Vignettes
Center – Caesar
Center was a Choctaw Indian settlement before the first Europeans entered south Mississippi. It was bounded by Catahoula Creek on the east and Playground Branch on the west and was in the geographical center of Hancock County (before the creation of Pearl River County). Its original name was a Choctaw term meaning “center” or “coming… (read more)
Gainesville
The town of Gainesville was founded in the early 1800’s by Dr. Ambrose Gaines, who had come to the early settlement of Cottonport located on the Pearl River. Dr. Gaines received the first Spanish land grant for what was to become Gainesville in 1810. Issued by John V. Morales and confirmed by William Crawford, U.… (read more)
Governor Fulwar Skipwith’s Speech
1810 Gentlemen of the Senate, And of the House of Representatives, CALLED by your joint and unanimous suffrages, to fill the office of chief magistrate, under the constitution adopted by the people of this commonwealth, I repair with a full sense of my own imperfect qualifications, to that critical and honorable post, believing it to… (read more)
A Brief History of Bay St. Louis
In 1698, Louis XVI, King of France, was able to achieve a long-held dream of locating the Mississippi River. He dispatched Pierre LeMoyne, Sieur d’Iberville and Jean Baptiste, LeMoyne, Sieur d’Bienville to locate the river and establish claim for France all territories drained by it. Spain learned of the quest and sent its… (read more)
Brown’s Vineyard
Sources Along the Gulf In 1895, the book entitled Along the Gulf was published by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in order to promote travel along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Among other areas, one attraction was called Brown’s Vineyard. It was called “a veritable garden of beauty,” crediting Mr. Brown with having “…planted almost exclusively… (read more)
The Church of the Annunciation Kiln, Mississippi
This is the third in a series of articles about historic chuches of Hancock County. This month we move out into the county and take a look at the Church of the Annunciation located on the Kiln-Delisle Road in Kiln. I must begin with a disclaimer. In reviewing the various rather sketchy sources for… (read more)
J. M. Foxworth Diary
A RECORD OF PASSING EVENTS AT CAMP LOVELL SHIELDSBORO, BAY ST. LOUIS MISSISSIPPI BY; J.M. FOXWORTH, 2ND LIEUTENANT THE JEFF DAVIS SHARP-SHOOTERS – COMPANY D THE 7TH RIGIMENT OF MISSISSIPPI VOLUNTEERS COMMENCED THE 12TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 1862 J,M, FOXWORTH, RECORDER (Greek letters) KNOW THYSELF EDITORIAL PREFACE This jounal has not been edited… (read more)
The Diary of Christian Koch 1831-1836
Introduction Our eighty-six year old Aunt Nettie cherished a withered little beech twig which is now one hundred and twenty years old. It belonged to her father, Christian Koch, who, having been apprenticed to a sea captain to learn navigation was on a ship as a cabin boy. While the ship was still within… (read more)
Hancock County Seat of Justice – Timeline
JANUARY 8-12, 1811 Simon Favre on the Pearl River, Phillip Saucier at the Bay of St. Louis, and Jaques L'Adnier at Biloxi Bay are appointed Justices of the Peace by W.C.C. Claiborne. The area is Biloxi Parish and is part of Feliciana County, which is officially part of the Louisiana Territory. DECEMBER 14, 1812… (read more)
Formation of Hancock County (Works Progress Administration)
The History of Hancock County, compiled by the Works Progress Administration West Florida came into the possession of the United States in 1810, and the Mississippi coast was quickly divided into two districts, of which the western, known as "Viloxie" included the territory between the Bay of Biloxi and Pearl River and between the thirty-first… (read more)