Biloxi, Mississippi
History
Our trip to the Magnolia state is not complete without visiting one of the most historic cities in America, Biloxi. It is located on the Gulf of Mexico overlooking the sparkling waters of Mississippi Sound. Founded by Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d'Iberville, in 1699, Biloxi took its name from the Biloxi Indians. Biloxi tribe was living here when Iberville and the French came ashore on February 13, 1699. They got along well and Biloxi soon became an important French settlement. After twenty one years, Biloxi was named the capital of French Louisiana, in 1720. After holding the title for three years it lost it's title to the nearby New Orleans. British took possession of Biloxi in 1763, after winning the Seven Years War. Two decades later it lost possession of the Mississippi Gulf Coast to Spain. In 1810, revolutionary forces took Baton Rouge from the Spanish people and Biloxi became part of the West Florida Republic. Within a year, the West Florida Republic was occupied by the forces of the United States, and Biloxi became a U.S. city at last. Biloxi Lighthouse
On our fifth day, let's stop at the first cast-iron lighthouse of the South, standing on an island formed by the east bound and west bound U.S. interstate highway. While many lighthouses have exterior walls of stone, brick or even concrete, the white-painted walls of the Biloxi tower are sheathed with plates of cast iron. The Biloxi Lighthouse was erected in 1848. Forty-five feet tall from its base to its lantern room, it was originally part of a complex, that included the keeper's house and related structures. The Biloxi Lighthouse was operated by several female light keepers, including Maria Younghans, from 1848 to 1939, before turning over the responsibility to the U.S. Coast Guard. During the Civil War, to prevent the Union from using it as a navigational landmark, the Biloxi Lighthouse was darkened on June, 18, 1861, and remained so until the end of the war. The lighthouse has withstood many storms over the years. Katrina’s storm surge enveloped a third of the lighthouse, and the constant pounding from the water and winds toppled many bricks that lined the interior of the cast iron tower. The storm’s winds also broke many of the windows in the light cupola and destroyed the structure’s electrical system.
In March 2010, the city re-opened the lighthouse to public tours after a 14-month, $400,000 restoration. Let us continue our tour by traveling to Beauvoir house located on Beach Boulevard of Biloxi. |
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Beauvoir House Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America, spent the final years of his life at Beauvoir. Started in 1848 Beauvoir was completed in 1852. The house was originally called “Orange Grove” after the Satsuma Oranges that grew there. The owner, Mrs. Brown was forced to sell the home after her husband’s death to Sarah Dorsey. For the stunning views it offered, of the blue waters of Mississippi Sound and the Gulf of Mexico, Sarah renamed it Beauvoir, which in French means “Beautiful View”. In 1877, President Jefferson Davis visited Biloxi, in search of a quiet place, where he could live and write peacefully. He called on his family friend, Mrs. Sarah Dorsey, who offered him her house. It became a perfect writing retreat for Jefferson Davis and he attempted to purchase it from Mrs. Dorsey in three installments for $5,500. However, after the first installment, Mrs. Dorsey died leaving the property to President Jefferson Davis and showing great generosity. |
Congress passed a universal amnesty bill restoring the citizenship to former Confederates, in 1876. It included but one exception: Jefferson Davis. Many Mississippians were not happy with it. They wanted Jefferson Davis to represent them in the U.S. Senate. So they urged him to apply for a pardon. Jefferson Davis did not apply for a pardon though, saying that he didn’t repent his action.
Jefferson Davis, fell sick on his journey to Brierfield Plantation near Vicksburg. He died of acute bronchitis complicated by malaria on December 6, 1889. After his death, President Jimmy Carter, restored the Citizenship to Jefferson Davis on October, 17, 1978 by signing the joint resolution passed by the Congress. Beauvoir became a home for elderly confederate soldiers. Today Beauvoir continues to stand as a legacy to President Jefferson Davis.
Jefferson Davis, fell sick on his journey to Brierfield Plantation near Vicksburg. He died of acute bronchitis complicated by malaria on December 6, 1889. After his death, President Jimmy Carter, restored the Citizenship to Jefferson Davis on October, 17, 1978 by signing the joint resolution passed by the Congress. Beauvoir became a home for elderly confederate soldiers. Today Beauvoir continues to stand as a legacy to President Jefferson Davis.