One of the most prestigious designations in the country honoring culture and natural resources recognizes the treasures of the Mississippi Coast.  Find out more about the program and how it can help us shine! 
- story by Rebecca Orfila, photos by Rebecca Orfila and Ellis Anderson

Heritage areas are congressionally designated regions that connect natural, cultural, and historic resources in order to recognize the diverse nature of our nearby heritage.  Currently, 49 Heritage Areas have been established within the national program.  Per the National Park Service (NPS), these nationally identified heritage areas are “lived-in landscapes” and not governed by the NPS.  Instead, the heritage areas team up with the home communities to focus on local interests and needs.    

Local management of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Heritage Area is the job of Department of Marine Resources’ Deputy Director of Coastal Restoration and Resiliency, Rhonda Price and her staff.  Price works to facilitate the necessary partnerships of communities, governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, and individuals who value our region's rich cultural diversity, history, traditions, and natural beauty.

Among her list of projects for 2016, Price described taking the Bon Silene project a step further with plans to bring back the Bon Silene roses to the property.  The property took its name from the carmine-pink flowers that were originally planted on the grounds.

In 2015, grants totaling $200,000 were awarded by the Mississippi Gulf Coast Heritage Area to help support diverse initiatives.  All of the grant awards will be matched with local or state funding and donated services.

• The Disability Connections received $40,000 to create a film project to preserve and promote the heritage areas of South Mississippi, while designing tours to educate and connect the public, inclusive of people with disabilities.
• To support its comprehensive education outreach program, the Mississippi Heritage Trust received $25,000.  MHT plans to develop the educational program using five significant sites to educate students and the public.
• The Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area awarded Stone County Economic Development Partnership a grant of $35,000 to identify, develop and promote heritage resources.
•  The Gautier Colored School will be the beneficiary of a grant of $50,000 to facilitate renovations to create the Gautier Historic Schoolhouse and Cultural Museum.
• Visit Mississippi Gulf Coast Regional CVB was awarded $15,000 to create six Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area signs to be erected at the corridors coming into the 3-6 coastal counties. Additionally, the grants will underwrite a portion of training for college workforce and visitor center personnel that focuses on the assets of the Gulf Coast Heritage Area.
• A grant of $35,000 was awarded to the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain to compose a comprehensive history of the Turkey Creek area, in addition to a feasibility study for the restoration of the Phoenix Naval Store building for use as an interpretive center for the completed historical documents.

Following Hurricane Camille, foundation repairs of Joe Moran’s art studio in Biloxi uncovered twelve skeletons that were originally identified as Native American.  Moran protected the skeletons in situ and went on about his studio work.  Hurricane Katrina ultimately destroyed the structure, which allowed for additional excavation and study of the site.  This examination resulted in the identification of 20 additional burials.  Following osteological study, the remains were identified as French Colonial settlers.  The Moran site is now recognized as the second oldest cemetery of French Colonial settlers in the United States.

The remains of the settlers were reburied on site in Biloxi. The reinterment ceremony included a Rite of Committal conducted by Bishop Roger Morin.  Also participating were Knights of Columbus from local churches as well as members of the 1699 Society in period garb from Ocean Springs. 

As with the planned landscaping at Bon Silene, Rhonda Price and her team are finalizing plans for a memorial garden at the burial site of the settlers.  Design of the gardens will include evergreens styled in the parterre fashion.  Additionally, a life-size sculpture of a weeping angel will be included to honor the colonists and their suffering.  

Whether for restoration, preservation, access projects, signage, or educational programs, the Department of Marine Resources’ Mississippi Gulf Coast Heritage Area team encourages leaders of our area resources to apply for annual grants. For additional information, click here.

Note:  The Bon Silene Restoration and Preservation Project was the Recipient of a 2014 Heritage Award for Preservation Education and the Trustees Award for Exemplary Restoration of a Mississippi Landmark.

A forgotten Hancock County historic treasure has a chance at a new beginning, thanks to a dynamic young leader and the Mississippi Heritage Trust's "Most Endangered" program.
- by Rebecca Orfila, photos courtesy MHT

On October 22, 2015, the Jourdan River School was added to the Mississippi Heritage Trust’s 2015 Top Ten Most Endangered Historic Sites in Mississippi, a program that serves to identify and champion the protection and restoration of important historical sites. In a recent press release, the Mississippi Heritage Trust (MHT) reported, “The Jourdan River School is one of few remaining African American schools in south Mississippi.”
 
As noted by MHT Executive Director Lolly Barnes, “The goal of the ‘10 Most Endangered Historic Places in Mississippi’ program is to raise awareness about the many threats facing our rich architectural heritage.  By educating the public about the history of the Jourdan River School, we hope to find the resources to save this special place.”

Danin Benoit ([email protected]), a representative of  Community Wakeup and Men and Women of God Ministry, the nominators of the school to the Most Endangered list, explained that school alumni Earllean Thompson Washington contacted him to advocate saving the old structure. The next step for the Jourdan River School is fundraising.

Community Wakeup and the Men and Women of God Ministry groups intend to raise funds to facilitate the renewal of the Jourdan River School, in addition to potential grant opportunities.  Supporters hope to meet with school alumni in February of 2016 to hear their stories of the old school in the trees.
 
Backed by the enthusiasm of former students, Ruby V. Patterson and Velma Frederick, plus several local groups and individuals, Benoit hopes the school will be brought “back to light” and serve as a community center for the Kiln area.

 With more than 200 cemeteries in Hancock and Harrison counties, these lovely last resting places are also home to art and history.
- by Rebecca Orfila, photos by Ellis Anderson and Rebecca Orfila

PH is the examination of the history of your locale through research and “on the ground” exploration.  It invites the public to examine the historical nature of streets, buildings, cemeteries, and people associated with local history or families.

Cemeteries are either public or private.  The large military and sometimes older city cemeteries are maintained by local, state, or national governments.  Private cemeteries are maintained by private cemetery associations, owner families, or churches.  There can be restrictions regarding access times and animals like dogs on cemetery grounds.  Before visiting a private, family, or public cemetery educate yourself on the days and hours of access.

The first activity is to identify research questions.  What interests you?  Which are the oldest cemeteries in a specific area?  Which have the oldest burials?  Where are the former leaders of the community buried?  Is there a trend of deaths during certain years that could connect to years of disease or weather events?  Are any monuments written in a language other than English?

Practical historians can find the same information on their own by connecting with resources available from the Hancock County Historical Society (HCHS) and their onsite records and references, local history libraries, plus Internet resources like Ancestry.com (public and private genealogical resources and family trees), Genealogybank.com (old newspapers), FindaGrave.com, and other genealogical resources such as USGenWeb and Rootsweb. Based on the invaluable work performed by members of the Hancock County Historical Society plus USGenWeb and FindaGrave, we know three of the 65 Hancock County cemeteries are recorded in the Fourth Ward: Waveland, Fayard, and Gulfside Assembly.  With these resources, it is possible to become well versed on the inhabitants of a cemetery prior to a field visit.

Our research for the oldest burials in the Fourth resulted in finding Francois Favre, who died in 1873, in the Fayard family cemetery (private).  Favre was born in 1797 in Haute-Savoie, France, and served as a private in the 18th Mississippi Militia during the War of 1812.  In Waveland Cemetery (public) off Dufour Road, a small grave dates to 1886 and holds the remains of one of three infants of the Dorsey family.

With names and dates in hand, a visit to local cemeteries is in order. So what are we looking for during our field trip?  As in our initial research, we will be on the lookout for persons of interest such as family members, local families or persons (such as the burials identified above), or people important to the history and development of the local community.

An additional activity in your review of a cemetery could be the identification of symbols seen on memorials and monuments.  Symbols and figures on or around gravestones present more about the individual than simple names and dates seen commonly in modern monuments.  Common symbols seen in cemeteries include the Christian cross, the Star of David, broken columns (a life cut short), a crown (soul’s achievement and glory of life after death), a dog (symbolic of a good master), dove (innocence and peace), and the weeping willow tree (perpetual mourning and grief).

There are three common forms of containment of the deceased in local cemeteries: gravesites for interment, mausoleums for aboveground, and columbariums for ashes contained in urns.

Whether engraved or not, the architectural styles and materials of monuments such as head- and footstones also inform our understanding of history with the aesthetics of art and design.  In other words, we can tell the approximate age of a headstone by becoming familiar with architectural styles of an era.  During the late 1700s and early 1800s, flat, horizontal ledge stones were popular and easy to engrave.  As technology improved, monuments became vertical and symbols and information about the interred was added.

The placement of graves within a plot may relate to religious beliefs or cultural traditions.  Most Christians are buried facing east, though it is popular on our coast to be buried facing the beach.  One funeral director told me that there is a tradition of a wife being laid to the right of the husband.

There are many cemetery tours along the Mississippi Coast this season, even after Halloween.  Take an educational and fun tour of a nearby graveyard and celebrate local history for yourself!

Please note:  The use of ground-penetrating radar or metal detectors should be approved by the cemetery owner or management prior to use.  Remember that any excavation or the removal of materials in a cemetery without the permission of the cemetery owner and the gravesite owner is considered vandalism or theft.

The popular Walking/Biking tour of historic Bay St. Louis has been updated and is now available for free all over Old Town.  And it's now available in a mobile version, so it's even easier to use and share! 
 - story and photos by Ellis Anderson

“One reason people love it so much is that the tour is completely customizable,” says Jane Byrne, with the Hancock Tourism Bureau.  “They might go to the Old City Hall [one of the tour’s highlights] and end up having lunch at the restaurant in the building.  Or they might start in the Depot District, and spend time in the Alice Moseley Museum.”

Byrne explains that the brochure has been a favorite souvenir item for years.  Often, she meets people who bring it back on return visits and pick up the tour where they left off.  They also pass the brochure along to friends and family members who are considering visits to the Bay.

The brochure was first produced in 2008 by an unofficial coalition of community groups and local businesses, and Hancock County Tourism is now producing updates and reprints.  The brochures are given out at the  I-10 Welcome Center, the Visitors’ Welcome Center at the Depot (another of the tour’s highlights) and at various merchant and restaurant locations throughout Old Town.

In October, the third print edition will be available.  A new digital version is available too, making the tour easy to take along on tablets and smart-phones.  The digital tour is currently available in the Cleaver’s Resource section  on the “Maps and Tours” page.  It’s also available on the Old Town Bay St. Louis website, courtesy of the Old Town Merchants Association.  Look for it soon on additional civic websites (if you’d like to “host” the tour on your organization or business website, contact Hancock Tourism at 228.467.2275).  

Locals are encouraged to share the links with friends and business associates by email or on Facebook.  Jane Byrne points out that locals enjoy the tour at least as much as visitors.  

“Even people who grew up here in town learn things when they take the tour,” says Byrne.  “And it’s a fun thing for them to share with kids and grandchildren.”

Golf Carts are also a fun way to explore the Historic Tour.  Four- and six-passenger golf carts and bicycles can be rented at Court Street, right around the corner from the official start of the tour!  Call 228.363.1290 for details and reservations.

The letters of one pioneer family who lived in west Hancock County in the late 1800s paint a vivid history of our rural county during the Civil War.  Meet the Koches. 
- by Marco Giardino, Ph.D.

Marco Giardino, Ph.D., is a retired archaeologist who worked with NASA at the Stennis Space Center in Hancock county, Mississippi.  In that capacity, he has studied extensively the people and communities that preceded NASA's presence in the area. He makes his home in Bay St. Louis. 

Russell Guerin is a retired insurance executive who found new opportunity to pursue his passion for local history when he bought a home in Hancock County ten years ago. Having spent his summers there as a child and long weekends in his working years, he had become aware of the rich history of the area. His retirement made it possible to research the early settlers and their stories.

Christian Koch was a prominent citizen of Logtown in the mid-1800s. He was a Danish Sea captain who first visited the area around Pearlington in the early 1830s. In his diary, Koch described Pearlington as a small, insignificant town, where the only trade was in wood and cotton with New Orleans. He commented that it was situated “in the midst of a large pine forest owned mostly by the government.”

 In 1841, Christian married Annette Netto of Bay St. Louis, and in 1854 they settled in Logtown, on Bogue Houma bayou, which bounds Logtown on the north. 

The Koches were letter writers. Hundreds of these letters covering a period from 1829 to 1883 are housed in the Hill Memorial Library at Louisiana State University. Many of these letters date from the Civil War, when Christian and his schooner, The Experiment, were embargoed by Union troops at Fort Pike while Annette struggled to raise their 12 children and to keep their Logtown farm running.

Koch had no sympathy for the Confederate cause; in fact, in a letter from 1854, he noted that there was more liberty in Denmark than in the southern states. When Federals seized his schooner in 1862, he wrote to Annette that he expected $15 a day for its use. Despite working for the Union, he was often unable to get passes to breech blockades and visit his family in Logtown.

The ugliness and hardship of the Civil War dominates the correspondence between the Koches. A letter from Annette to Christian from April 1863 describes conditions: “The Yankees burned all the schooners on Mulatto Bioue... There is talk that the government will take all the cattle, they put price down to 10 cents pound and if not ok, government will take anyway.” 

Annette continued to describe a litany of problems: merchants would not take Confederate dollars; trees were hard to find and birds caused corn to be replanted four times. She had tried unsuccessfully to forestall an infestation of worms by spraying pepper tea, and the hogs filled the place with fleas.

Also of concern was the threat of conscription for their two oldest sons—Elers, 18, and Emil, 16. Christian wrote to Annette, September 10, 1862, saying, “If they [Confederates] have not yet taken Elers, send him for God’s sake... let him stay in the swamp with J. Parker.”

Elers did end up fighting for the Confederates by early 1863. In April he wrote from Camp Johnson, in Lawrence County, Mississippi. “They are pretty strict here they make a fellow tow the mark they drill us from 2 to 6 hours a day on horseback, we have not got any tents only 4 tents in the company… We have enough for our horses to eat barely, when you write to me leave some blank paper for me to write back again.”

Conditions were not better back home in Logtown. Annette wrote to Christian, who was still embargoed at Fort Pike, on April 21st and informed him that they had not had meat and coffee since he had left except for one sheep. She added that she had been trying to help (neighbor) “Old Jacks” by offering work. Annette, like many other citizens of Hancock County at that time, did all she could to assist those less fortunate. She wrote, “As long as he [Old Jacks] is here I will try to feed him and his family. They are poor, poor. Mary [his wife] looks like an old woman.”  

Bay St. Louis resident and author, David Reynolds, shares an excerpt from Katrina Ten Years After, a new book edited by Mark Klinedinst, Emeritus Professor of Economics, USM.
- by David Reynolds

The pride and delight of the Bay St. Louis community, the Train Depot continues as a monument to the legacy of daily life and transportation in the 1800s and 1900s, and a gathering place for all.
- by Karen Fineran

The Sunset Limited line is one of America’s oldest passenger train routes, and was formerly North America’s only transcontinental Coast to Coast train, spanning from Los Angeles to Orlando, Florida.  Originally developed by the Southern Pacific Railroad in the nineteenth century, the route spanned the Sun Belt, connecting New Orleans, Louisiana to Los Angeles, California.  The name Sunset Limited dates to 1874 (Southern Pacific Lines had published a magazine called Sunset, extolling the virtues of the West, to entice Americans to travel to California by train).

Construction of the Mobile to New Orleans railroad line began in 1867 and was completed in 1870, and L&N opened the original Bay St. Louis train depot for business in 1876.  Bay St. Louis functioned as a major transportation hub along the Sunset Limited; other popular stops included Waveland, Gulfport, Biloxi, Ocean Springs and Pascagoula. 

The BSL Train Depot was the stopping or starting point for many commuters, day workers, freight transport, and New Orleans families enjoying weekend or day outings in tranquil Bay St. Louis.  The fare for a round trip in 1871 between Bay St. Louis and New Orleans was just $2.25.

In the early twentieth century, the BSL Train Depot was the center of activity for the town of Bay St. Louis.  Goods that were shuttled between New Orleans and Bay St. Louis included racing pigeons, eggs and produce.  Vendors at the BSL Depot hawked fried oysters, pralines and sandwiches to weary and sometimes overheated passengers (there were no fans or air conditioning on the trains).

At that time, as in the rest of society, segregation on the railroads was a fact of life. Railroads operating in Mississippi were required to have at least two passenger cars per train to separate black and white passengers, or divide the passenger cars by a partition to separate black from white passengers.  The train passengers were not permitted to unnecessarily pass through the cars or compartments provided for the other race, or use the toilets or closets provided for the other race.  The Train Depot was separated at that time into two sides, so that black and white passengers could buy their tickets and wait for the train in separate areas. 

By 1926, the Chamber of Commerce and the L&N Railroad were in negotiations to replace the original aging Train Depot. Before action could be taken, the older wooden structure was destroyed by fire in 1928.  Its replacement, an 8,000 square foot two-story Spanish colonial revival building, with its recessed and decorated entry portals and arched windows, was completed and dedicated in 1929. 

The BSL Train Depot has been the site of some famous visits and events.  According to the Hancock County Historical Society, actress Sarah Bernhardt in 1888 or 1889 got stranded in Bay St. Louis after the mail train she was on to New Orleans lost a section of wheel into the Bay while crossing the Bay Bridge.  

Apparently, this was not the first time that Sarah Bernhardt was reported to have had a misadventure in Bay St. Louis.  According to Patricia Marks’ 2003 book Sarah Bernhardt’s First American Theatrical Tour 1880-1881, Bernhardt’s journey to New Orleans for her first American tour was marked by a harrowing experience on the train crossing the Bay Bridge.  The train that she was on approached a decrepit and crumbling railroad bridge crossing the Bay of St. Louis.  When the engineer refused to move the train over the railroad bridge, Bernhardt bribed him with $2,500 to press forward.  “As the engineer hurtled across the bridge, Bernhardt watched it crash to pieces behind them.  From then on, she confessed, she was troubled by nightmares at her temerity at risking the lives of so many people.” 

In 1965, the movie “This Property Is Condemned” was filmed using the Depot and surrounding areas, including the Bay St. Louis Little Theater across the street, as the backdrop for the movie.  That film was directed by Sydney Pollack and starred Robert Redford, Natalie Wood, and Charles Bronson.

Shortly after the movie was filmed, the daily commuter service was discontinued, as the automobile by then had become the primary mode of transportation.  While freight service continued, regular passenger service did not begin again until the 1990s.   Amtrak began regular stops again in 1993.  Also, in 1993, Amtrak extended the Sunset Limited to the east, through Mississippi and Alabama to Jacksonville and Orlando, Florida.

In 1991, Bay St. Louis purchased the building and surrounding property from CSX and began the redevelopment of the Depot District   The restoration of the Train Depot and grounds were completed in 1996.  

However, Amtrak service on the Sunset Limited was ground to a halt for a time by the devastation of the rail lines by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Though the BSL Train Depot underwent a complete exterior and interior renovation after its severe damage by Hurricane Katrina, sadly, the L&N Depot is no longer in use.  Following Katrina, the portion of the Sunset Limited route between Florida and New Orleans was “suspended” and has not been restarted.  Effectively, the route has been severed. 

Half of the line still operates several days a week west of New Orleans, and the eastern half does not operate at all.  Although Amtrak apparently completed its track and signal work in the first couple of years after Katrina, it is unknown whether Amtrak will ever find it profitable enough to resume operations between Florida and New Orleans.  (In 2012, representatives from municipalities across the Gulf Coast attended a passenger rail summit with Amtrak to examine how rail service might be restarted).  Perhaps, one day, at least the original route between Mobile and New Orleans could be resumed, and the Bay St. Louis Train Depot and its historic coastal companions could be open for business again.

After its total refurbishment after Hurricane Katrina, the Train Depot was reopened in 2011.  The building and its grounds are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  In addition, the building was also listed in 1995 by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History as a Mississippi Landmark Property. Walking inside today is like getting a glimpse of the history of our fascinating community.

Now, the Depot has once again become a focal point for the town’s community gatherings, activities, meetings and festivals.  The Depot is the home of the Hancock County Tourism Development Bureau, and is the official Visitor Center for Hancock County.   The lower floor is home to the Mardi Gras Museum, displaying elaborate and colorful Mardi Gras costumes.

On the second floor, the Alice Moseley Museum provides a home for the works and life story of the nationally-acclaimed folk artist.  The surrounding Depot District is alive and well too, with a number of outstanding restaurants and atmospheric bars within just a few minutes walk of the Train Depot.

This month, on June 20, the BSL Train Depot hosts the 4th Annual Midsummer Night’s Dream Festival, a special children’s event with a Renaissance theme.  The Faerie Princess Pageant is open to boys and girls twelve years old and under, with a registration fee of $10 and awards and crowns in each age category.  From 5 pm to 9 pm, a live harpist will play under the oak trees and an instrumental band also will take the stage.  The public is invited to bring picnic baskets and blankets to spend an enjoyable evening outdoors.  For more information, contact Event Coordinator Elizabeth Veglia at (228) 304-1333 or (228) 463-9222.

The pride and delight of the Bay St. Louis community, the Train Depot continues as a monument to the legacy of daily life and transportation in the 1800s and 1900s, and a gathering place for all.

A new website makes the Bay St. Louis Historic District easy to access and easy to love!

“It’s a win-win for everyone.  Even people who don’t live in the district benefit enormously.” 

Fitzpatrick is an architect with extensive experience in historic restoration.  He points to the historic district as one reason Bay St. Louis has become the national poster child for desirable small towns, garnering such recognitions as recently being one of a dozen “Best of Mississippi” towns. 

The town’s historic assets also played a major role in being tapped as one of Budget Travel’s “Coolest Small Towns in the County” and one of Coastal Living Magazine’s “Top Ten Beach Towns in the Country.”

The website was built by the Commission’s volunteer members at no cost to the city or taxpayers.  Member donations are covering the domain name and hosting costs for the website, while HPC volunteers will keep the site updated.

The HPC’s website offers conversational language, a friendly tone, and a helpful resource section.  Applicants who want to renovate historic buildings or build new ones in the historic district are walked step-by-step through the permit process in “How the Process Works.”

Meeting times and application deadlines are made available on the site.  There is also a map of the district, as well as the history of how the HPC was formed. 

According to the “History” of the organization’s page, Bay St. Louis lost over 600 historic structures during Hurricane Katrina.  In the sad aftermath, “dozens of irreplaceable historic buildings that could have been saved were bulldozed because of expediency and economic hardship.”

The loss spurred a new appreciation of the value of historic buildings and a growing recognition of how preservation could help fuel the economic recovery of the town, while offering a solid sense of place to storm survivors as they worked to rebuild their lives. 

Staffers at Mississippi Archives and History were invited to review the website and offer suggestions as it was being created over the past year. 

Barry White, who works in MDAH’s Historic Preservation Division, believes the website can be used as a template for other Historic Districts across the state. 

White says, "Working primarily with local governments across the State, I often encounter communities that face challenges building public awareness about preservation efforts in their area. The new Bay St. Louis Historic Preservation Commission website is an excellent resource for the public, as well as elected officials, to explain and promote historic preservation and its benefits."

Local commission members agree that the web page likely to be the most popular is “Success Stories.”  Website visitors will find stories and photo essays of renovated historic houses within the district , alongside new buildings that mesh with the district’s character.  The page also has a photo gallery of past Historic Preservation Awards winners.   

Fitzpatrick believes that the website can be a tool for savvy realtors and economic development agencies like the Hancock Port and Harbor Commission and the Hancock Chamber, which are working to bring new residents and businesses to the area.

“The charm of Old Town Bay St. Louis is an exceptional economic and cultural resource,” Fitzpatrick says.  “Our commission volunteers want to preserve and enhance that community character for future generations.  The website will help us do just that.” 

To see the new Historic Preservation Commission website, go to: www.HistoricBSL.com

by Karen Fineran
- This month - Complete our virtual tour of the Mississippi Blues Trail along the coast, stopping in the Pass, Gulfport and Biloxi!

Handy’s final performance was at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in April 1970, where he shared top billing with Mahalia Jackson.  Born in 1900, he died in 1970 at his Pass Christian home, was laid to rest at the Live Oak Cemetery in the Pass, and was posthumously inducted into the Mississippi Coast Jazz Society Hall of Fame.   Famous Handy traditional jazz songs such as “Handy’s Gulf Coast Boogie” are still played around the jazz world

Among the local Pass clubs that featured blues, jazz, and R&B were the Dixie, the Savoy, and the P. C. Club.  In 2011, a Blues Trail marker was dedicated along Highway 90 to commemorate Blues and Jazz in the Pass.

Every May from 1999 to 2005, the Pass had celebrated its rich African American musical heritage with its "Jazz in the Pass" festival.  Temporarily discontinued for several years after Hurricane Katrina, “Jazz in the Pass” has been back in business since 2011!

Gulfport

Gulfport – especially the North Gulfport area - once supported vibrant blues/R&B venues.  In fact, New Orleans jazz legend Jelly Roll Morton used to play played the Great Southern Hotel in the 1900s.   Gulfport was also an occasional stop for rambling bluesmen and women such as Robert Johnson and Ma Rainey, the famous “mother of the blues.”

Gulfport has been fertile territory for musicians who not only turned the Coast into a hotbed of blues and R&B, but also impacted popular music on an international scale.  Allman Brothers Band members Johnnie Lee Johnson (better known as Jaimoe) and Lamar Williams both were raised in Gulfport and performed in many clubs along the Coast during their early years.  Other Gulfport residents included pianist Roosevelt Sykes, guitarist Blind Roosevelt Graves, pianist Cozy Corley, and singer Albennie Jones.

In those days, the scene at the Hi-Hat Club and other North Gulfport blues hotspots like Ebony and Night Owl, was known to be on the wild side, as the clubs then all were outside Gulfport police jurisdiction.

Gulfport was also an important location for disseminating the blues to the rest of the world by radio.  After World War II, the African-American community across the country relied on radio for entertainment and news, and Gulfport radio was taking the lead in “Broadcasting the Blues.”  In 1994, blues promoter “Rip” Daniels launched WJZD radio in Gulfport, making it the first African American-owned FM station on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  In 2000, Daniels took the blues concept further using satellite and Internet technology to launch the American Blues Network (ABN) to listeners around the world.  In 2007, the Blues Foundation dedicated a “Broadcasting the Blues/ABN” Blues Trail marker in Gulfport.

The “Four Corners” intersection in north Gulfport, at the intersection of Arkansas Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., was a central blues location in the decades when the African American communities in and around north Gulfport supported many nightclubs that operated outside the old city limits.  Now, it is the site of the most recent Mississippi Blues Trail marker to be dedicated on the Coast, installed in January of this year.

Biloxi

In Biloxi, the stretch of Main Street that catered to the African American trade in the years during and after World War II has been designated as “Biloxi Blues.”  Biloxi’s musical culture was particularly influenced by that of New Orleans.  (Indeed, New Orleans jazz pioneer Jelly Roll Morton lived in Biloxi in the early 1900s).   During the war years and after, airmen from Keesler Field often participated both as audience members and musicians.  Local blues musicians from Biloxi included Cozy Corley, and Carl Gates and the Decks.  A Blues Trail marker was dedicated in 2010 in Biloxi at the intersection of Main and Murray Streets.

Near the Coast

Other notable sites along the Mississippi Blues Trail that are only a short drive from the Gulf Coast include Hattiesburg, which rock historians have credited as being one of the birthplaces of rock and roll music, and which is home to a number of important historic blues venues, and Laurel in Jones County, home of Blind Roosevelt Graves, and the Laurel Mother's Day Blues Festival every May since 1987.

In Hattiesburg, the original Hi-Hat Club was built in the 1950s and was an important stop on the “chitlin circuit” for famed African American blues and soul performers such as B. B. King, James Brown, Otis Redding, Ike & Tina Turner, Sam Cooke, Al Green, Ray Charles, Louis Armstrong, Louis Jourdan, Guitar Slim, Bobby “Blue” Bland, and many others.  One of the largest clubs in Mississippi, the Hi-Hat sometimes drew crowds of over one thousand reveling blues lovers.

In addition, Mobile Street in Hattiesburg was a historic African American business and entertainment district where many of the blues musicians lived and worked, and the center for several blues and gospel record labels.  One studio on Mobile Street was the site of a 1936 historic series of recording sessions by Mississippi blues, gospel, and country performers, including the Mississippi Jook Band and the Edgewater Crows.

In Europe Too? 

Interestingly, the Mississippi Blues Foundation has arranged for a few Blues Trail markers not only outside of the state of Mississippi (particularly in Alabama and Louisiana), but also for two markers to have been placed in Europe!  One is in Cahors, France, where Blues first reached France in the 1920a and 30s via touring African American groups, and the other is in Notodden, Norway, sister-city to Clarksdale, Mississippi, and site of a hugely popular blues festival that draws top Mississippi-born blues artists.  Mississippi blues really gets around!

Whether you're a die-hard blues fan or a casual traveler, keeping an eye out for these Blues Trail markers is guaranteed to teach you new things about the music and its inspirational founders, and to lend a new appreciation for the spots that gave birth to the blues.

To donate to the Mississippi Blues Foundation, or for information on how to purchase a Mississippi Blues Trail license plate, see www.msbluestrail.org.  Your money will assist the Benevolent Fund, which helps Mississippi blues artists in times of need, and will help communities pay for and maintain the Blues Trail Markers.

by Karen Fineran
- This month - take a virtual tour of the Mississippi Blues Trail, with one of the most interesting stops right here in Bay St. Louis!

The engraved markers at these locations honor the lives and music of the bluesmen and women of Mississippi.  (More blues singers in the Blues Hall of Fame have come from Mississippi than from any other state.)  These plaques describe the sites, the individuals who made history there, and how they influenced today’s music.  

While the Mississippi Delta is often described as the birthplace of the blues (and is the area in which the largest concentration of Blues Trail markers is found), the Gulf Coast has long enjoyed a rich musical heritage of tent shows, dance halls and “chitlin circuit” nightclubs. 

According to Wikapedia, the famed "chitlin' circuit" is the name given to the string of performance venues throughout primarily the southern U.S in which African American musicians and comedians performed during the age of racial segregation.  (The name derives from the soul food item “chitterlings,” or stewed pig intestines.) 

And from the Blues Trail website, The Mississippi Coast, long a destination for pleasure seekers, tourists, and gamblers developed a flourishing nightlife during the segregation era.  Dozens of clubs and cafes here rocked to the sounds of blues, jazz, and rhythm & blues.  
Moreover, in the last twenty or so years, the casinos and the Gulf Coast Blues and Heritage Festival (in Pascagoula in September) have added to a grand resurrection of blues, R&B and soul entertainment on the Gulf Coast.  A new wave of blues and soul stars have come from all parts of the country to perform at clubs and casinos in Bay St. Louis to Biloxi and beyond.

Here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, there are at least four locations marked on the Mississippi Blues Trail, including spots in Gulfport, Biloxi, and one right here in Bay St. Louis.  In fact, one of the most interesting spots on the Blues Trail is the 100 Men Hall, a currently operating blues venue that is drawing exciting acts from the Coast, New Orleans, and elsewhere.

Located at 303 Union Street in Bay St. Louis, the 100 Men D.B.A. Hall has served for more than ninety years as a socializing and meeting place for African Americans on the Gulf Coast, and as a juking nightclub for mostly African American blues, R&B, and jazz entertainment acts. 

The 100 Men Hall was built in 1922 by the fraternal organization One Hundred Members’ Debating Benevolent Association.  (The initials D.B.A. have been known to indicate Death and Burial Associations, and the group provided burial services to its members.)  The Hall, along with the local churches, was the center of the African American social scene in Bay St. Louis.  Events and fundraisers of all types from plays and pageants to wedding receptions and dances took place at the hall.

During the 1940′s, 50′s and 60′s, many of the region’s greatest blues, rhythm and blues, and soul music artists performed at The 100 Men Hall, and it was a regular stop for many of the artists on the “chitlin’ circuit.”  Many of the greatest stars during the heyday of New Orleans’ R&B music scene performed at the Hall, including James Brown, Big Joe Turner, Etta James, Ike and Tina Turner, Guitar Slim, James Booker, Professor Longhair, Ernie K-Doe, Earl King, Deacon John, and Irma Thomas.  (In fact, Irma Thomas’ first performance as a paid singer was at 100 Men Hall!)  Gulf Coast performers such as Harry Fairconnetue, Carl Gates and The Decks, Guitar Bo and The Claudettes, and the “shake dancer” Miss Dee also regularly performed at 100 Men Hall.

After several incarnations, including as a disabled veterans’ hall and a bingo hall in the 80s, the building was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  It was purchased and restored to its original state by Jesse and Kerrie Loya,  The 100 Men Hall operates today as an ongoing live blues locale, still drawing crowds to see danceable live music, just like in the 1930s through 70s!  In 2011, this local landmark was recognized for its role in the history of the blues, anda historical Blues Trail marker was dedicated at the hall. 

100 Men Hall owner Kerrie Loya says she has been thrilled with the success of the Hall since it re-opened, and is proud of its legacy and its inclusion on the Blues Trail.  The Hall’s Blues Trail marker, she explained, is one of just a handful of commemorative markers in the state that are attached to an actual building, rather than for example a street corner or area of town.  The building itself, restored to its original condition, has much to do with evoking the ambience of the Coast’s blues past, she said.

In the past few years, musicians and acts that have performed at 100 Men Hall have included Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Little Freddie King, Marcia Ball, Deacon John, Eric Lindell, and local favorites Pat Murphy Band and Guitar Bo and Ms. Dee.  The Hall also attracts lesser known blues acts to the Coast – for example, an all-female Japanese blues band, Pink Magnolia – in its tradition of increasing the Coast’s exposure to all sorts of blues music.

According to Loya, the 100 Men Hall will release a vinyl LP at the end of May (yes, vinyl!) featuring seven songs recorded live at the Hall in the past three years.  With the assistance of a grant from the Mississippi Development Authority/Tourism, the album will be released in a tri-fold cover with original cover art, liner notes and photography from local artists.  Loya said that there is already a waiting list for the LP.  The 100 Men Hall is planning a listening/premiere party in conjunction with the record release (come back to the Cleaver for more news about that event!)  For more information, or to purchase the LP, contact Kerrie Loya at [email protected].

Gex’s assignment was to find a name for the organization.  After a lot of research, she came up with Nereids.  In Greek mythology, they were the 50 sea nymph daughters of Nereus and Doris.  The Nereids were believed to help sailors during storms at sea.  

Since the women decided that the organization would be based on the classical Mardi Gras groups across the coast, membership would be secret and all participants masked.  Since there were 50 original Nereids, the women decided to shoot for fifty charter members.  Just to make sure they had enough members, they sent out a hundred invitations, expecting that about half would decline.

“We got 96 responses out of a hundred,” says Gex.  “We knew then it was really going to be something.”  

The first ball and parade were held in 1967.  With less than a year of preparation time, the women marshaled forces.  Garages and warehouses all over town became workshops to build floats.  Many people made their own costumes as well.  Nereids fever took over the town.  ​

Eventually they raised money for a den to build and store the floats,  In fact, Nancy and Dot signed a loan with the bank to buy the property - without telling their husbands.  The two women borrowed $10,000 (“That was a lot of money in those days!”) and the bankers never revealed the information.  Fortunately the note was paid off and floats began to be built in the den instead of any spare space the members could find.

There have other been major changes through the years.  Elaine and Claire were co-captains the first two years (Elaine organized the ball and Claire the parade).  When they consolidated the captain’s position, Elaine was elected and she held the position until she passed in 2004.  The group outgrew the gym eventually and began holding their ball at the Coast Coliseum.   The anonymity part has relaxed through the years too (something Nancy admits she misses).  However, the identity of “Queen Doris” is always a secret and the current captain asked that her name not be revealed.  

“I don’t participate any more, but I’m a member,” says Nancy.  “It’s been great to see it grow.  Never did we dream that it would be like it is.” ​