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From YouTube: "The History of Biloxi"
Description
Here is the 11-minute film short, "The History of Biloxi,” that is shown daily, every 15 minutes, in the Biloxi Visitors Center theater. The production, which had its premiere Jan. 23, 2018, draws on a wealth of archival footage to highlights moments and events in Biloxi and Mississippi Gulf Coast history. To learn more about the documentary, and to see historic photos, visit www.biloxi.ms.us/visitors-center-set-to-premiere-new-film. #BiloxiHistory #wearebiloxi
A
The
coastal
Mississippi
that
would
become
Biloxi
did
not
experience
permanent
European
settlement
until
1699,
when
French
explorers
sailing
for
king
louis
xiv
landed
on
an
island
in
the
Mississippi
Sound
Pierre
LeMoyne
sur
de
boville,
and
his
brother
Jean
Baptiste
Lemoine
de
Bienville,
who
were
seeking
the
mouth
of
the
Mississippi
River
named
it
Ship
Island.
It
had
a
natural
deepwater
Harbor
that
their
ships
easily
anchored
him.
A
When
these
French
explorers
landed
ashore
near
present-day
Deer
Island
just
south
of
Biloxi,
they
claimed
the
entire
region
for
France,
as
the
Spanish
had
not
yet
established
any
permanent
settlement.
On
the
Mississippi
coast,
the
French
built
Fort
Maura
paw,
just
across
from
Biloxi
in
present-day
Ocean
Springs,
to
secure
their
holding
a
region
where
Native
Americans,
such
as
the
Biloxi
and
Choctaw
lived,
are
engaged
in
trade
of
the
plentiful
marine
resources.
A
These
Europeans
secured
the
gulf
coast
by
establishing
Biloxi
as
the
first
capital
of
this
territory.
In
1699
later,
the
French
capital
would
shift
eastward
to
mobile
in
1702,
then
finally,
westward
to
New
Orleans.
Since
1718
the
Mississippi
territory
became
an
official
part
of
the
new
United
States
in
1798.
A
One
economic
endeavor
that
early
defined
Biloxi
was
the
tourist
trade
that
resulted
in
its
growth
so
much
so
that
officials
charted
the
city
in
1838
as
early
as
the
1840s,
the
Magnolia
Hotel
welcomed
visitors,
mostly
from
New
Orleans.
The
city
became
a
destination
of
people
fleeing
the
heat
of
that
city
and
the
yellow
fever
pestilence
that
threatened
the
health
of
the
entire
Southland
Biloxi
was
known
for
its
salubrious
climate
and
hospitality
services.
A
Many
summer
homes
appeared
on
the
Mississippi
Sound
shoreline,
as
people
spent
their
summers
taking
in
the
Gulf
breezes
enjoying
fresh
seafood
and
the
social
events
of
the
coast.
With
a
new
lighthouse
in
1848
guiding
ships
to
Biloxi,
the
city
grew
in
April
1861.
The
American
Civil
War
opened
with
a
volley
of
cannon
shot
from
the
Confederate
States
of
America
on
Fort
Sumter
South
Carolina.
A
The
Mississippi
coast
became
embroiled
in
the
four-year
conflict
first,
because
the
United
States
government
instituted
a
naval
blockade
of
all
coastal
regions
of
the
south
and
secondly,
because
Ship
Island
again
became
an
important
Harbor.
The
Union
forces
planned
to
launch
attacks
against
Pascagoula
Pass,
Christian,
Biloxi
and
ultimately
New
Orleans
from
its
forces
stationed
at
ship
island.
A
The
tourist
trade
recovered
quickly
as
southerners
sought,
normalcy,
the
Lewis
and
Nashville
railroad
connected
New
Orleans
and
mobile,
with
Biloxi
in
1872
Biloxi
again
capitalized
on
its
maritime
and
tourist
trade,
Biloxi
entrepreneurs,
Lazaro
Lopez
William
K
M
du
Kate,
James
macaque,
William
Gorn
flow
and
FW
Elmer
created
the
first
seafood
processing
Factory
in
Biloxi
in
1881
capitalizing
on
the
abundant
oyster
beds
and
shrimp
in
the
Mississippi
Sound
beautiful
white-winged
of
Biloxi
schooners
harvested.
The
bountiful
seafood
of
the
sound
the
Biloxi
schooner
became
synonymous
with
success.
A
Several
waves
of
laborers
joined
the
local
citizens
in
harvesting
seafood,
as
the
industry
expanded
to
meet
the
demand
for
succulent
oysters
and
shrimp
Bohemians,
our
Polish
workers
from
Baltimore
Maryland,
familiar
with
the
oyster
industry.
First
man,
the
labor
lines
with
Louisiana
Cajuns
in
Croatians.
Soon
following
Biloxi
african-american
workers
often
worked
side
by
side
with
the
other
Pickers
and
shuckers,
but
in
some
factories
they
worked
on
separate
lines
because
of
racial
prejudices.
Of
the
times
by
the
early
1900's
Biloxi
was
known
as
the
seafood
capital
of
the
world.
A
Through
the
decades
the
industry
ebbed
and
flowed
with
the
economy
by
the
1970s
Vietnamese
immigrants
arrived
in
Biloxi
from
their
war-torn
land
working
in
the
seafood
factories
and
building
boats.
The
Vietnamese
became
a
part
of
the
cultural
fabric
of
the
city.
Today,
many
events
highlight
all
of
the
immigrants
contributions
to
Biloxi
venues,
food
and
entertainment.
A
Biloxi,
also
witnessed
the
growth
of
Keesler
Air
Force
Base
in
early
1941
on
donated
land
from
the
city,
the
United
States
Army
created
a
Technical
Training
School
named
after
a
second
lieutenant
Samuel
R
Keesler
jr.,
a
Mississippian
killed
in
World
War
1.
This
facility
has
grown
into
one
of
the
largest
training
bases
in
the
United
States,
particularly
in
its
state-of-the-art
medical
facilities.
It
also
was
home
to
the
Hurricane
Hunters,
a
squadron
that
flies
into
the
storms
to
gauge
strength
and
development.
A
In
1992
dockside
gambling
became
legal
in
Biloxi.
Gambling
was
historically
a
part
of
the
coastal
history
as
the
Isla
Capri
in
the
early
20th
century
symbolized
in
the
1990s
gambling
establishments
first
located
on
small
paddlewheel
riverboat
type
water
craft.
But
today
the
industry
displays
modern
multi-story
buildings
with
all
of
the
amenities.
As
a
result
of
the
gambling
industry,
Biloxi
has
experienced
of
Renaissance
of
development.
Even
after
Hurricane
Katrina
struck
the
Mississippi
Coast
in
2005
and
destroyed
much
of
the
gambling
establishments.
Progress
has
been
phenomenal.
A
The
rebuilding
effort
after
Hurricane
Katrina
also
witnessed
the
construction
of
a
new
Biloxi
visitor
center.
The
MGM
Stadium,
where
the
Biloxi
shuckers
play
baseball
along
with
collegiate
teams,
a
new
Biloxi
public
library
and
numerous
hotels,
welcoming
guests
to
the
Luxy
historic
preservation
continues
to
be
important,
as
developers
renovated.
The
White
House
Hotel
once
an
establishment
that
welcomed
visitors
in
the
early
20th
century
into
a
modern
destination
point:
six
million
visitors
come
to
Biloxi
annually
since
Hurricane
Katrina
to
partake
of
its
amenities
along
Highway
90
new
seafood.
A
Restaurants
serves
local
seafood
and
highlight
the
cuisine
of
the
coast
as
the
21st
century.
Unfolds.
Biloxi
is
prime
for
further
development,
while
retaining
its
rich
history
and
cultural
attractions.
Shrimp
boats
bring
in
their
Kitsch,
just
as
they
did
over
a
hundred
years
ago.
The
blessing
of
the
fleet
still
occurs.
Every
June
and
po
boys
are
still
recognized
as
one
of
the
favorite
foods
of
the
city.