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THE HISTORIAN OF HANCOCK COUNTY
portance as a meeting place had not been limited to black Methodists. During the civil rights movement, Gulfside served as an important meeting place as well for others. Hollis Watkins, Civil rights activist of Jackson, said “there were only three places where blacks could meet in Mississippi during the movement— Toogaloo College, Rust College and Gulfside.”
With the declining interest in Gulfside and the destruction of Hurricane Camille in 1969, discussions ensued about its possible sale and dividing the proceeds among a number of black colleges. However, under renewed efforts of Bishops Stokes and Dixon and laymen Wayne Calbert and Henry Harper, Gulfside was saved from dissolution. New facilities were built and older and/or damaged facilities were renovated. Included in the new construction were cottages for adults known as Dixon Village.
As with so much else in the area. Hurricane Katrina completely destroyed Gulfside in August of 2005. In spite of the overwhelming loss, Gulfside remains a valuable part of the Coast community. Hosting and partnering with
both the Mississippi Conference Disaster Relief and Community Aid Relief Effort (CARE), this treasured landmark set about serving the needs of the community with work teams branching out helping to rebuild the area.
Rebuilding is also occurring at Gulfside, and the vision is to restore this historic site through a major fundraising effort currently underway. Gulfside has elected to meet this challenge with the same sort of spirit and determination it has met other challenges in its long, rich history. Fittingly, this Hancock County landmark’s motto is “We have the unmitigated gall to believe Gulfside is the Mecca on the Gulf!
Sources:
Breaux, Raymond R. “The Isle of Gulfside.” New Orleans Tribune, May 1991, 18—19. “Gulfside United Methodist Assembly.” Wikipedia, 01 July 2009
08	Jan. 2009 <http: 7 en. wikipedia.org./ wiki/ Gulf
side___United___Meth-
dist___Assembly>.
Scharff, Robert S. Louisiana's Loss, Mississippi's Gain. Law renceville, VA:	Brunswick
Publishing Corp., 1999.
Stockstill, Eugene. “Facing Freedom.” Sun Herald, 21 Feb. 1998, Dl;
4.
BOOKS FOR SALE AT LOBRANO HOUSE
Bav Saint Louis: Celebrating the First 300 Years By the HCHS (SI5.00)
A nostalgic keepsake of the city's history including descriptions and pictures of many of the historic buildings and houses especially those along Beach Boulevard prior to Katrina
Heritage Cookbook By the HCHS(S15.00)
A collection of our members' favorite family recipes
Holly
By Paul La Violette (S20.00)
An intriguing anthology of tales of a tomcat living in a beach house on the Gulf Coast
Katrina Cookbook By Charlet Russell (SI9.95)
A collection of recipes by Bayou Tours
Mississippi's No-Man's Land (Temporarily out of stock)
By Marco Giardino, Ph.D., and Russell Guerin (S10.95)
The story of the Koch family, early settlers of Hancock County, and their experiences during the Civil War, based on their letters
One Dog, Two Dogs, Three Dogs, Four...
By Paul La Violette (S20.00)
Twice told tales of several dogs living in a beach house on the Gulf Coast
Scrapbook of Treasured Memories By Connie Heitzmann and Betty Stechmann (S20.00)
A book of art, photography, and reminiscence of the Gulf Coast
Sink or Be Sunk By Paul La Violette (S30.00)
A recounting of the naval battle in the Mississippi Sound preceding the Battle of New Orleans in 1812
West Side Stories Before, During, and After on Mississippi’s West Coast Photographs and Commentary by Vicki Niolet and Betty Stechmann (S28.00)
A Pictorial of our homes and communities in Pass Christian, Bay st. Louis, Waveland, Lakeshore, and Clermont Harbor
A White Egret in the Shallows By Paul La Violette (S20.00)
"His stories reveal the ambiance and wonder of coastal living, while at the same time showing the sometimes slow, sometimes catastrophic physical and social changes taking place in the coastal regions.”
PLEASE ADD S3.00 SHIPPING FOR THE FIRST BOOK ($1.50 EACH ADDITIONAL BOOK) ON MAIL ORDERS.
Graff Hall Gulfside Methodist Assembly