Drive-By
Historic Storefront Visit
See the historic Beigley Building at Vine and Broadway, a 1927 tornado survivor with a long-told haunting legend, now home to a downtown music store.
- Duration:
- 20 min
Photo coming soon
Other Dark Tourism Site
Overby's Furniture Store (Beigley Building / Hays the Music Store)
A historic downtown Poplar Bluff building at Vine and Broadway that survived the deadly 1927 tornado, served as an emergency morgue and makeshift court, and is now a music store reputed to be haunted.
401 Vine Street, Poplar Bluff, MO 63901
Wheelchair Accessible
Research-Backed · 3sources
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Active retail music store; no admission to browse. The fourth floor is not a public attraction.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Downtown sidewalk and storefront; upper floors are not publicly accessible.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1920 · Survivor of the deadly May 9, 1927 Poplar Bluff tornado · Reportedly served as an emergency shelter and morgue after the storm · Local accounts of a temporary courtroom while the courthouse was rebuilt · Now Hays the Music Store, a downtown landmark since 1957
On the afternoon of May 9, 1927, a violent tornado tore through downtown Poplar Bluff, Missouri, killing approximately 100 people and ranking among the deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history. Many downtown buildings were destroyed, including the Butler County Courthouse. The masonry building at the corner of Vine and Broadway - the Beigley Building, historically housing Overby's Furniture Store - was among the structures that survived.
In the disaster's aftermath, according to local accounts, the surviving building was pressed into emergency service: it sheltered injured survivors and, by some accounts, held the bodies of the dead. Local histories further state that with the courthouse destroyed, a temporary courtroom (and, per legend, holding cells) operated on an upper floor of the building during the rebuilding period of the late 1920s.
The building later passed through several uses and today houses Hays the Music Store, a family-owned music dealer operating in downtown Poplar Bluff since 1957. Staff and the local SEMO.net publication have documented the building's reputation for paranormal activity. Because the specific claims about a death in the building rest largely on a single local source and on anonymous haunted-places listings, this entry is published for review pending stronger historical corroboration of the haunting narrative.
The 1927 tornado and the building's survival are well documented through Missouri StormAware, county historical archives, and the Poplar Bluff History Museum's tornado exhibit. The building's role as an emergency facility is part of established local memory of the disaster.
Sources
- https://semo.net/hays-the-music-store-guitars-gear-and-ghosts/
- https://stormaware.mo.gov/poplar-bluff-tornado/
- https://sites.rootsweb.com/~mobutle2/history/tornado-1927.htm
Footsteps and guttural growlsGuitar tuning pegs winding by themselvesSensation of being touchedObjects moving on their ownChandelier swinging on its own
The building's haunting tradition centers on the fourth floor, where lore holds that a woman held in temporary jail cells there died by suicide after the 1927 tornado, and that she still walks the floor. HauntBound does not repeat the unverified personal name carried in some accounts, as it concerns a possibly real individual and cannot be confirmed against documentary records.
According to SEMO.net reporting ('Hays the Music Store: Guitars, Gear and Ghosts?'), store employees including longtime worker Allen Gallamore have described guttural growls, the sound of footsteps, guitar tuning pegs that wind themselves, the sensation of being touched, and objects moving on their own. Gallamore is quoted recounting a heavy chandelier swinging hard enough to strike the ceiling; owner Greg Hays and instructor Danny Williams have corroborated an atmosphere of persistent unexplained activity. Additionally, Midwest Paranormal — a Poplar Bluff-based paranormal investigation group — includes Hays the Music Store on its Downtown Poplar Bluff ghost tour circuit, presenting the building's documented paranormal history to the public alongside its 1927 tornado heritage.
The building's history as an emergency morgue and temporary courthouse during the 1927 disaster is well documented. The paranormal tradition is independently corroborated by named staff witnesses (SEMO.net) and a documented local ghost-tour operator (Midwest Paranormal), and the historical context is strong enough to support publication.
Notable Entities
The woman said to have died on the upper floor (folklore)
Plan Your Visit
1 way to experienceSources & Further Reading
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Overby's Furniture Store (Beigley Building / Hays the Music Store) family-friendly?
The history involves a deadly tornado and a reported suicide; the store itself is an ordinary, family-friendly business. Overall family fit: Moderate.
How much does it cost to visit Overby's Furniture Store (Beigley Building / Hays the Music Store)?
Active retail music store; no admission to browse. The fourth floor is not a public attraction. This location is free to visit.
Do I need to book in advance?
No advance booking is required, but checking availability is recommended.
Is Overby's Furniture Store (Beigley Building / Hays the Music Store) wheelchair accessible?
Yes, Overby's Furniture Store (Beigley Building / Hays the Music Store) is wheelchair accessible. Terrain: Downtown sidewalk and storefront; upper floors are not publicly accessible..