Alphabet File page 32
Of a country such as this the conscientious scribe, writes reluctantly, for he can but fear that, the uninitiated will suspicion him of gross exaggeration. A sense of duty should banish diffidence, and the truthful scribe writing of the city and county should say to the practical readers, as this writer has tried to say: Here is a soil of unsurpassed fertility, here products of endless variety, here a faultless climate, here timber resources inexhaustible, here public finances in excellent shape, here healthfulness unquestioned and here social, educational and religious advantages all that could be desired. While to the sentimental and romantic reader he would tell of how at eventide or the dawn of day soft sunlight glints the waters of the bay, of how upon its bosom poet, artist or lover may drift on for hours and yet see the beauties of nature newer and greater, of how its crystal waters mirror back the myriad stars, which deep high heaven overarching vault, of winged zephyrs over its surface skimming delight the senses with perfume rare of the magnolia or jasmine, or mayhap of queenly rose in an adjacent garden. To readers both practical and poetical it may be said or this section that as beneath ocean's depth the pearl untouched lies useless until by toiling diver thence unborn it sees the glorious sunlight first, and mayhap gleams upon it's snowy neck of beauty.
The best evidence of the substantial nature probably of a city and its institutions is its people and hence this article will be largely biographical and will bear your careful perusal.
Our train pulled into the city, and entering one of the elegant carriages that stood waiting at the depot we soon found ourselves in front of the Bay St. Louis Hotel. (SCE 05/20/1893)
1894
Bay St. Louis is incorporated as a City. The present Officers of the little burg being as follows: A. G. Pieri, Mayor: L. H. von Gohren, J.G. Fayard, Peter Ramond, F. H. Egloff members of City Council: George W. Maynard, Marshall and Chief of Police: George H. Combell, Street Commissioner; Richard Mendes, Secretary and City Auditor. The city is also a port of entry, the collector, Hon. A. M. Dahlgren, having his headquarters at Biloxi, while the Special Deputy Collector J. H. Espy is located permanently at the "Bay".
Aldermen - City Council
L. H. Von Gohren 1894 (ATG p 11)
J. G. Fayard 1894 (ATG p 11)
F. H. Egloff 1894 (ATG p 11)
Custom Collectors
Hon. A. M. Dahlgren, Port of Entry Collector 1894 (ATG p 11).
J. H. Espy, Duputy Port of Entry Collector 1894 (ATG p 11).
Custom House - Moved from Pearlington to Bay St. Louis by legislature in January 1844. (PC&C p 22) (This should read that the court of Hancock County was moved to BSL and the Custom House was rented while a courthouse was being readied. (CHG)
Street Commissioner - Geo. W. Combel, 1894 (ATG p 11)
1896
This is the most beautiful city on the coast and is the capital of Hancock County.
The people are of a high order of intelligence and the stranger is at once captured by the warm and cordial greetings that he received upon every hand. The true type of southern gentleman is here in numbers, and southern chivalry is in the meridian of life.
The city has a population of about 3,000, and is, indeed, an inviting resort for both summer and winter. A beach drive of ten miles including Waveland, cannot be surpassed in the south, large magnificent residences and inviting lawns bordering it almost the entire length.
Here are located fine schools and colleges in which the very best educators are employed.
The city has one of the finest ice plants along the coast, the water utilized flowing from an artesian well 625 feet deep. This plant is now perfecting arrangements to light Bay St. Louis and Waveland by electricity.
Here the Dunbar Sons' Company have an extensive oyster, shrimp and fig canning factory.
Water mains extend throughout the city, the water supply coming from the artesian wells.
Hotel accommodations are first-class and the bathing said to be the finest on the coast.
Two newspapers, the "Gulf Coast Progress" and the Seacoast Echo" are published here and they both deserve special praise for their untiring efforts in behalf of their city in particular, and of the coast in general.
The avenues of the Bay are well shaded and shelled. The farmers in the country are, as a rule, in easy circumstances, being both frugal and progressive. Taking all things into consideration, there is no more inviting summer or winter resort on the southern coast. (VF MJS VIII 00009)
End History Chronological
Bay St. Louis Wooden Bridge - Days of Picnics - But the great day for Bay St. Louis was in 1928 when the ferry across Bay St. Louis was replaced with the wooden bridge across the Bay - built at the cost of $752,610.65 of creosoted pilings and timber. This project which was the result of the hard work and energy of Horatio S. Weston of Logtown, then president of the Board of Supervisors, suddenly transformed Bay St. Louis from an independent and isolated resort town to the open western portal of the entire Mississippi Gulf Coast. It was then it took its present recognized place as one of the Eight Sister Cities by the Sea that now comprise the closest year round saltwater recreation land to the midcontinent of the nation.
Not even the seven million dollar steel and concrete low toll bridge opened twenty-five years later in August of 1953 was as important as this first highway bridge across the Bay which first united Bay St. Louis with the rest of the Gulf Coast.
That bridge ended its history as an isolated community.
Today its story is merged and fused with the entire Mississippi Gulf Coast. It is the community where travelers coming east over the Old Spanish Trail or U. S. 90 on its long land bound trek from California, first catch sight of the beauty of the Bay of St. Louis and the Gulf of Mexico beyond. Today as the Western Gateway to the Mississippi Gulf Coast it greets its visitors on the celebration of its 100 Birthday - and as the western portal of the fastest growing year round saltwater recreation land in the nation will start writing its second century of history. (Sun Herald July 29, 1958)
Electric lights were in BSL in 1899
Fire Dept.
Marshall & Chief of Police - Geo. W. Maynard (ATG p 11)
Mayor, City Hall
The first mayor was B. Sones and N. Monet was Secretary. (Echo Jubilee 1942 pg. 27).
ARBO, George
BLAIZE, G. Y.- 1942
CAPDEPON, L. B. (Leon B.) mayor in 1915 (CCS)
CARVER, WARREN (in office on 2/25/1976 at Bicentennial)
EDWARDS, JOHN K. mayor in 1906
FRANCKOWICTZ, VICTOR
GARDEBLED, G. G.
KELLERM August
MONET, P. C. 1858
O'BRIEN, E. E.
PIERIE, A. G.
SCAFIDE
SONES, B. 1875
TOULME, JOHN B.
TOULME, J. V. 1893 (CCS)
PIERI, A. G. 1894 (ATG P 11)
TOULME, J. V. - Jan 12, 1872
TOULME, R. W.
TRAUB, CHARLES SR. 1928
J. A. Ulman - March 20, 1871
J. H. Ullman