Oxford, MS

After Graceland Too, we took a small detour down to Oxford, Mississippi, where I spent a day back in 2001. Oxford was just as I remembered it, a quaint little southern town with bookstores and old buildings and a very handsome square in the center. We walked around for a good hour, Astrid mostly trying on clothes and me wandering around, soaking in the ambience and taking photos.

The city took its name from Oxford, England in the hope that the state would place its first university here, and it worked. It is commonly known as "Ole Miss" and was opened in 1848. Today it is one of the best in the US, and the students rank among the prettiest in the nation (I can't vouch for this). Ole Miss has a football team whose supporters throw the best parties in the nation, according to Tailgating Magazine (yes, it exists). So there are both academic and good non-academic reasons to study here.

All pics here.

William Faulkner.


The impressive county courthouse in the town square.




Confederate memorial. Commemorating your dead comrades is all fine, but I'm not sure the term "holy and just cause", found on the memorial quite describes the Confederacy.


Some purdy buildings around the square.






Mmmmmmm, ice cream.


The local, independent bookstore has regular reading sessions for kids in a playroom setting inside the store. I found this very nice and very southern.