From Roots to Rockets: Honoring the Communities That Launched Stennis Space Center

Big Buzz Blog - September 2024

Stennis Space Center is a jewel in the crown of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Now, an event will recognize those who sacrificed their homes so that the 125,000 acre complex could be built.

​- by Brehm Bell

This Big Buzz ​is supported by our Partners:

A free luncheon event, titled “Roots to Rockets,” will take place on Saturday, November 2 noon at the Pearlington Community Center. This special event will honor the communities displaced during the creation of the Stennis Space Center. Residents who were directly displaced by the creation of the Space Center, are encouraged to attend.

Vintage photo of the Aaron Academy from the 1920s. The school was located in Santa Rosa, one of the towns that became part of Stennis Space Center.

 
Personal injury attorney Brehm Bell and the Hancock County Historical Society are sponsors of the event. The gathering is a tribute to the residents of Pearlington, Gainesville, Napoleon, Santa Rosa, Logtown, and Westonia, who were all relocated in the early 1960s when the U.S. government acquired 125,000 acres of land where these communities stood to build NASA’s main rocket testing facility.
 
Brehm Bell, who grew up in Pearlington, has long been moved by the stories of these displaced families and is dedicated to preserving their remarkable experiences. “As I get older, I realize how important it is to capture and honor the stories of those who sacrificed so much for our nation’s space exploration efforts,” Bell stated.
 

Church in Napolean, MS.

 
The “Roots to Rockets” reunion aims to provide a platform for the older generation of displaced residents to reconnect, reminisce, and share their experiences. Attendees are encouraged to bring and display personal memorabilia, contributing to a collective archive of their heritage.
 

Weston Lumber Co. in Logtown was a major area employer.

 
In addition to a lunch provided for all guests, the project includes scheduling interviews conducted by a professional videographer to record oral histories, ensuring that these valuable stories are preserved for future generations. The interviews will be conducted in the weeks before and after the reunion, and the recordings will be accessible to the public through the Hancock County Historical Society and the Hancock County Library System.
 

 
The event promises to be a poignant and meaningful occasion, celebrating the contributions and resilience of those who played a part in a pivotal chapter of American space history. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Brehm Bell at 228-467-0006 or email [email protected]. Please visit the Facebook event titled “From Roots to Rockets” for specific information and updates.
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Editor's Note: Images were taken from the booklet "Do You Know About Hancock County?" published by Hancock Tourism through a grant from the Mississippi Coast National Heritage Area.

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