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Mid-Twentieth Century
571
The Bay Citrus Grove was an experimental project; its purpose was to demonstrate that with proper fertilization, spraying against blight, irrigation, and protection against short freezes, citrus fruit could be profitably raised on the coast.
In 1957, Stern sold or gave away over 600 crates of fruit, selling many crates to local and nearby supermarkets to pay his costs. Although he could have sold three times that much by shipping to the Eastern United States as Christmas gifts at $8 per crate, the Bay Citrus Grove was not a commercial project. Stern was willing to pass on to others the experience he had accumulated. In 1957 alone, at least 100 people visited the Bay Citrus Grove and went home to plant and properly care for their own citrus trees. Stern proved that the coast could again grow oranges, lemons, and grapefruit as it did over fifty years earlier, when every home had orange trees.
during the five-year period 1953-1958, the City of Bay St. Louis ^.structed a new six-room elementary school building and a modern gymnasium at Central School on Ulman Ave. It also added four more classrooms at Valena C. Jones School. During this period, the city provided more than $13,000 annually for the cost of operating and maintaining its public school system, which afforded a deserved increase in teachers? salaries (Thompson, 1958).
During the same 1953-1958 period, the city sponsored, began, and completed a 36-unit low rental housing project for both whites and blacks (Thompson, 1958).
The Lutheran Church was organized in Bay St. Louis in 1955 (Eagle,
1958,	33). It held its first service on Easter Sunday. The congregation was small, so it did not attempt to erect its own building; instead, it held its Sunday night services in the Presbyterian church building. The congregation?s first pastor was the Reverend V. E. Moritz, who came from New Orleans to conduct the services.
Many New Orleans organizations brought their members to Waveland and Bay St. Louis to enjoy a few days or a few weeks at ?camps? during the summer or on weekends. During the 1940s and ?50s, local residents were entertained in the spring by the sight of ?Easter Bunnies? walking along the beachfront. These high-school sorority girls came over from New