msgulfcoastheritage.ms.gov

While reviewing the newsletter, I realized how fortunate we are to have so many wonderful partners. It is nice to turn the pages and remember the fantastic projects and events we are doing and will do over the coming months. We couldn’t be successful without our partners.

We are excited to partner with the MS Arts Commission highlighting our literary giants by installing markers that honor two Gulf Coast writers. My sister is an English teacher who walks constantly with a book and her classroom is surrounded by inspirational quotes from Mississippi’s most prolific and revered writers. I hope she and all the English teachers who have inspired me along with future generations enjoy the Mississippi’s Writers Trail.

Rhonda Price,MGCNHA Director

Spring/Summer 2019

MISSISSIPPI LITERARY MAPMississippi has several prolific and revered writers that have continuously contributed to expanding the minds and imaginations of people throughout the world. The Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area was pleased to sponsor two historical markers on the Mississippi Writers Trail to honor the literary contributions of Jesmyn Ward and Natasha Trethewey.

Jesmyn Ward, a DeLisle native, is an associate professor of English at Tulane University. She is an American novelist who has won the 2011 and 2017 National Book Award for Fiction, a 2012 Alex Award for her second novel and the 2018 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for “Sing, Unburied, Sing.”

Natasha Trethewey, a Gulfport native, is a professor of English and a creative writer at Emory University in Atlanta. She won the Pulitzer Prize in 2007 for her collection “Native Guard.” She was named Mississippi’s poet laureate in January of 2012 for a four-year term. The Library of Congress named her the nation’s 19th poet laureate in June 2012. She is the first person to serve simultaneously as poet laureate for the nation and a state.

To ensure the integrity of the project, scholars with extensive Mississippi literary expertise have been selected by the Mississippi Writers Trail Advisory Committee to identify and research the appropriate language for each marker.

To learn more about the Mississippi Writer’s Trail Charitable Fund, please visit formississippi.org.

Welcome

msliterarymap.comThis official bicentennial project was made possible by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council, through support from the Mississippi Development Authority.

Illustrations by Ginger Cook Williams. Design by Jackie Losset.Compiled by the Mississippi Library Commission.

msreads.lib.ms.us

~ The Delta ~Jack Butler ~ AlligatorShelby Foote ~ GreenvilleW.A. Percy ~ Greenville

Ida B. Wells~ Holly Springs ~

W. Ralph Eubanks~ Mount Olive ~

Brad Watson~ Meridian ~

Jesmyn Ward~ DeLisle ~

Richard Wright~ Natchez ~

GregIles~ Natchez ~

Mildred Taylor~ Jackson ~

Eudora Wel ty~ Jackson ~

Margaret Walker Alexander~ Jackson ~

~ Oxford ~John Grisham

Beth Ann FennellyTom FranklinJohn T. Edge

Ellen Gilchrist~ Vicksburg ~

Natasha Trethewey~ Gulfport ~

Beth Henley~ Hazlehurst ~

Larry Brown~ Oxford ~William Faulkner

~ Oxford ~

Walker Percy~ Greenville ~

Donna Tartt~ Greenwood ~

Kiese Laymon~ Jackson ~

Anne Moody~ Centreville ~

Mississippi Literary Map

Barry Hannah~ Clinton ~

Lewis Nordan~ Itta Bena ~

Ellen Douglas~ Greenville ~

Elizabeth Spencer~ Carrollton ~ Willie Morris

~ Yazoo City ~ Tennessee Williams~ Columbus ~

Richard Ford~ Jackson ~

Kristen Kapiotis

Thank you to all who attended the 2019 State of Our Coast on Monday, May 6, at the IP Casino Resort Spa in Biloxi. This meeting was a chance to bring together state, federal and local government, along with academia, non-profit organizations and corporate businesses to network, collaborate and leverage opportunities that address issues of concern.

The theme of 2019 MDMR State of Our Coast was “Power of Partnerships.” We were pleased to hold this meeting in conjunction with the Mississippi “Partners in Preparation” Summit (MSPIP). Thank you to all who were a part of this successful event, especially our speakers and sponsors who made this year’s conference such a success.

Power of Partnerships

100 MEN D.B.A HALL,

BAY ST. LOUIS:

The 100 Members Debating Benevolent Association (100 Men D.B.A) wasted no time starting their grant activities. First, photographer Gus Bennett set up his equipment for a week and invited anyone who had a history with the building to come by the hall and have their picture made for the “Hundred Men Hall People Project.” Next, the creation of a mural on the building’s south side. This mural, visible from the Bay St. Louis Depot District, highlights some of the great musicians and history of the hall. Other future grant activities include work to the artist-in-residence cottage. The hall is worth a visit with events and activities happening every week.

heritage community grants update

THE TOMB OF JUAN DE CUEVAS REHABILITATION, BILOXI:

The Descendants of Juan de Cuevas and the Biloxi Main Street partnered up to apply for a 2018-2019 Heritage Community Grant to restore the Cuevas tomb. Cuevas died in 1849 and was initially buried on Cat Island where he resided. When his wife Marie Ladner Cuevas passed away in 1853, she was interred in a tomb in the Biloxi City Cemetery and her husband's remains were reinterred with her. In the more than 165 years since its construction, the tomb had suffered deterioration from hurricanes and well-meaning, but damaging repairs (top right). The recently completed work (bottom right) will lengthen the life of the tomb. More information about the cemetery is available through the Old Biloxi Cemetery Tour, a 2017-2018 Heritage Community Grant. Visit discover.biloxi.ms.us/old-biloxi-cemetery-tour.

Jeff Rosenberg

HILIGHTED BUSINESS:ECO-TOURS OF SOUTH MISSISSIPPI

Eco-Tours of South Mississippi offers a variety of tours, including motorboat swamp tours, kayak trips, photography trips, and custom tours.

Owners Captain Kathy and Jeff Wilkinson work tirelessly to promote our natural resources and to educate their guests about the ecosystems, wildlife, history, heritage and conservation of the Pascagoula River and the Mississippi Sound. Kathy is a Master Naturalist and is Leave No Trace certified. Jeff Wilkinson is a nature photographer and enjoys sharing the beauty of the Mississippi Gulf Coast through his photos.

Recognized as a Gulf Coast Outpost business in 2018, Eco-Tours of South Mississippi offers an incredible opportunity to experience the coast’s natural environment with experienced captains.

To book a tour, visit their website, ecotoursofsouthmississippi.com or call 228-297-8687.

The Gulf Coast Outpost business recognition program is part of the 2016 Nature-Based Tourism Plan for Coastal Mississippi. It was developed for the Heritage Area by stakeholders in the industry. Business owners and operators are recognized through a checklist that focuses on training, sustainability and stewardship. The program is aimed at those companies whose primary business is dependent on the natural environment in Mississippi’s six coastal counties. This includes eco-tours, locally owned outfitters, charter boat operators, tour guides, eco-lodges and agritourism entities. To become recognized as a GCO, email bridgette.varone@dmr.ms.gov.

Photos: Jeff Wilkinson and Eco-Tours of South Mississippi

SHARING THE BOUNTY: EARLY SEAFOOD FACTORIES PREPARED GULF COAST DELICACIES FOR LONG DISTANCE SHIPPING

Nearly every town along the Mississippi Gulf Coast was once dotted with seafood processing factories. The first factories relied on canning methods to ship seafood long distances. After the electrification of the Mississippi Gulf Coast in the 1890s, refrigeration became an option for keeping seafood fresh longer. With refrigeration, the number and size of factories increased. Here are two examples of factories that expanded during that time period and would eventually cease operations by the 1920s.

The Peerless Oyster Company factory complex was located in Bay Saint Louis on the site of the current day Bay-Waveland Yacht Club. The postcard above was made prior to 1912 when a large ice house was constructed by the factory. In 1920, the company was sold and renamed the Peerless Products Company. At that time, the factory site was described as including 40 acres of land on the beach with 27 buildings, an ice plant, shipyard and a fleet of schooners. The factory’s production was 1500 barrels of oysters per day. The factory complex was no longer extant by 1924.

THE BARATARIA CANNING COMPANY -BILOXI, HARRISON COUNTY

The Barataria Canning Company factory was located on Biloxi’s Point Cadet, where the Point Cadet Marina exists today. This postcard image (left) faces south with Deer Island in the background. The factory complex consisted of the laborers’ housing (right), warehouse (center) and a shucking and canning shed (left). These buildings were constructed after a storm destroyed the Barataria facility in 1893, however they were no longer standing by 1925.

Postcards courtsey of the MDAH Cooper Postcard Collection

THE PEERLESS OYSTER COMPANY FACTORY

-BAY ST. LOUIS, HANCOCK COUNTY

OF HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE...

Jeff Rosenberg

CARROLL ISHEE EXHIBITION An exhibit on Gulf Coast builder and developer Carroll Ishee (1921-1982) is currently on display at The Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center located at 1600 Government Street in Ocean Springs. Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area staff worked with the Ocean Springs Museum of History and The Mary C. to create the exhibit titled, “Visionary Builder: Carroll B. Ishee.” Large photographs immerse visitors giving the sensation of stepping into one of these signature homes.

Ishee was a Mississippi Gulf Coast contractor and developer often viewed as an artist whose medium was brick, concrete, lumber, and glass crafted into buildings set thoughtfully in natural landscapes. His houses draw from concepts commonly found in the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, mid-century modern design and Japanese homes. This exhibit emphasizes the most notable period of Ishee’s work between 1964 and 1980.

This fall, as part of the exhibit, Jeff Rosenberg will present his research into the life and work of Carroll Ishee. Jeff has presented his research into Ishee at both regional and national conferences and is excited to share his findings here at home. Be sure to visit the exhibit and check in at The Mary C. for updates on Ishee-related events in the coming year.

Across the coast...

In March, Jeff Rosenberg spoke at the “Preserving the Recent Past 3

Conference” on the work of Mississippi Gulf Coast builder Carroll Ishee,

regarding the challenges unique to documenting Ishee’s work and

the difficulties facing the continued preservation of Ishee homes on

the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Jeff is the historic preservation coordinator

for the MGCNHA. The conference was sponsored by the Historic

Preservation Education Foundation, the USC School of Architecture

and the National Park Service. Conference proceedings were recorded

and will be made available by the Summer of 2019.

Visit www.prp3.org for more information.

Jeff Rosenberg

A VISIT BY THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

The staff of the MGCNHA was excited to welcome Elisa Kunz and Deresha Porter from the National Heritage Areas division of the National Park Service Southeast Office in Atlanta, GA. We were able to show them so much of what the MS Gulf Coast NHA has to offer. We hopped aboard the Sailfish for the Biloxi Shrimping Trip, visited the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, had brunch at the 100 Men Hall and strolled around Bay St. Louis during the Second Saturday Art Walk.

SHAW HOMESTEAD RECEIVES NATIONAL RECOGNITION

On January 24, 2019, the Shaw Homestead, owned by the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Maintained by the National Park Service, the National Register is an honorific designation for places worthy of preservation. The MGCNHA prepared the National Register nomination, on behalf of the Land Trust. The buildings at the Shaw Homestead have been listed for their local significance in several categories, specifically, in the areas of settlement and agriculture. This intact homestead is a surviving example from the early years of Pearl River County settlement and features a dogtrot house made from squared and notched logs. For more information about visiting the homestead, please contact the Land Trust at ltmcp.org.

Upcoming Events

ALICE MOSELEY FUN FESTIVALAugust 17

Enjoy a day of food, arts and crafts, live music and a kids play area with the folks at the Alice Moseley Museum. Take time

to visit the museum dedicated to her work located on Depot Way in Bay St. Louis. Visit alicemoseley.com for more

information.

BOOKER FESTAugust 30-31

The 100 Men Hall launches its inaugural Booker Fest to bring awareness to

the musical brilliance of James Carroll Booker, III (1939-1983). Experience the St. Rose de Lima choir, New Orleans

musicians, a screening of a documentary on Booker, a dance party and more.

BILOXI SEAFOOD FESTIVAL September 8-9

The 37th Annual Biloxi Seafood Festival, Biloxi Chamber of Commerce’s biggest fundraiser, is a celebration of seafood

heritage in the City of Biloxi. Attendees will enjoy live entertainment, arts and

crafts, kids activities and the best seafood on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Across the coast...

DOWNLOAD THE MGCNHA APP! Discover the cultural, historical and natural treasures of the

Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area. From museums and historic sites, to year-round festivals, and miles

of sandy beaches, we have it all.

U.S. SENATORS

Roger Wicker555 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510(202) 224-6253

Cindy Hyde-SmithG12 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510-2402(202) 224-5054

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE (DISTRICT 4)Steven Palazzo

2349 Rayburn House Office BuildingWashington, DC 20515

T (202) 225-5772

MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF MARINE RESOURCES

Joe Spraggins, Executive DirectorGeorge Ramseur, CRR Office Director

Rhonda Price, MGCNHA DirectorMarie Lewis, Administrative Assistant

Heritage Coordinators:Kristen KapiotisJeff Rosenberg

Bridgette Varone

MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA1141 Bayview Avenue • Biloxi, MS 39530(228) 523-4150msgulfcoastheritage.ms.govHeritage@dmr.ms.gov