Tupelo, Mississippi
Tupelo is the seventh largest city in Mississippi. It is located in northeast Mississippi between Memphis, Tennessee and Birmingham, Alabama. Tupelo is the county seat of Lee County. The population is estimated at over 35,000 residents and the median household income at $38,401.
Tupelo was originally named "Gum Pond" prior to the American Civil War, supposedly due to the high number of tupelo trees (locally known as sweetgum) that grow in the area. The city still hosts the Gumtree Arts Festival each year. In the post-Civil War era, Tupelo became the northern Mississippi site for the crossing of a railroad that brought industry to the town and established it as the center of commerce in the northern part of the state. Once the town began to grow, the city took on the name Tupelo after a small Civil War battle that took place on the site. That site is now designated as Tupelo National Battlefield, the Battle of Tupelo having been named for the tupelo trees of the area. Tupelo was eventually incorporated in 1870 with a population of 618.
Tupelo made national history in 1934 as the first city in the United States to provide its citizens with electric power through the Tennessee Valley Authority. Tupelo is also internationally recognized as the birthplace of Elvis Presley, who was born in east Tupelo in 1935. The little two room wooden house where Elvis was born (which is open to the public), along with the adjacent Elvis Presley Museum and memorial chapel, annually draw nearly 100,000 visitors to the city boosting the economy. The annual Elvis Presley Festival held in early June attracts music lovers from all over the world.
The city is the headquarters of the historic Natchez Trace Parkway connecting Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee, while following the route of the original Natchez Trace trail. Here, visitors can experience the natural beauty of Northeast Mississippi and the history of the Chickasaw Indians and the region's earliest travelers. Tupelo is also home to satellite campuses of the University of Mississippi, Itawamba Community College, and the Mississippi University for Women.
The Tupelo Automobile Museum is another city attraction that displays over 100 antique and classic cars for visitor enjoyment. The collection was put together to illustrate the advancement of the automotive body and mechanical designs from the late 1800’s forward. The city is also known for two area National Battlefield sites, the Oren Dunn City Museum, and numerous visual and performing arts exhibitions and productions by community concerts and theatre. Tupelo Mississippi can be described as a city having the charm of small town friendliness together with big city attractions.
Tupelo is the headquarters of two banking institutions - BancorpSouth and Renasant. The city is a three-time National Civic League "All-America City Award" winner and boasts one of the largest furniture manufacturing industries nationwide. Furniture manufacturing is crucial to the economy of Northeast Mississippi, providing some 22,000 jobs, or almost 13% of the region's employment.
