Biloxi was incorporated in 1838. In its early establishment, the city was a
resort town, bringing in tourists to enjoy the coast during the summer. The
City of Biloxi was involved in the Civil War when Mississippi seceded from the
United States. The Biloxi Rifles were a part of the 3rd Mississippi Infantry CSA,
which consisted of Natives from the Mississippi Gulf Coast. During and after
the war, the seafood industry emerged in Biloxi with the first fish cannery
opening in 1881. By 1900, Biloxi became the Seafood Capital of the World,
with more than 40 seafood
factories and two cannery
districts.
Harrison County Courthouse
City of Biloxi
The City of Biloxi is located in Harrison County, along the Mississippi Sound.
Biloxi is intersected by the Back Bay of Biloxi, which runs east to west. The city
is bordered by the City of Gulfport to the west, the Cities of D’Iberville and
Ocean Springs to the east, unincorporated Harrison County to the north, and
the Mississippi Sound to the south. The city is approximately 46.5 square
miles, 82 percent of which is land and 18 percent of which is water. The 2010
population for Biloxi was 44,054, making Biloxi the fifth largest city in
Mississippi, although before Hurricane Katrina Biloxi was the third largest city
in Mississippi.
The City of Biloxi is named after the Biloxi Native Americans who inhabited the
Mississippi coast before the French settled in the region. The French landed
in present‐day Biloxi in 1699 after receiving orders from the French Minister
of Marine to locate the mouth of the Mississippi River. This expedition was
led by Pierre Le Moyne Sieur d’Iberville. Although British and Spanish
settlement followed the French settlement, the Biloxi area continued to
maintain the French influence throughout the colonial period.
Background Report
Today, Biloxi is known for
Keesler AFB, which was
established in 1941, and
casinos, which boomed after
the State of Mississippi
legalized dockside gaming in
1990. The city has been
recovering since Hurricane
Katrina, building more casinos
along the east part of the
coastline, east of downtown,
which has helped the
restoration of the city. The
Biloxi Lighthouse, which was
constructed in 1848, became
a symbol of Biloxi’s resilience
after withstanding Hurricane
Katrina. The lighthouse is also
one the first cast‐iron
lighthouses in the South.
The Biloxi Lighthouse is a historical landmark in
Biloxi, which has now become a symbol for the
city’s resilience after Hurricane Katrina.
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