Oxford, Mississippi
Encyclopedia
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of, Lafayette County
Lafayette County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,744 people, 14,373 households, and 8,321 families residing in the county. The population density was 61 people per square mile . There were 16,587 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Founded in 1835, it was named after the British university city of Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
in hopes of having the state university located there, which it did successfully attract.
As of the 2010 US Census, the population is 14,147. In 2008, the city annexed five square miles of Lafayette County in all directions, which represented 33% of Oxford's fifteen square miles at the time, resulting in a smaller 2010 population count than in previous years. Oxford is the home of the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
, founded in 1848, also commonly known as "Ole Miss."
Oxford has been named by USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
as one of the top six college towns in the nation. It is included in The Best 100 Small Towns in America. Lafayette County consistently leads the state rankings in the lowest unemployment rate per quarter. Oxford City Schools are ranked as "Star" schools, the highest ranking available, and Lafayette County school systems are consistently ranked as "5-star" systems.
History
Oxford became a center of culture as the location of the University of Mississippi, founded in 1848 as the first rank college of the state. The university was segregated until 1962.In a pattern typical of many areas, after the Civil War numerous freedmen moved from farms into town to establish their own community. They called their neighborhood "Freedmen Town". They built houses, businesses, churches and schools, eagerly embracing education. They exercised all the rights of citizenship. Even after Mississippi disenfranchised most African Americans and poor whites with provisions of its new constitution in 1890, they proceeded to build their lives in the face of discrimination.
During the Civil Rights Movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
, Oxford gained national attention in 1962 as a combination of the governor and University of Mississippi officials attempted to prevent James Meredith
James Meredith
James H. Meredith is an American civil rights movement figure, a writer, and a political adviser. In 1962, he was the first African American student admitted to the segregated University of Mississippi, an event that was a flashpoint in the American civil rights movement. Motivated by President...
, an African American, from integrating the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
after he won a federal court case for admittance. Meredith began his quest for admission in January 1961, after watching John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
's inaugural speech. Meredith sent a letter to the Registrar of The University of Mississippi requesting a catalog and an application for admission. University officials responded promptly with the materials and invited Meredith to apply. When officials learned from Meredith that he was African-American, his application was immediately rejected without comment, and Meredith's legal battles with the University began. Meredith was finally admitted in the summer of 1962 by a federal court in New Orleans, and made preparations to begin his studies in the fall of 1962. President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, after secret telephone negotiations with Democratic Governor Ross Barnett
Ross Barnett
Ross Robert Barnett was the governor of Mississippi from 1960 to 1964. He was a States' Rights Democrat.- Early life :...
, ordered United States Marshals to protect Meredith. Meredith traveled to Oxford under armed guard to register in late September 1962, and riots broke out in protest of his admittance. Thousands of armed "volunteers" flowed into the Oxford area to prevent Meredith's admittance. During the rioting, late on the evening of Sunday, September 30, 1962, two men, a French journalist sent to cover the events, and a Lafayette County resident, Ray Gunter, were killed by stray bullets. During the riots by segregationists, cars were burned, federal marshals were pelted with rocks, bricks, small arms fire and university property was damaged. The Mississippi Highway Patrol, on campus to supposedly provide security for the University and for Meredith, stood by passively while the riots were taking place.
Order was restored to the campus with the early morning arrival of the U. S. Army. Although President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
had mobilized the Army and ordered them onto the campus early on the evening of the riot, poor communication delayed their arrival in force until the following morning (Monday, October 1). Meredith enrolled that morning without incident and attended for the rest of the school year, graduating in August 1963 with a degree in history. During his time at the University, Meredith lived in Baxter Hall, which is now the telecommunications center for the university. A plaque has been placed inside the front entrance to Baxter Hall which recounts Meredith's time spent there. As recounted in Meredith's book Three Years in Mississippi, students on the floor right above Meredith's room tried to keep him awake all night by bouncing a basketball on the floor, he was constantly insulted with racial slurs whenever he left his room or the building, anonymous notes and letters were delivered to his mailbox on a daily basis, and unlike most first-year college students, he lived in a suite of several rooms. Two United States Marshals were with him 24 hours a day, with another contingent of marshals escorting him to class and elsewhere on campus.
Geography
Oxford is located at 34°21′35"N 89°31′34"W (34.359837, -89.526242).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 10 square miles (25.9 km²), of which, 10 square miles (25.9 km²) of it is land and 0.10% is water.
The land is hilly in places but is generally level. To the west is the Mississippi Delta
Mississippi Delta
The Mississippi Delta is the distinctive northwest section of the U.S. state of Mississippi that lies between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers. The region has been called "The Most Southern Place on Earth" because of its unique racial, cultural, and economic history...
.
It is within one hundred miles of Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
.
Oxford is located at the confluence of highways from eight directions: Mississippi highway 6 (now co-signed with US-278
U.S. Route 278
U.S. Route 278 is a parallel route of U.S. Route 78. It currently runs for 1,074 miles from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina to Wickes, Arkansas at U.S. Highway 71/U.S. Highway 59. It might be notable that it is longer than its parent highway, US Hwy-78. US Hwy-278 passes through the states of...
) runs west to Batesville
Batesville, Mississippi
Batesville is a city in Panola County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 7,113 at the 2000 census.-History:The Land upon which present day Batesville is situated originally belonged to a Chickasaw Indian called Ish-Sho-Nu-Nah...
and east to Pontotoc
Pontotoc, Mississippi
Pontotoc is a city in Pontotoc County, Mississippi, United States. Pontotoc is west of the much larger city of Tupelo. The population was 5,625 at the 2010 census...
; highway 7 runs north to Holly Springs
Holly Springs, Mississippi
Holly Springs is a city in Marshall County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 7,957 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marshall County. A short drive from Memphis, Tennessee, Holly Springs is the site of a number of well-preserved antebellum homes and other structures and...
and south to Water Valley
Water Valley, Mississippi
Water Valley is a city in Yalobusha County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 3,677 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Water Valley is located at ....
. Highway 30 goes northeast to New Albany
New Albany, Mississippi
New Albany is a city in Union County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 8,526 at the 2010 census. New Albany is the county seat of Union County. New Albany was first organized in 1840 at the site of a grist mill and saw mill on the Tallahatchie River and was developed as a river port...
; highway 334 ("Old Highway 6") southeast to Toccopola
Toccopola, Mississippi
Toccopola is a town in Pontotoc County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 189 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Toccopola is located at ....
; Taylor Road southwest to Taylor
Taylor, Mississippi
Taylor is a village in Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 500 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Taylor is located at ....
, and highway 314 ("Old Sardis Road") northwest, formerly to Sardis
Sardis, Mississippi
Sardis is a town in Panola County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 2,038.-Geography:Sardis is located at ....
but now to the Clear Creek Recreation Area on Sardis Lake.
The streets in the downtown area follow a grid pattern with two naming conventions
Street name
A street name or odonym is an identifying name given to a street. The street name usually forms part of the address...
. Many of the north-south streets are numbered from west to east, beginning at the old railroad depot, with numbers from four to nineteen. The place of "Twelfth Street," however, is taken by North and South Lamar Boulevard (formerly North and South Streets). The east-west avenues are named for the U.S. presidents in chronological order from north to south, from Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
to Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
; here again, there are gaps: John Quincy Adams would be indistinguishable from John Adams; "Polk Avenue" is replaced by University Avenue, and "Arthur Avenue" is lacking.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2009, there were 16,706 people, 9,094 households, and 6,856 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 73.4% White, 21% African American, 1% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0% Pacific Islander, 1.6% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.3% of the population. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the city the population was spread out with 6.7% under the age of 5, 12.3% from 5 to 17, 69.1% from 18 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26.9 years. For every 100 females there were 101.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,186, and the median income for a family was $71,884. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $25,859. About 12% of families and 32.3% of the population were below the poverty line.
Education
The City of Oxford is served by the Oxford School DistrictOxford School District
The Oxford School District is a public school district based in Oxford, Mississippi .-Schools:*Oxford High School *Oxford Middle School *Della Davidson Elementary School *Oxford Elementary School...
and by the private Oxford University School. It is the home of the main campus of the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
, known as "Ole Miss", and of the Lafayette-Yalobusha Center of Northwest Mississippi Community College
Northwest Mississippi Community College
Northwest Mississippi Community College is a two-year public community college located in Senatobia, Mississippi, USA and has been in existence since 1928. As of August 2008, Northwest's enrollment exceeds 7,100 students. There are approximately 3,000 students on the Senatobia campus—1,100 of which...
.
Health care
The Baptist Memorial Hospital - North Mississippi, located in Oxford provides comprehensive health care services for Oxford and the surrounding area, supported by a growing number of physicians, clinics and support facilities. The North Mississippi Regional Center. The North Mississippi Regional Center, a state-licensed Intermediate Care Facility for the Mentally Retarded, is located in Oxford.Oxford is home to the National Center for Natural Products Research at the University of Mississippi's School of Pharmacy. The Center is the only facility in the United States that is federally licensed to cultivate marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
for scientific research, and for distribution to patients who are allowed marijuana for medical purposes.
Notable Citizens
- William FaulknerWilliam FaulknerWilliam Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner worked in a variety of media; he wrote novels, short stories, a play, poetry, essays and screenplays during his career...
adopted Oxford as his hometown after growing up there when his family moved to Oxford from nearby New Albany when he was three. Oxford is the model for the city "Jefferson" in his fiction, and Lafayette County, MississippiLafayette County, Mississippi-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,744 people, 14,373 households, and 8,321 families residing in the county. The population density was 61 people per square mile . There were 16,587 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
, was the model for his fictional Yoknapatawpha CountyYoknapatawpha CountyYoknapatawpha County is a fictional county created by the American author William Faulkner, based upon and inspired by Lafayette County, Mississippi and its county seat of Oxford, Mississippi...
. His former home, Rowan OakRowan OakRowan Oak, also known as William Faulkner House, is William Faulkner's former home in Oxford, Mississippi. It is a primitive Greek Revival house built in the 1840s by Robert Sheegog. Faulkner purchased the house when it was in disrepair in the 1930s and did many of the renovations himself. Other...
, now owned by the University of Mississippi and recently remodeled, is a favorite tourist attraction in Oxford. Several members of Faulkner's family still live in the Oxford and Lafayette County area. - John GrishamJohn GrishamJohn Ray Grisham, Jr. is an American lawyer and author, best known for his popular legal thrillers.John Grisham graduated from Mississippi State University before attending the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1981 and practiced criminal law for about a decade...
also has a home in Oxford. He received a J.D.Juris DoctorJuris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from the University of Mississippi School of LawUniversity of Mississippi School of LawThe University of Mississippi School of Law, also known as Ole Miss Law, is an ABA-accredited law school located on the campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. The School of Law opened in 1854 and is the fourth-oldest state-supported law school in the country...
in 1981 and practiced law in the Mississippi suburbs of MemphisMemphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
for ten years before retiring to write full time. He and his family relocated to Oxford in the early 1990s. Mr. Grisham still maintains a home in Oxford but his primary residence is now in Charlottesville, VirginiaCharlottesville, VirginiaCharlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
. - Curtis Wilkie, Jane Ann Mullen, Ace Atkins, Beth Ann Fennelly, Ann Fisher-Wirth, Neil White, Tom Franklin and Richard FordRichard FordRichard Ford is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist and short story writer. His best-known works are the novel The Sportswriter and its sequels, Independence Day and The Lay of the Land, and the short story collection Rock Springs, which contains several widely anthologized stories.-Early...
are among the many writers who live in Oxford. Deceased authors Stark YoungStark YoungStark Young was an American teacher, playwright, novelist, painter, literary critic and essayist.-Biography:Stark Young was born in Como, Mississippi to Mary Clark Starks and Alfred Alexander Young, a local physician....
, Larry BrownLarry Brown (author)Larry Brown was an American novelist, non-fiction and short story writer. He was a winner of numerous awards including the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters award for fiction, the Lila Wallace-Readers Digest Award, and Mississippi's Governor's Award For Excellence in the Arts...
, Willie MorrisWillie MorrisWilliam Weaks "Willie" Morris , was an American writer and editor born in Jackson, Mississippi, though his family later moved to Yazoo City, Mississippi, which he immortalized in his works of prose. Morris' trademark was his lyrical prose style and reflections on the American South, particularly...
, and Barry HannahBarry HannahHoward Barry Hannah was an American novelist and short story writer from Mississippi.The author of eight novels and five short story collections , Hannah worked with notable American editors and publishers such as Gordon Lish, Seymour Lawrence, and Morgan Entrekin...
also called Oxford home. Howard BahrHoward BahrHoward Bahr is an American novelist, born in Meridian, Mississippi. Bahr, who served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War and then worked for several years on the railroads, enrolled at the University of Mississippi in the early 1970s when he was in his late 20s. He received his B.A. and M.A...
also lived in Oxford for an extended period. - Oxford has been called the art center of the South. Famous artists include photorealistPhotorealismPhotorealism is the genre of painting based on using the camera and photographs to gather information and then from this information creating a painting that appears photographic...
painter Glennray TutorGlennray TutorGlennray Tutor is an American painter who is known for his photorealistic paintings. He is considered to be part of the Photorealism art movement. His paintings are immersed with bright colors, nostalgic items, metaphor, and with a complete focus on detail...
; figurative painter Jere AllenJere AllenJere Allen is an internationally known artist, currently Professor of Art at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, MS.His work can be described as figurative: strong colors, images, and symbols are often melded with portraits, providing a sense of an artist looking for answers and a reality...
; expressionist painter Paula Temple; portraitist Jason Bouldin, sculptor William Beckwith; sculptor Rod Moorhead; and primitive artist Theora Hamblett (1895–1977). New Orleans artist John McCrady (1911–1968) studied art at Ole Miss. - Secretary of the InteriorUnited States Secretary of the InteriorThe United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
Jacob ThompsonJacob ThompsonJacob Thompson was a lawyer and politician who served as United States Secretary of the Interior from 1857 to 1861.-Biography:...
(1810–1885) owned a manor called "Home Place" in Oxford that was burned down in 1864 during the Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
by UnionUnion (American Civil War)During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
troops. A historical marker stands on the spot where it once stood. - L.Q.C. Lamar (1825–1893), U.S. senator and supreme court justice, resided in Oxford, where he served as professor of mathematics at the University of MississippiUniversity of MississippiThe University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
, farmed, and practiced law. He was the son-in-law of university chancellor Augustus Baldwin LongstreetAugustus Baldwin LongstreetAugustus Baldwin Longstreet was an American lawyer, minster, educator, and humorist, known for his book Georgia Scenes.-Biography:...
. Lamar's home in Oxford has recently been restored (2008) as a museum.
Attractions
- The courthouse square, called "The Square", is the geographic and cultural center of the city. In addition to the historic Lafayette County Courthouse, the Square is known for an abundance of locally owned restaurants, specialty boutiques, and professional offices, along with Oxford City Hall. Some restaurants on the Square include Ajax Diner, The Bottle Tree Bakery, The Blind Pig Pub, Bouré, City Grocery, the Downtown Grill, Irie, Parrish Baker Pub, Proud Larry's, The Rib Cage, Rooster's Blues House, Varsity Grille, and Waltz on the Square.
- The J. E. Neilson Co., located on the southeast corner of the square is the South's oldest documented store. Founded as a trading post in 1839, Neilson's continues to anchor the Oxford square. When the Great Depression hit Oxford and most of the banks in town closed, Neilson's acted as a surrogate bank for university employees, who needed to cash their checks to pay living expenses.
- Square Books, a local bookstore founded in 1979, is consistently ranked among the best independent bookstoreIndependent bookstoreAn independent bookstore is a retail bookstore which is independently owned.-Literary and countercultural history:Author events at independent bookstores sometimes take the role of literary salons. The bookstores themselves, "have historically supported and cultivated the work of independent...
s in the country. A sister store, Off Square Books, which is several doors down the street to the east, deals in used and remainder books and is the venue for a radio show called Thacker Mountain Radio, with host Jim Dees, that is broadcast state-wide on Mississippi Public Broadcasting. The show often draws comparisons to Garrison KeillorGarrison KeillorGary Edward "Garrison" Keillor is an American author, storyteller, humorist, and radio personality. He is known as host of the Minnesota Public Radio show A Prairie Home Companion Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor (born August 7, 1942) is an American author, storyteller, humorist, and radio...
's A Prairie Home CompanionA Prairie Home CompanionA Prairie Home Companion is a live radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor. The show runs on Saturdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Central Time, and usually originates from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota, although it is frequently taken on the road...
for its mix of author readings and musical guests. A third store, Square Books Jr., deals exclusively in children's books and educational toys. - The Flamingo is an apartment building near the Oxford Square on University Avenue. Its distinctive Miami-style DecoArt DecoArt deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
architecture makes it one of Oxford's most visible landmarks.
Cultural
- Oxford has had a thriving and diverse music scene for many years, often drawing comparisons to other college towns with active musical life, such as Charlottesville, VirginiaCharlottesville, VirginiaCharlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
, Chapel Hill, North CarolinaChapel Hill, North CarolinaChapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
, Austin, TexasAustin, TexasAustin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
or Athens, GeorgiaAthens, GeorgiaAthens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
. Oxford's relatively close proximity to large music cities such as MemphisMemphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, New OrleansNew Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, and NashvilleNashville, TennesseeNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, make it a regular stop for most of the current musicians and bands who tour on a regular basis. Musicians past and present living in Oxford include BeanlandBeanlandBeanland was a roots rock jam band, based in Oxford, Mississippi, which performed and recorded primarily from 1986 to 1993.Beanland was founded in Oxford in 1985 by guitarists Bill McCrory and George McConnell, with Adam Stoll on drums and harmonica...
, The CootersThe Cooters (band)The Cooters are a punk rock band from Mississippi. Based out of the northern hill country town of Oxford , the band has been touring and recording since 1993. The Cooters are well known in the state and have dealt with controversy, trademark lawsuits, and even prison sentences...
, Bass Drum of DeathBass Drum of DeathBass Drum of Death are a grunge band signed to Fat Possum Records from Oxford, MS. The band was formed by John Barrett, who performed solo with a bass drum and guitar until 2008, when Colin Sneed began playing drums. Their debut LP, GB City, was released on April 12, 2011. The vinyl was also...
, Kudzu KingsKudzu kingsKudzu Kings is an alternative country/roots rock jam band from Oxford, Mississippi. Their sound has been categorized as a blend of country music, bluegrass and improvisational rock & roll...
, Blue MountainBlue Mountain (band)Blue Mountain is an American alt-country/roots rock band formed in 1991 in Oxford, Mississippi by husband and wife duo Cary Hudson and Laurie Stirratt , who is notably the twin sister of John Stirratt, the bass player for the like-minded Americana band Wilco.-History:After the dissolution of...
, George McConnellGeorge McConnellGeorge McConnell is an American guitarist from Vicksburg, Mississippi who played for Widespread Panic, Kudzu Kings, and Beanland. He attended the University of Mississippi where he was in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity....
, Caroline HerringCaroline HerringCaroline Herring is a country and folk singer-songwriter. Born in Canton, Mississippi, she has lived in Oxford, Mississippi and Austin, Texas, but now lives in Atlanta with her son, daughter, and husband. Many of her songs deal with slavery and her Mississippi upbringing...
and blues harp player Adam GussowAdam GussowAdam Gussow is a scholar, memoirist, and blues harmonica player.Gussow is currently an associate professor of English and Southern Studies at the University of Mississippi in Oxford...
. - Oxford is also the home of the renegade bluesBluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
label Fat Possum RecordsFat Possum RecordsFat Possum Records is an American independent record label based in Oxford, Mississippi. At first Fat Possum focused almost entirely on recording hitherto unknown Mississippi blues artists . Recently, Fat Possum has signed younger rock acts to its roster...
, who released records by blues legends R. L. BurnsideR. L. BurnsideNot to be confused with R. H. Burnside, stage director.R. L. Burnside , born Robert Lee Burnside, was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist who lived much of his life in and around Holly Springs, Mississippi. He played music for much of his life, but did not receive much attention...
and Junior KimbroughJunior KimbroughDavid "Junior" Kimbrough was an American blues musician. His best known work included "Keep Your Hands Off Her" and "All Night Long". Music journalist Tony Russell stated "his raw, repetitive style suggests an archaic forebear of John Lee Hooker, a character his music shares with that of fellow...
, as well as The Black KeysThe Black KeysThe Black Keys are an American rock duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney. The band was formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. As of October 2011, the band has sold over 2 million albums in the U.S....
. Johnny MarrJohnny MarrJohnny Marr is an English musician and songwriter. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, with whom he formed a prolific songwriting partnership with Morrissey. Marr has been a member of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse...
, former guitaristGuitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
for The SmithsThe SmithsThe Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
and current member of Modest MouseModest MouseModest Mouse is an American indie rock band formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington, by singer/lyricist/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, and bassist Eric Judy. They are based in Portland, Oregon. Since their 1996 debut album, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think...
bought a home in Oxford but no longer lives in it. Former Derek and the DominosDerek and the DominosDerek and the Dominos were a blues rock band formed in the spring of 1970 by guitarist and singer Eric Clapton with keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon, who had all played with Clapton in Delaney, Bonnie & Friends...
member Bobby WhitlockBobby WhitlockRobert Stanley 'Bobby' Whitlock is a songwriter and performer, best known as a member of Derek and the Dominos.- Biography :...
lived in Oxford where he had a ranch and his own studio. - Musicians Modest MouseModest MouseModest Mouse is an American indie rock band formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington, by singer/lyricist/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, and bassist Eric Judy. They are based in Portland, Oregon. Since their 1996 debut album, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think...
, Gavin DegrawGavin DeGrawGavin Shane DeGraw is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He is known for his songs "Chariot", "Follow Through", "I Don't Want to Be" , "In Love with a Girl", and "Not Over You".-Early life:DeGraw grew up in the Catskills in South Fallsburg,...
, Elvis CostelloElvis CostelloElvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
, The HivesThe HivesThe Hives are a Swedish garage rock band that first garnered attention in the early 2000s as a prominent group of the garage rock revival. Their mainstream success came with the release of the "greatest hits" album Your New Favourite Band, featuring their most well-known song "Hate to Say I Told...
, and Counting CrowsCounting CrowsCounting Crows is an American rock band originating from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993, August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones"...
have recorded albums at Sweet Tea Recording StudioSweet Tea Recording StudioSweet Tea Recording Studio is a 24-track recording studio in Oxford, Mississippi owned by producer Dennis Herring and operated by Dawn Palladino...
in Oxford. Dennis Herring, the owner of Sweet Tea, has received Grammy awards for his work with artists such as Jars of ClayJars of ClayJars of Clay is a Christian rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. They met at Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois.Jars of Clay consists of Dan Haseltine on vocals, Charlie Lowell on piano and keyboards, Stephen Mason on lead guitars and Matthew Odmark on rhythm guitars...
and blues great Buddy GuyBuddy GuyGeorge "Buddy" Guy is an American blues and jazz guitarist and singer. He is a critically acclaimed artist who has established himself as a pioneer of the Chicago blues sound, and has served as an influence to some of the most notable musicians of his generation...
. - Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
wrote a song called "Oxford TownOxford Town"Oxford Town" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan in 1962. It was recorded in Columbia's Studio A on 6 December 1962 for his second album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan....
", which was included on his album The Freewheelin' Bob DylanThe Freewheelin' Bob DylanThe Freewheelin' Bob Dylan is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released in May 1963 by Columbia Records. Whereas his debut album Bob Dylan had contained only two original songs, Freewheelin initiated the process of writing contemporary words to traditional melodies....
. The song was about the violent events surrounding the admission of James MeredithJames MeredithJames H. Meredith is an American civil rights movement figure, a writer, and a political adviser. In 1962, he was the first African American student admitted to the segregated University of Mississippi, an event that was a flashpoint in the American civil rights movement. Motivated by President...
into the University of MississippiUniversity of MississippiThe University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
in 1962. Dylan played a memorable concert at the Tad Smith Coliseum on the Ole Miss campus in November 1990, which opened with a performance of the song Oxford Town. - Oxford has been the setting for numerous movies, including Intruder in the Dust (1949, based on the Faulkner novelIntruder in the DustIntruder in the Dust is a novel by the Nobel Prize-winning American author William Faulkner publishedin 1948.The novel focuses on Lucas Beauchamp, a black farmer accused of murdering a white man. He is exonerated through the efforts of black and white teenagers and a spinster from a...
), Home from the HillHome from the Hill (film)Home from the Hill is a 1960 film directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Robert Mitchum, Eleanor Parker, George Peppard, George Hamilton, Everett Sloane, and Luana Patten....
(1960), Barn Burning (1980, based on the Faulkner short storyBarn Burning"Barn Burning" is a short story by the American author William Faulkner which first appeared in Harper's in 1939 and has since been widely anthologized. The story deals with class conflicts, the influence of fathers, and vengeance as viewed through the third-person perspective of a young,...
), Rush (1981 documentary), Heart of DixieHeart of DixieHeart of Dixie is a 1989 drama film adaptation of the 1976 novel Heartbreak Hotel by Anne Rivers Siddons and directed by Martin Davidson...
(1989), The Gun in Betty Lou's HandbagThe Gun in Betty Lou's HandbagThe Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag is a 1992 American screwball comedy film written by Grace Cary Bickley and directed by Allan Moyle. The film stars Penelope Ann Miller, Eric Thal, Julianne Moore, William Forsythe, and Alfre Woodard...
(1992), Sorry, We're Open (2008 documentary), The Night of the Loup Garou (2009), "Where I Begin (2010), and parts of The People vs. Larry FlyntThe People vs. Larry FlyntThe People vs. Larry Flynt is a 1996 American biographical drama film directed by Miloš Forman about the rise of pornographic magazine publisher and editor Larry Flynt, and his subsequent clash with the law. The film stars Woody Harrelson, Courtney Love, and Edward Norton.The film was written by...
(1997).
2008 Presidential Debate
More than 3000 journalists came to Oxford on September 26, 2008 to cover the first presidential debate of 2008United States presidential election debates, 2008
The bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates sponsored four debates for the 2008 U.S. presidential general election, which took place at various locations around the United States in September and October 2008...
, which was held at the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
.
Historical sites
See also National Register of Historic Places listings in Lafayette County, MississippiNational Register of Historic Places listings in Lafayette County, Mississippi
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Lafayette County, Mississippi.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States...
- AmmadelleAmmadelleAmmadelle, in Oxford, Mississippi is an Italianate mansion that is a fine example of design work by Calvert Vaux. It was built by Thomas E. B. Pegues. Final details were incomplete when the American Civil War started, and the missing details were never finished.It is a red brick building with...
, ca. 1860, designed by Calvert VauxCalvert VauxCalvert Vaux , was an architect and landscape designer. He is best remembered as the co-designer , of New York's Central Park.... - Barnard ObservatoryBarnard ObservatoryBarnard Observatory was a U.S. astronomical observatory owned and operated by University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. Completed in 1859, it was part of the astronomy focus that chancellor Frederick A.P. Barnard had for the school. Due to the outbreak of the Civil War, though, the purchase...
, University of Mississippi, 1859 - First Presbyterian Church, 1881
- Isom Place, 1848
- Lafayette County Courthouse, 1872
- Lucius Q. C. Lamar HouseLucius Q. C. Lamar HouseThe Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar House, also known as Lucius Q. C. Lamar House is a site significant for its association with Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar , who lived there while a Congressman and U.S. cabinet member. Lamar was active in U.S. national but resigned from congress in January...
, ca. 1860 - Lyceum-The Circle Historic DistrictLyceum-The Circle Historic DistrictThe Lyceum-The Circle Historic District is a historic district in Oxford, Mississippi that includes eight buildings and several monuments lining University Circle which surrounds "The Circle" on the campus of the University of Mississippi...
, University of Mississippi - Oxford City Hall (former federal building), 1885
- Rowan OakRowan OakRowan Oak, also known as William Faulkner House, is William Faulkner's former home in Oxford, Mississippi. It is a primitive Greek Revival house built in the 1840s by Robert Sheegog. Faulkner purchased the house when it was in disrepair in the 1930s and did many of the renovations himself. Other...
(William Faulkner House), 1848 - St. Peter's Cemetery, 1871
- St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 1860
External links
- City of Oxford Official Website
- Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce
- Oxford Tourism Council
- Yoknapatawpha Arts Council
- Oxford Conference Center
- Oxford Cultural Heritage Inventory
- Oxford Civic Chorus Web Site
- Oxford Film Festival
- The University of Mississippi
- www.OxfordMississippi.com Hottest topics and highlights in Oxford, Mississippi.
Area newspapers
- The Oxford Eagle, Oxford's only daily newspaper. Includes the weekly guide for arts and entertainment, the Oxford Town.
- The Local Voice, The Local Newspaper for the Community, by the Community
- The Daily Mississippian, the student newspaper of The University of Mississippi.