Regional Boards > Mid-South

Northern Mississippi

<< < (2/2)

bwana39:

--- Quote from: golden eagle on November 13, 2009, 05:56:42 PM ---Tupelo has made a living off the furniture industry, though I hear that it's not as good as it used to be. It's also the birthplace of Elvis Presley, so it does get a few tourists there. I've only been to Oxford once, but it's a nice area. If I could separate the town from the University of Mississippi, I wouldn't mind living there.

I've spent very little time northeast Mississippi, so I can't really speak much of its population growth, though Tupelo has been growing. It's the 6th or 7th largest city in the state. Oxford is also booming, thanks to Ole Miss. Starkville is also growing with all the things going on with Mississippi State.

--- End quote ---

I am mostly just bumping this because it is so unused.

The furniture business in Tupelo has shut down.
The banking business moved to Houston (BancorpSouth ...now Cadence Bank) (Renasant is still there)

Tupelo has lost its luster.

achilles765:
I actually grew up in Mississippi, technically. I lived on the state line with Louisiana, which is where I actually claim to be from (and am truthfully.). A small town/rural area called McComb, in pike county along interstate 55.

My parents still live there though I cannot for the life of me understand why. Or why anyone would choose to still live there. I don’t even like to visit. Every part of the state I’ve ever visited or been to seems to be the same story: formerly a (insert industry or company) town, no city with a population over 100,000, high poverty, high crime, super evangelical Christian, deeply ingrained racism and tension, low educational attainment, super low cost of living (because no one else would want to live there).

That may sound judge mental or whatever but I spent the first 19 years of my life there–I’ve also lived in Louisiana, traveled and spent time all up and down the east coast, and have made Texas my permanent home. The only place I’ve ever been that’s worse than Mississippi is West virginia. 

capt.ron:

--- Quote from: achilles765 on June 03, 2023, 05:28:22 AM ---I actually grew up in Mississippi, technically. I lived on the state line with Louisiana, which is where I actually claim to be from (and am truthfully.). A small town/rural area called McComb, in pike county along interstate 55.

My parents still live there though I cannot for the life of me understand why. Or why anyone would choose to still live there. I don’t even like to visit. Every part of the state I’ve ever visited or been to seems to be the same story: formerly a (insert industry or company) town, no city with a population over 100,000, high poverty, high crime, super evangelical Christian, deeply ingrained racism and tension, low educational attainment, super low cost of living (because no one else would want to live there).

That may sound judge mental or whatever but I spent the first 19 years of my life there–I’ve also lived in Louisiana, traveled and spent time all up and down the east coast, and have made Texas my permanent home. The only place I’ve ever been that’s worse than Mississippi is West virginia. 

--- End quote ---
A very accurate assessment, IMO. It's the same in the Arkansas Delta region as well. Most towns are VERY run down and crime ridden (looking at Pine err Crime Bluff, Helena, and others like them).

froggie:

--- Quote from: achilles765 on June 03, 2023, 05:28:22 AM ---I actually grew up in Mississippi, technically. I lived on the state line with Louisiana, which is where I actually claim to be from (and am truthfully.). A small town/rural area called McComb, in pike county along interstate 55.

My parents still live there though I cannot for the life of me understand why. Or why anyone would choose to still live there. I don’t even like to visit. Every part of the state I’ve ever visited or been to seems to be the same story: formerly a (insert industry or company) town, no city with a population over 100,000, high poverty, high crime, super evangelical Christian, deeply ingrained racism and tension, low educational attainment, super low cost of living (because no one else would want to live there).

That may sound judge mental or whatever but I spent the first 19 years of my life there–I’ve also lived in Louisiana, traveled and spent time all up and down the east coast, and have made Texas my permanent home. The only place I’ve ever been that’s worse than Mississippi is West virginia. 

--- End quote ---

Jackson has 152K as of the 2020 Census.  That said, the rest of your post accurately describes Jackson as well as much of the state.  But I don't think it's ALL like that.  DeSoto County is effectively a Memphis suburb.  The Gulf Coast is still the Gulf Coast (even if gambling isn't as prominent as it was 20 years ago).  And Picayune serves as a bedroom community for both New Orleans and Stennis Space Center (Pearl River County absorbed *A LOT* of evacuees from Hurricane Katrina).

Still, I could never get over the overt evangelicalism, the racial tension, or the humidity 8 months out of the year.  For those who didn't know, I was stationed there twice...1997-2001 and 2005-2008.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[*] Previous page