The Small Town That Claims to Be the ‘Birthplace of Kermit the Frog’
It’s not uncommon for towns to attract tourists by proclaiming themselves the birthplaces of famous historical figures and celebrities. Some spots even advertise their associations with fictional characters. Like Riverside Iowa, which brags that it’s the future birthplace of Captain Kirk. Yeah, apparently, hundreds of years from now, the leader of the Enterprise will be conceived under a pool table in one of their pubs.Similarly, Leland, Mississippi is known as “the birthplace of Kermit the Frog.” The town has a Jim Henson museum full of Muppet artifacts and a “Rainbow Connection” bridge, named after Kermit’s signature song, complete with an official plaque noting that Leland is, in fact, the iconic frog’s birthplace. Metaphorically, speaking. There’s no story about Kermit’s parents mating in a local business. We don’t want to in any way impede the tourism economy of this quaint town, but the “birthplace” nickname may be a bit of an exaggeration. Kermit was first created by Henson for Sam and Friends, a local Washington, D.C. sketch show. The town’s claim to fame seems to be that Henson lived near Leland when he was a kid, and went to elementary school there. Plus, as their plaque notes, Henson had a friend named “Kermit Scott,” and these “experiences and fond memories spawned in Henson’s mind that timeless creation ‘Kermit,’ the original Muppet.”But Henson supposedly rejected the theory that he named Kermit the Frog after his old friend Kermit. According to The Jim Henson Company’s Karen Faulk, “while Jim Henson did have a childhood acquaintance named Kermit, it was not an uncommon name at the time, and Jim always said that the Frog was NOT named for this child from his elementary school.” She theorized that “Jim just liked the sound of the name.”All that being said, the “birthplace” designation came from Henson himself. “The Jim Henson Delta Boyhood Exhibit” contains a 1979 letter from Henson, in response to the mayor’s invitation to visit Leland. While Henson, who was working in London at the time, politely declined, he did send along a signed photo of himself and the Muppets. And it is clearly inscribed: “To Leland — Birthplace of the Frog.”When the town first began paying homage to Henson, they were given three original Muppets to display in the museum: Dr. Teeth, The Swedish Chef and Chester Rat. The characters later had to be returned to the Jim Henson Company, but then Henson’s widow, puppeteer Jane Henson, donated an original Kermit the Frog puppet to the exhibit. Hopefully, it’s one of the Kermits that was used in a movie or something, not just the Kermit they sent to guest on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn.
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