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The Progress of the Races
Short History of Four Towns on Pearl River
Except Biloxi, Pearlington, Logtown, Napoleon, and Gainesville, are among some of the oldest towns in South Mississippi, probably 150 years old. Pearlington, the first town on Pearl River in the State of Mississippi, situated about twelve miles from its mouth where it flows into Lake Borgne, like the river, derived its name from the pearls found in the river. Along the river from Pearlington to Gainesville, and even farther up, was originally the home of the Choctaw Indian, where fish abound in the bayous and rivers and where there is a fine hunting ground.
Cattle kept fat all the year round from the cane-brakes before forest fires destroyed them. The bear, deer, and turkey roamed the forest; wild game was so plentiful nearly up to the Civil War, that the deer had trails in the woods like cattle, all the hunter needed to do was to take a stand behind a tree near the trail and wait for his game. If a poor deer came along he would let him pass and wait for a fat one to come, and then he would firp old Betsey at his venison.
This was also a fine section for cypress and yellow pine, a manufacturing center for lumber, and the building of lake and coastwise vessels. Doubtless the first white settler at Pearlington was Simon Favre, a Frenchman, who was sent there from Mobile by the United States Government, as a pioneer, about 150 years ago to civilize the Indians.
Mr. Favre settled on a farm just above Pearlington, which extended about a mile above to a landing on Pearl River known as “The Gin” (afterward named Favreport). Mr. Favre was the progenitor of all the Favres on Pearl River in Hancock County. Among the most prominent of his de-scendents were Captain Joseph A. Favre and Honorable Theophilus M. Favre, better known as “Off Favre.” Captain Favre was vice-president of the Poitevent & Favre Lumber Company, president of the J. A. Favre Lumber Company, and manufactured lumber at Favreport on the old farm first owned by his grandfather. He was also president of the board of supervisors, and treasurer of Hancock County for a number of years.
Honorable T. M. Favre, the brother of Captain Favre, was a partner in the mercantile department of the Poitevent & Favre Lumber Company. He also ran a turpentine business of his own. He was the Representative of Hancock County in the Mississippi Legislature along in the ’seventies, and Collector of Customs at Bay Saint Louis, Miss., under President Cleveland.
Before the Civil War, all of the cotton raised on Pearl River was brought down the river on flatboats to the old farm and ginned at the historic landing known as “The Gin,” after which the cotton was shipped to New Orleans on schooners and steamboats.
Etienne Maxson, the father of the writer, when a boy, rode the mules that turned the mill to gin the cotton. The first dry-dock used for the construction and repair of ships at New Orleans was built at this landing.
“Calker” Harrison, one of the oldest calkers in the ship-yards on Pearl Uiver and on the coast of Mississippi, who had nearly reached the century