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p«gc 6 GULFPORT PPFSB .n S & F Publication 11/6 >^5
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V-,
now Your Courthouses
by O.M. Smith, Jr.
This series "will cover the 91 courthouses in Miss. A photographic history is being made and will be published as a Bicentennial contribution by the Colonial Patriots Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution. Hancock county was established Dec. 14, 1812 and named for a signer of the Declaration of Independence, John Hancock. Among the 1st settlers of Pearlington and Hancock county was Francois B. L«noir who represented the county, prior to 1820, in the legislature. The coast region was first discovered by the Spanish and later re -discovered and colonized by LaSalle and Iberville for the French. By the treaty of Paris in 1763 is become a British possession and became part of the West Florida province. These settlements were all on the coast until in the 1800's penetration began to be made into the Indian occupied interior. The Indians finally.
regular calls at Bay St. Louis, the Barnes wharf at. Hands-•boro, and Biloxi. Pearl River of the west afforded transportation for the important early lumber industry. The Wolf and Jordan rivers are also important streams. In later years pecans, vegetables, and seafood became an important part of the economy. From this early beginning Hancock county has become a vital part of the National Space program with the $350 million National Space Technology Laboratories project which included a
13,500	acre primary test site with a 128,000 acre buffer zone. Used originally to test rockets that put the first Americans on the moon, it is
now used as a Space technology, earth resources, and environmental research facility. Hancock county has many marinas and fishing camps for easy access to all types of fresh and salt water sports. New Orleans is near enough for all cultural and sport spectaculars. Hancock county is one of the fastest growing counties in Mississippi and with the civic pride that is evident it should become one of the great counties in the state. The Fpresent coin-thouse^waslbuiit BflTT-ti
in 1911 and cost $24,989 as recorded on pp. 211-213 Book “C” Minutes of Board of Supervisors. Jeth Bros, of Alabama were awarded the building contract.	_