David's Cool Biloxi, Mississippi Page
Cool history, cool water!
Last update: Nov. 10, 2000
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BILOXI! Discovered in 1699, Biloxi has just celebrated it's "Tricentenial".
Biloxi, Mississippi...it's my home. What a neat place to live! We have the Gulf of Mexico, the barrier islands, sun & sand (the world's longest man-made beach: 26 miles!). Nowadays, we have casinos and all the entertainment and nightlife that casinos bring. Biloxi makes the state of Mississippi cool. Check out our city's homepage.!
HISTORY (Sorry, but I'm a history nut...): Up to the time of it's discovery, the Mississippi Gulf Coast was inhabited by indigenous peoples who have left traces of their existence here dating back several thousand years. "Recorded history" tells that the area was actively inhabited by the Biloxis and the Pascagoulas, 2 Indian tribes who were mainly subsistence farmer/gatherers who also hunted and fished. The area that is known today as Biloxi was discovered by the French-Canadian soldier/explorers, Pierre LeMoyne (Sieur d'Iberville) and his brother Jean Michael LeMoyne (Sieur d'Bienville) during their famous expedition to discover the southern entrance to the Mississippi River.
After being commissioned, they sailed from France and began exploring the southwest Florida coastline - wary of encountering the supposed Spanish presence there. The first likely anchorage and natural harbor they found was at Pensacola, FL. However this is precisely where a small Spanish garrison was located. The Spanish, although not hostile, were not happy to see this small French fleet. Therefore, d'Iberville pushed westward with his ships, the Badine and the Marin. Accompanying them was the French warship Francios. As they sailed westward, they charted a barrier island off of Alabama (naming it Dauphine Island) and then finally came upon the barrier islands of Mississippi and noted the exceptional location of "Ship Island" - named so because of it's natural anchorage. A camp was established on Feb. 10, 1699 on the island and then landing parties were sent out in small boats to the mainland. The Indians on the shoreline saw their approach and fled, dropping everything as they ran - including one old dying Indian. By evening, contact was made with the Indians and eventually they were befriended. A small settlement/fort was established, which was named Fort Maurapas - now part of present-day Ocean Springs.
Returning with reinforcements in the following years, it looked as though the establishment at Biloxi would be permanent. In 1721, women were brought in, complete with company-furnished chests of clothes (including wedding dresses!) to become the wives of the garrison and population that began collecting in the area. These women were called Casquette Girls because of that baggage. Serving as the capital of the Louisiana colony for a time, Biloxi eventually came under British rule in 1763 becoming part of "British West Florida". In 1779 Biloxi fell under Spanish rule. With the establishment of the Mississippi Territory by Congress in 1798, Biloxi finally became part of the U.S. On two occasions, Biloxi has been a platform for invasions up the Mississippi River into New Orleans. During the War of 1812, Andrew Jackson's forces repulsed the British Armada at Mobile, AL in Sept. 1814. The English maneuvered their armada just south of Ship Island, searching for a route to land their forces for the assault on New Orleans. With over 1000 cannon and 20,000 veteran redcoats, this would be the largest naval threat that even since has ever confronted America's shores. At this same time, the British suffered a loss of their entire naval fleet in Canada fighting the Americans in Lake Champlain which prompted the signing of the Treaty of Ghent in Dec. 1814. Nonetheless, in Jan. 1815, British General Pakenham, who was not informed of the treaty, attacked the fort at Bay St. Louis, only 20 miles west of Biloxi and simultaneously sent part of his fleet up the Mississippi river. The British were repulsed at the mouth of the river by the American forces at Fort St. Phillip (about 15 miles up from the mouth of the river). However, part of the British forces from Bay St. Louis journeyed overland to New Orleans and the Battle of New Orleans was fought at Chalmette field - 2000 English were killed - including Gen. Pakenham. The Americans lost about 100 - making "Old Hickory" a hero and giving him a stepping-stone to the presidency.
In 1817, Mississippi became a state, the Magnolia tree and it's flower became the state's symbol and our state is now known as "The Magnolia State".
Mississippi and the Civil War is still a subject of keen interest. On Jan. 9, 1861, Mississippi seceded from the Union and the Federal garrison at Ship Island, which was building a fort there, was ordered to hand over the works to the Confederates. However, there were no armaments available to be placed there and the Confederates subsequently abandoned it. With the approaching Federal blockade, there was not much the inhabitants could do. Biloxi was practically held hostage by the Union contingent which reclaimed the fort at Ship Island in Sept of '61 and ironically used it as a small POW camp for captured Confederates. Some naval & land skirmishes did take place but Biloxi was not at all fortified, having only a small unit of Confederates who only harassed the Union forces. The Federals at Ship Island were engaged in a massive build-up in order to stage an invasion of New Orleans. This force would be led by Union General Benjamin "Beast" Butler. Butler, along with Admiral David Farragut would take Forts Jackson and St. Phillip at the mouth of the Mississippi River which would lead to the fall of New Orleans and eventually the entire Gulf Coast. Union occupation of the Gulf Coast was made complete with the Confederate defeat at the Battle of Mobile Bay (Alabama). With no army and a complete blockade of shipping, the people of Biloxi were practically abandoned by the Confederacy. Facing food shortages, they subsisted mainly on mullet, a fish which even today is called "Biloxi Bacon" and is to this day served in our finest restaurants!
Jefferson Davis, the only president of the Confederacy made his home in Biloxi. The beautiful, historic home is called "Beauvoir" and is a tourist attraction today - there is also a large Confederate cemetery at Beauvoir.
The gulf waters have always been an amenity for us. The 20th century saw Biloxi become a
familiar name with the great shrimp, fish and oyster harvests that were had. Tourism and
seafood had become Biloxi's two primary industries.
With it's French background and close
ties to New Orleans, Biloxi has remained quite "French" and the
seafood
culture here reflects it. There is much Yugoslavian influence also - the Yugoslavs were
instrumental in establishing Biloxi as the great shrimp and oyster export center that it has
always been famous for. In the late 19th & early 20th centuries, the shrimping vessels were
wooden schooners, which today have become a symbol of our area. These famous Biloxi schooners
raced on many a festive occasion during the seafood boon days - and these races are still re-enacted today.
Full-sized replica of a Biloxi Schooner: The Glenn L. Swetman
(available for tours )
Not much happened here during WWII, but there was a Coast Guard Air station at Point Cadet in Biloxi whose aircraft actually engaged a German U-boat in the Mississippi Sound off of Grande Isle, LA.
HURRICANES: One bad thing about Biloxi is it's susceptibility to our sworn enemy: hurricanes. The Hurricane of 1947 and Hurricane Camille in '69 obliterated the entire city. Hurricane Elena on Labor Day of 1985 nearly did the same...Elena was one of the Hurricanes my wife and I "rode out". It was fearsome and very destructive. On Sept. 28, 1998, Hurricane Georges hit us. Again my wife and I "rode it out". This hurricane stalled on us for the entire morning. Most of the Mississippi Gulf Coast lost power for up to a week. The main damage Biloxi received from this hurricane was to trees, powerlines and the roofs of homes.
Hurricanes interrupt our lives here on the Coast each year. We Coastal residents are constantly on the watch as these systems spawn in the tropics off the coast of Africa during late summer and fall. All we can do is hope that we will be lucky and not fall victim to these killer storms. In spite of the threat of hurricanes...we stay...'cause we love the place we've chosen to live.
Although it was the shrimp and oyster industry that propelled Biloxi onto the map, this industry has slowly given way to tourism. The reason is that nowadays, the waters of the Gulf are not giving up their bounty so easily. Tourism has slowly become the #1 industry. In 1992, "dockside gambling" was approved and the rest is (as they say)....history!
TODAY: Living here is definitely cool! There's lotsa things here for the tourist and the local, alike. We who live here typically are lovers of the sea and boating. We spend oodles of time out there - in the Gulf. The barrier islands (10 mi. out) are our personal paradises -which is kinda our little secret here. Not many "out-a-towners" make it out to these islands, except the smart ones...mainly those from New Orleans who know about the ferries which go back and forth to Ship Island several times daily during the "tourist" season. The barrier islands...now there is a webpage all in itself...(hmmm...if I only had the time!!!). Well...Mississippi boasts 5 beautiful barrier islands. They are, from east to west: Petit Bois Island, south of Pascaguola; Horn Island, south of Ocean Springs, East & West Ship Islands, south of Biloxi/Gulfport and finally Cat Island, south of Gulfport/Long Beach.
HORN ISLAND: Horn Island (to me) is the most magnificent and the largest...part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore (along with E. & W. Ship Island). Hurricane Georges effectively breached the island and I am wondering how it will be affected as time goes by. The government sponsors Red Wolf and Bald Eagle programs on the island and ospreys are out there by the score. Horn Island is the island where famed artist, Walter Anderson would spend weeks as a hermit, writing and painting the natural beauty of the Gulf Coast. Most of the artwork that exists by Anderson reflects the plant & animal life he saw...much like John Audobon of Louisiana...except that Anderson's art is eccentric and not done from a need to catalog wildlife...but to depict it in a colorful, surrealistic yet artistic way. Walter Anderson has become a very celebrated artist on the Coast and his artwork is now nationally recognized. Ocean Springs, where Anderson lived, has become a local centre for the "art scene" here on the Coast . In Biloxi, the Moran family offers paintings and artwork depicting coast life and scenery at their art gallery.
While we're on the subject of art...what about antiques? Glad you asked...lots of antique shops exist along the entire Gulf Coast...but the most dedicated ones are found in Bay St. Louis.
Also of interest is
Keesler Airforce Base.. This base is home to the "Hurricane Hunters" who, with their C-130's make sorties
out into the Gulf/Carribean dropping probes into hurricanes so that we are able to get "the inside story". Also at
Keesler is a large school/training center.
E. & W. SHIP ISLAND: Ship Island is the next island that has a claim to fame. As discussed
above, the fort on West
Ship Island served as a military installation...and today Fort Massachusettes and the island are big tourist attractions. Daily ferries
shuttle the visitors during the "tourist season" and I highly recommend the trip. W. Ship Island is the only island served by the ferries and staying overnight is not permitted (it's a National Park) but after a full day on the island, you're ready to come back to the mainland!
Snapshots of Fort Massachusettes @ W. Ship Island
In 1969, Hurricane Camille split the island into 2 separate pieces giving us "East Ship Island"
and "West Ship Island" and the locals called the navigable swathe of water in between "Camille
Cut".
The National Park Service runs the show out there...and West Ship Island (where the fort is
located) is a great place to visit and "lay-out" on the beach against the
blue-green Gulf water. On this island, there are public facilities like bathrooms, showers,
boardwalks, lifeguards, umbrella and lounge-chair rental, picnic benches under pavilions and
YES....A SNACK BAR One last
note about Hurricane Georges and Ship Island: East Ship island was breached by the hurricane
near the western end. Now there are two "East Ship Islands". I suppose we will start calling
the water between them "Georges Cut".
Another shot from Ship Island....
This is the view northward from atop the Fort at Ship Island
One other little island worth mentioning is north of the east tip of Horn Island. Named Round Island, it had an old abandoned lighthouse on it. This is a photo I took in 1989. The lighthouse pictured was destroyed Sept. 28, 1998 by Hurricane Georges. However, a restoration effort is presently underway.
The abandoned lighthouse at Round Island - destroyed by Hurricane Georges in Sept. 1998
What about the beaches on the mainland? Well, they are WAY cool. These man-made beaches stretch 26 miles from Biloxi to Bay St. Louis. The water that laps against the beach is not the greatest. It contains silt and mud from the Mississippi River which empties into the Gulf about 60 miles to the S.E. This water is not what I like to swim in.Very few locals ever get in it, except to throw a castnet for mullet but we do like the beach (if you want to swim, take the ferries out to the barrier islands, OK? OK! ). Yet, if you must get in the water off the mainland, there are plenty of jet-ski rental places, a para-sail boat or two all along the beach...and yes...you can wade and swim if you must. Hwy 90 runs about 70 yds from the water's edge along the beach and the view from the highway is very cool. Tons of souvenir shops, restaurants, casinos and night-spots can be found along Hwy 90 from Gulfport to Biloxi. There's tons to do and always something going on in Biloxi.
View from the Kuhn St. Pier (Deer Island behind)
FISHING: There are several harbors...Gulfport Shipping Terminal and Small Craft Harbor in Gulfport. The Biloxi Small Craft Harbor in the city proper and also at Point Cadet (known as "The Point"). Ocean Springs, Long Beach and Pass Christian all have small craft harbors as well. In these harbors you can launch your own boat or charter any of the offshore fishing boats based there. A good example is Capt. Mike Moore's boat "Strictly Business". His 38' Bertram offshore rig is ready to take any adventuresome fisherman out on a "deep sea fishing trip". Such boats can take you out to blue water, to the oil rigs or to any of the several artificial reefs. Fishing is pretty good....five scrapped Liberty Ships from WWII have been sunk appropriately offshore for fishing and diving, as well as other locally well-known artificial reef sites with names like "The Boxcars", the "Rubble Pile", "The Tires", "The Shallow Barges", "The Deep Barges" and so on...most of these sites
range in about 35 to 75 foot of water and are about 15 to 20 miles offshore. Hit the link to
Mississippi Gulf Fishing Bank's website for all the LORAN and GPS numbers a person could want for our area! Now go have fun!
On the bottom 50' down: The Shallow Liberty Ships
Diving ain't that great. You would have to go out about 60 miles to be guaranteed "blue water". However, with luck, I get in a good dive or two by taking my boat to the "Shallow Liberty Ships", about 4 miles south of Horn Island (50' of water). Visibility there has never been beyond about 15 to 20 feet. Normally it is less. I can often get off a shot or two at a grouper but the real diving is in Florida. Sometimes I will go diving on the Liberty Ships simply to "swim around" and blow a tank or two and haul up some lost tackle and even a couple of anchors. I also perform dive work, mainly on shrimp boats, so if you need a diver, call
Dave's Diving Service at 392-8045.
When it's too windy to "run out front", we boaters take to the inland waters. Biloxi has some neat bays and rivers. The Tchoutacabouffa (CHOO-ti-ka-BUFF) and the Biloxi Rivers are my favorites. Tuxachanie Creek is also nice but it's rather small. The Wolf River in Long Beach is a great river to play in, too. These rivers have pristine beachheads at every twist and turn. The water is spring-fed yet tea-colored due to the tanin which leaches into the water from cypress trees. If the rain brings their levels up, it's fun to canoe them. Even some rapids can be had on the upper Wolf and Tchoutacabouffa! Everyone loves skiing and camping on these beautiful rivers.
How about food? Man...now we have tons of places to eat! Lot's of hotels, too. The casinos have greatly added to the selection of hotels and eateries. Our airport takes in jets from all over. The airlines that run are Continental, Northwest and Delta. Amtrak has a train that comes through, too. The casinos have brought in lots of entertainment and this is cool for us locals: THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING FUN TO DO!
Just think about it: WATER, BEACH, SUN, CASINOS, RESTUARANTS, NIGHTLIFE.....We locals are taking advantage of our little secret - the Mississippi Gulf Coast and Biloxi!
CASINO LINKS:
Beau Rivage - Biloxi
Boomtown Casino - Biloxi
Casino Magic - Bay St. Louis & Biloxi
Copa Casino - Gulfport
Grand Casino - Gulport & Biloxi
Imperial Palace Casino - Biloxi
Isle of Capri Casino - Biloxi
The New Palace Casino - Biloxi
The President Casino - Biloxi
Treasure Bay Casino - Biloxi
What happened in 1699...the discovery of the area now known as Biloxi:
Pierre LeMoyne d'Iberville and the Expedition to the Gulf Coast: Chronicle from the translated ship's log of how the Mississippi River was discovered and how the settlement at Fort Maurapas came to be.
Note: Many of the links embedded in the text are sites belonging to others and I do not identify them as such in every instance. I extend appreciation to all of those persons who have worked to originate these sites & I will remove any link to them at the request of it's originator.
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If you want to...email me. I will listen.