Page 153 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2017

DID
you know?
story by Lynn Lofton
Long Beach
This city bills itself as The Friendly City and strives to fulfill that motto. It is home to the Gulf Park Campus of the University of Southern Mississippi, one of its biggest employers.
New Mayor George Bass said, “My vision is to grow our economy through commercial and residential expansion. To embrace the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Park and sell Long Beach as a college town, and to work closely with our existing businesses with support to help them grow.”
Long Beach has a scenic harbor and a growing downtown shops and restaurant scene.
Pass Christian
President Theodore Roosevelt said about this city, “Pass Christian...where the climate, people and surroundings are all delightful.”
Pass Christian has a long Mardi Gras tradition, probably stretching as far back as the late 1800s, when carnival balls were held in the city’s majestic hotels. A Pass Christian Carnival Association was formed around 1913.
The city’s Scenic Drive is graced by many beautiful homes overlooking the Mississippi Sound. The commercial district is finding new life with hotels, restaurants and shops.
Gulfport
The state’s second largest city, Gulfport is ‘Where Your Ship Comes In’ as home to the Mississippi State Port and a large municipal harbor. Originally
a boom town in 1898, the town grew with the construction of the Gulf & Ship Island Railroad and the deepening of the port. The nearby forests of pine timber also contributed to the town’s growth. Today it’s home to manufacturing and maritime industries and a big retail sector.
Following Hurricane Katrina, the downtown district rebuilt with the country’s largest facade grant program, returning many buildings to their early 20th Century beauty. The area has a booming night life and will be home to the Mississippi Aquarium.
Sources: Historical Society of Gulfport, Biloxi Bay Chamber of Commerce, Harrison County Development Commission, Pass Christian Historical Society Official websites of D’Iberville, Biloxi, Long Beach and Gulfport
BARQ’S ROOT BEER WAS INVENTED IN BILOXI.
YACHTING IN THE SOUTH WAS BORN IN PASS CHRISTIAN.
LONG BEACH WAS ONCE KNOWN FOR GROWING RADISHES.
THE HARRISON COUNTY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION OPERATES FIVE INDUSTRIAL PARKS.
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Long Beach High School
Mardi Gras Parade, Pass Christian, circa 1957