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BOARD OF TRUSTEES William f. winter president
JOHN K BETTERSWORTH ARCH OALRYMPLE III Frank E Everett, jr Mrs Mitchell Robinson Estus Smith Everette Truly Thomas h Watkins Sherwood w Wise
Elbert R Hilliard director
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY P. 0. BOX 571 JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI 39205
May 10, 19 78
TORICAL SOCIETY P. 0. BOX 1310 BAY ST. L0U13, P.;s 337-33
Ms. Margaret M. Gibbens
Historical Sites Chairman
Hancock County Historical Society, Inc.
Ill Citizen Street
Bay St. Louis, MS 39520
Dear Ms. Gibbens:
On May 24, 19 77, I picked up thirteen volumes of Bay St. Louis City Council Minute Books covering the periods January 4, 185 8-May 2, 190 3 and August 5, 1916-August 6, 1956. These volumes were transferred by Warren Carver, the mayor at that time, and the contract of gift,a copy of which I am enclosing, was signed by Mayor Carver and the City Clerk, Lucian W.
Kidd. It was agreed that this Department would supply the city of Bay St. Louis with microfilm copies of the minute books. The film covering the above mentioned years was mailed on August 11, 1977.
It is not normally our policy to store municipal records after filming as we are the state archives.
In this case however, it was felt that the volumes could be better preserved in our modern archival facility. If the city wishes the return of the original volumes, we would certainly be willing to discuss the matter. Our primary concern is the preservation and availability of valuable historical materials and however this can be best accomplished would meet with our concurrence.
As to the question of minute books for years prior to 1858, all I can say is that the volume beginning in 1858, when Bay Stc Louis was still known as Shieldsborough, is the earliest book we were shown. In the front of this first volume is a copy of a part of an act re-incorporating the town of Shieldsborough (1857).
According to this excerpt, the town was originally incorporated on March 1, 1854. If you looked at minutes for 1853, it was before the town was incorporated,, Shieldsborough was renamed Bay St„ Louis in 18750 I also enclose a copy of this excerpt from the 1857 act.