon exploring just this one corner of Amo!
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