University of Mississippi - Ole Miss Yearbook (Oxford, MS)

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THE LITTLE EASY By: Ben Hurston and Miriam Taylor Photos: Miriam Taylor To some, it ' s the place to go for a good time, an upscale Bourbon Street where the bouncers are too strict, and the bars close too early. To others, it ' s the center of an art community, a home to galleries, music venues, and bookstores. To just about everyone, it ' s where you go for a great meal, a restaurant on every corner to suit whatever food-mood you might find yourself. But to a certain few, whose faithfulness and loyalty have endured changing laws and challenging lawlessness, the Oxford Square is much more: It ' s home. It ' s my life, said Square Books owner and longtime Oxford resident Richard Howorth. I ' ve pretty much spent my life right here on this square. But, like others who have called our small town home from early-childhood, Howorth grew up with a very different Square than the one that most students see on Friday nights. Tor such a small town, It ' s very significant that we have such a centralized, defining n What is now a bustling hot spot of high-priced clothing stores and fine dining was once a sleepy, small- town center, with hardware stores and groceries that operated by charging money to family tabs. What is now the self-assumed territory of hard-partying college students used to be a high school stomping ground where students would go to hang out after school. Will Lewis, the man whom many consider to be the town historian, said he can remember walking into the old drug store, watching the man at the counter grind coffee beans, flipping through the magazines on the rack, and listening to the talk of the people. It was a different world for sure, said Lewis, who also owns the South ' s oldest department store, Neilson ' s, which was opened in 1839. Things were a lot simpler. Everyone knew each other. Things began to change after a 26 ■ Student Life

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The Courthouse was built in 1872 to replace the one lost in the burning of the square in 1864. LAF COU YETTE COUh RTHOUSE vlTY Opened in 1979 by Richard Howorth, Square Books is often ranked as one of the best independent bookstores in the country. Known as the Souths oldest department store, Neilson ' s was first opened in 1839. STORY THIS WAY Off-Square Books is the venue for Thacker Mountain Radio with host Jim Dees every Thursday evening. The Square ■ 25

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county-wide referendum passed in the late 60s that legalized the sale of alcohol. Hardware and grocery stores disappeared as restaurants and bars opened. Wal-Mart and other superstores moved into town as locally-owned stores struggled to compete. Oxford was growing. It was a trend that had been waiting a very long time to happen, said Howorth, who attributes the rapid growth of the town to Oxford ' s lack of prosperity prior to the new liquor laws. Oxford became the place it was destined to be. Now, 40 years since the city legalized alcohol, the Square seems to have found its form. It ' s arguably Oxford ' s greatest and most well-known feature. Pictures and paintings of the Old South architecture are staples of nearly every art gallery, home, and condo in town. Where else are you going to find so many pictures of the same place in different mediums and formats, said junior biology major James Howard Evans. For such a small town, it ' s very significant that we have such a centralized, defining location of shops, restaurants, and bars. Unlike most downtown areas, which tend to decline as the rest of the city flourishes, the Oxford Square has somehow managed to maintain it ' s relevance through all of the growth and changes that have taken place in the town. Now, nearly a century after Will Lewis ' s father was taken in by the Neilsons and first began working at their store, the Square is still the cultural center of Oxford, the pride of its people. It ' s a very vibrant place to be, said Lewis, I see all walks of people, I enjoy interacting with the students and I see the old families too. If I had to be in a city, well, I ' m just not sure I could do that. It ' s a great spot, agreed Howorth. Maybe it ' s not very different from anywhere else, but it ' s a nice, comfortable place. Richard Howorth is the owner of Square Books and native Oxonian Will Lewfe, krj|wn to many as the town historian The Square ■ 27