‘A little town, called Tupelo, Mississippi. I never forget it and I know you won’t either’

By Andrew Gribble
Auburn University Beat Reporter
Published: October 31, 2008

The blog’s hitting the road this afternoon. Because Oxford is teeny tiny, oh so gorgeous and has, according to several reports, just one Hampton Inn, it will be resting and lodging in the fine city of Tupelo.

I’ve heard various things about Tupelo, OK and bad, but here’s what Wikipedia has to say. Of course, anything and everything you find on Wikipedia is 100 percent accurate, so take it to the bank—the same one you took my bowl projections to.

- As of the 2000 United States Census, the city’s population was 34,211. By 2007, the population was 36,058, with a micropolitan area population of 132,245. Bonus points if you know what micropolitan means.
- The town was originally named Gum Pond before the Civil War, supposedly because of the high number of tupelo trees, locally known as blackgum, that grow in the area.
- Tupelo is the headquarters of the North Mississippi Medical Center, the largest non-metropolitan hospital in the United States.
- The 2008 Tupelo Golden Wave high school baseball team was ranked No. 1 in the nation for two weeks. The Tupelo High School Athletic department also was ranked No. 3 in the nation in 2008 by Sports Illustrated as best athletic department.
- Elvis was born there. Duh.
- Krusty the Clown from The Simpsons is credited with starting his career as a street mime in Tupelo.

Nothing much else to add about Tupelo, but when FAB and the Lazy Blog arrive there safely and soundly, we’ll be sure to let you know if anything else is worth noting.