Page 28 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2016

COASTNOTES
History of the L&N Train Depot discovered in Ocean Springs
story and photos by Susan Ruddiman
While installing a new handicap ramp and removing rotten boards around the roof of the old L&N Depot in Ocean Springs, Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 27 discovered numerous artifacts, including telegraph papers dated from the turn of the century, envelopes, Louisville
& Nashville Railroad letterhead, other papers dated 1917 and 1924, and a few old jars coated with coal dust.
“I hoped we would find some new historic items from the train station days and these are incredibly amazing pieces of history,” Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce-Main Street- Tourism Bureau Executive Director Cynthia Dobbs Sutton said.
The L&N depot was built in 1907 and operated as a train station until 1965
when the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce leased the building and subleased a portion of the building for the local newspaper office. By June 1979, the depot was fully turned over to the Chamber to house the Visitor Center, Chamber offices and Realizations shop.
The building is an Historic Landmark with the Mississippi Department
of Archives and History so any restorations to the outside must be approved to maintain historic design. Johnny Olsen, principal architect
for LPK Architects, assisted with improvement designs.
Ocean Springs Chamber
1000 Washington Avenue 228.875.4424 www.oceanspringschamber.com
story by Lynn Lofton
September 10 has been proclaimed Blood Donation Day in Mississippi by Gov. Phil Bryant. Locally, the American Red Cross is spearheading the effort to meet the demand for blood donations.
“We need all healthy and eligible blood donors to make an appointment to go and donate blood as often as possible and help us make sure we have those blood bank shelves full in hospitals locally and nationwide,” says Denise M. Smith, manager of South Mississippi Donor Recruitment & Development.
SEPT. 10
Now that summer is over, she points out that blood services nationwide are trying to recoup supplies. “As families took vacations and started the school year, the thought of making their regular blood donation may have gone by the way side,” she said, “but the need for blood knows no holiday or vacation; when a patient needs blood, they cannot wait.”
Every two seconds someone needs whole blood or blood products. One pint of blood can save three lives. The Red Cross tries to collect approximately 14,000 units a day.
BLOOD DONATION
DAY
To schedule appointments: 1.800.RedCross or www.redcrossblood.org
28 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • September 2016
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