Biloxi - Gheos Worldguide

Biloxi

The French established the first European settlement in the lower Mississippi valley in 1699 across the bay at a place they named Old Biloxi, which is now called Ocean Springs. New Biloxi was founded in 1719. It was the capital of French Louisiana until 1722, after which New Orleans took that role.

In 1763, the British conquered the region and they stayed in power until 1779. Then the Spanish took over. They traded with the United States for Biloxi. In 1817, Mississippi and Biloxi were admitted as a state to the Union.

Biloxi came in the news in 1969, when hurricane Camille wrecked the city's waterfront. In the 1990s, legal gambling was introduced in Mississippi and a string of casinos was opened. In 2005, hurricane Katrina caused damage as well.

Points of interest

Beauvoir was originally built as a plantation house in 1848. It was the last home of Jefferson Davis. In 1957 it was converted into a museum. The building is located at 2244 Beach Boulevard.
Biloxi City Hall was completed in 1908. It originally served as a courthouse and later became a post office. The building has housed the City Hall since the 1960s. It is located at 140 Lameuse Street.
Biloxi Lighthouse was erected in 1848. The lighthouse has been damaged by hurricanes several times, but it has been repaired every time. It is located adjacent to the Mississippi Sound of the Gulf of Mexico.
The Jefferson Davis Presidential Library & Museum opened in 1998. It was severely damaged by hurricane Katrina in 2005 and subsequently rebuilt. The museum reopened in 2013. The complex is dedicated to preserving, housing and making available the official papers, records, artefacts and other historical materials related to Jefferson Davis.
The Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum (MSIM) opened in 1986. The museum is dedicated to the preservation of Biloxi's maritime history and heritage. The collection includes artefacts that are related to the shrimping industry, including boats and a shrimp peeling machine as well as related items. The museum also houses a large amount of photographs, documenting the shrimping business.
- The Wade Guice Hurricane Museum is located within the MSIM. It is dedicated to local maritime history. The museum also includes an art theater.
The museum was destroyed by hurricane Katrina in 2005. The current building was subsequently constructed in 2014.
The Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art opened in 2010. It exhibits ceramics of George E. Ohr, after whom the museum was named. The museum is housed in 5 different buildings at 386 Beach Boulevard.
The Old Brick House was built in 1850. It is also known as Biloxi Garden Center. The building was severely damaged by hurricane Katrina, but it has been beautifully restored. The Old Brick House is located at 410 E Bayview Avenue.
Off the coast from Biloxi are the western islands of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, including Ship Island, which served as a Union fort during the Civil War.

Industries in Biloxi include fishing and boatbuilding, the packing and shipping of shrimp and oysters and several small manufactures. Since 1990, floating casinos have made Biloxi, long a beach resort, the center of a gambling boom district, which also includes the neighboring city of Gulfport.

In the early 21st century, thousands of new hotel rooms have been added to the city's wide variety of accommodation. There are many bars and restaurants in Biloxi too. The Blessing of the Fleet is an annual event to instigate the shrimping season. The event was started in 1929.

The city is located in the southeast of Mississippi, on a peninsula between Biloxi Bay and Mississippi Sound, on the Gulf of Mexico. It is 250 km southeast from Jackson and 1,460 km southwest from Washington D.C.

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