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Mississippi Roads comes to you this week from
Mississippi’s “All American City.” We
are in the Lee County seat of Tupelo.
The city was organized
in the late 1850's as a result of the completion
of the Mobil and Ohio Railroad. And it took
its name from the grove of Tupelo Gum trees
that grew in the area.
Tupelo’s emergence as a railway and
manufacturing power helped ensure its status
as the first U.S. city to switch on a cheap
and reliable source of electricity through
the Tennessee Valley Authority.
The evolution of Tupelo continues today as
the city pulses with economic vitality and
a wealth of historical attractions.
There’s a whole lot of construction going
on at the Elvis
Presley Birthplace here in Tupelo. Besides
the humble two room house where Elvis was born;
there is a museum, a chapel, a gift shop and
public park. Currently being added to the grounds
is a six foot story wall which will feature quotes
and short stories from people who knew Elvis
when he was young. This is by far the biggest
tourism draw for the town of Tupelo.
In our first story, we go inside another
recently constructed museum that is sure
to attract a crowd of its own. The Tupelo
Automobile Museum is a 120,000 square
foot facility that was especially designed
to display over 100 antique and classic
cars.
The collection as put together to illustrate
the advancement of the automotive body and
mechanical designs from the late 1800’s
forward. These include steam and electric
vehicles of the late 1800’s and early
1900’s to the various advancements
such as pneumatic tires, electric starters
and numerous attempts to find a replacement
for the manual transmission. The first car,
a single cylinder vehicle begins the progression
through 2,4,6,8,10,12, and 16 cylinders.
The Tupelo
National Battlefield Park in downtown
commemorates the last major engagement
of the Civil War in Mississippi. The Battle
of Tupelo which raged over two hot July
days in 1864 was among the bloodiest in
the state.
In our next story we introduce you to some
people who know a little bit about battle
but there is guarantied to be no blood shed
in this fight. Swashbuckling swordplay, from
Zorro to the Three Musketeers, has captured
the adventurous spirit in all of us. Fencing
as a sport, with its long history and appeal
to all generations, is often overlooked as
a fun and demanding athletic activity.
Fencing is
a uniquely classic sport. It has history, drama,
romance, style, art, plus all the advantages
of a physically and mentally demanding sport.
It was originally meant as training for dueling
with the sword, and fencing was part of every
young gentleman's (and woman's!) formal education
up through the 19th century. Today it is solely
a safe and fun sport, but the flourish and
character of it's roots remain.
Tupelo is known for its many festivals.
In the Spring, the Gumtree Festival attracts
artists and craftsman from around the nation and during the first weekend in
June the Elvis Presley Festival is
held here in tribute to the “King of Rock and Roll.” These festivals
feature fun for the entire family.
Our next segment features a new park in
Tupelo that is sure to offer hours of family
fun. It’s a taste of the old west...down
south. Come visit The
Tupelo Buffalo Park and take the tour
on our Monster Bison Bus. With the largest
buffalo herd East of the Mississippi River,
you can get an up close and personal look
on how and where our buffalo live. There
is fun for the entire family at The Tupelo
Buffalo Park. Spend the night in an Indian
Village, feed the Buffalo, get up close with
the Monster Bison Bus and see exotic animals
like Sal (the tiger), Patches (the giraffe)
and more!
The Natchez
Trace Visitors Center in Tupelo offers
travelers information, displays and exhibits
depicting the history of this 444 mile
highway that links Nashville to Natchez.
The Natchez Trace is one our nations most
unique national parks that offers visitors
an unhurried trip through time.
In our next story we take a trip down another
Mississippi byway, The sights and sounds
of Highway 3 are the subject of this week’s
edition of Walt’s Way.
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