Audie Murphy bronze statue located at the Audie Murphy/American Cotton Museum in Greenville, Texas.

The Audie Murphy/American Cotton Museum is located in Greenville, Texas and its goal is to educate the public about the history and impact of the cotton industry on the Northern Texas lacklands and the United States. Audie Murphy, who grew up near Greenville, Texas was the son of cotton share croppers and is part of this history.

Founded in 1987 as the Hunt County Museum, Greenville’s nationally known Audie Murphy/American Cotton Museum began as the local chapter of the American Association of University Women in a downtown storefront into what is now a major tourist attraction and research center. Host of the annual Cotton History Conference, numerous other conferences, symposiums, and festivals, the Audie Murphy/American Cotton Museum is on the forefront of local history and historical cotton research in Texas. The Audie Murphy/American Cotton Museum is very involved in community activities and historic preservation throughout Hunt County.

Renovated and expanded, the museum has opened a permanent exhibit dedicated to Audie Murphy. This exhibit is also featured during the Audie Murphy Day Celebration event which is hosted by the museum and generally held in June every year around the time of Audie Murphy's birthday.

The large ten foot bronze statue of Audie Murphy was commissioned by the Greenville Sesquicentennial Committee and is the center piece of a beautiful memorial dedicated to Audie Murphy and all war veterans of Hunt County, Texas. The memorial is in front of the Audie Murphy American Cotton Museum and prominent from Interstate 30. The memorial has a number of marble tablets with the names of Hunt County, Texas citizen who sacrificed their lives during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Viet Nam war. The brick walkway which the memorial is built upon contains the names of people who have financially supported its construction. Contributor names include Ronald Regan and President George W. Bush. The memorial is one of the finest sculptures constructed on Audie Murphy and is dedicated by a local community to remember its fallen service members.

Inside the museum visitors can discover a large collection of authentic Audie Murphy artifacts and memorabilia. The collection includes firearms, photographs, posters, military uniforms, equipment, movie costumes, paintings, and other items which once belonged to Audie Murphy or depict him.

The museum also is the home to all of the notes used by Colonel Harold B. Simpson as he researched his biography Audie Murphy, American Soldier.

If you are interested in visiting the Audie Murphy/American Cotton Museum and would like to know when their visiting hours are scheduled or if you would like to know when the next Audie Murphy Days celebration is, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/audiemurphyamericancottonmuseum.

Texas Hall of Fame Music Award presented in 1996 to the Audie Murphy family on display at the American Cotton Museum.

3rd Infantry Division Audie Murphy Platoon recruiting poster kept at the American Cotton Museum.

Leather riding chaps worn in one of Audie Murphy's many western movies.

The instrument panel of the airplane which Audie Murphy was killed in when it crashed.

An engraved Audie Murphy collector's knife.

Paper jacket for discharge papers of Audie Murphy.

A collector's Audie Murphy Tribute .45 Caliber pistol on loan to the museum by Audie's friend Feller Goff.

A leather vest worn by Audie Murphy in one of his western movies.

A western style straw hat worn by Audie Murphy in one of his movies.

Entrance to the Audie Murphy/American Cotton Museum in Greenville, Texas. Photo provided by Ms. Betty Tate.

One of the many stone tablets which are part of the memorial to Audie Murphy and Hunt County war veterans who were killed in action.

A billboard facing I30 near the Audie Murphy/American Cotton Museum. Photo by provided by Betty Tate.

I30 exit sign. Photo provided by Betty Tate.

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Summary