Historic Ocean Springs
 

The Ocean Springs Hotel
 
  

 
Ocean Springs is one of the oldest cities in the United States. It was founded 1699 by Pierre LeMoyne who established the first permanent settlement for France in the vast central area of North America. The area boomed in the early 1800s as paddle wheel steamboats ran between New Orleans and Mobil. In 1854, the name of Ocean Springs was coined by Dr. William Glover Austin (1814-1891), a New Orleans physician who was enthusiastic about the local health-giving springs that contained medicinal qualities.
 
Once the Civil War ended, a new age took root as the railroad became the primary mode of transportation. On November 21, 1870, freight and passenger railroad services were opened between Mobile and New Orleans. A decade later, the Louis & Nashville Railroad (L&N) took over the line. After many years as a prosperous resort town, the city began reinventing itself as a residential community thriving on its past and building a solid future.
 
The first Old Fort Bayou Bridge, a steel structure, at Franco’s Ferry on Washington Avenue was built by the George E. King Bridge Company for $9469 in 1901.  It was completed in December 1901.  Leonard Fayard (1847-1923) was the first bridge tender and was remunerated $30 per month for his duties. (Minute Book 4, JXCO Mississippi Board of Supervisors, p. 39, p. 45, p. 108, p. 122, and p. 165)
 
Today, Ocean Springs is a booming Gulf Coast Community that charms visitors and locals alike with its historical homes, scenic routes and glorious tree-lined streets and parks. Visitors flock to the pleasant bluff on the Mississippi Sound. Locals and visitors alike can spend the day resting under the majestic trees of Marshall Park located at Robinson and Washington Ave, the site of the original town bandstand.
 
 

   
 
 Historic Time Line of Ocean Springs
 

Pre - 1699
1699
1718
1763
1779
1783
1810
1812
1817
1820's
1853
1853
1854
1861
1870
1880
1880's
1891
1892
1899
1900's
1901
1905
1906
1907
1930
1947
1952
 

Area Inhabited by the "Biloxi" Indian Tribe
d'Iberville Landed ~ Ft. Maurepas built
Return to Ft. Maurepas
Area Became Part of British West Florida
Mississippi Became Territory Excluded Jackson Co.
Spanish Took Control of West Florida
Revolt Against the Spanish
Gulf Coast Annexed into Mississippi Territory
Mississippi Becomes 20th State in the Union
Steamboat Age
The "Ocean Springs Hotel" Built
Named Lynchburg Springs / Gets 1st Post Office
First Newspaper "Ocean Springs Gazette"
Civil War Erupts off Coast of Ocean Springs
Railroad Freight & Passenger Service Begins
Ocean Springs Fire Company #1 Founded
Town Became Popular Resort
First Form of Banking in Ocean Springs
Incorporated into Municipality / Holds First Election
Telephone Service & Electric Street Lights
Resort Era Comes to End
First Bridge Erected over Fort Bayou
Ocean Springs State Bank Established
First Automobile Arrives by Train
Present Day L&N Depot Built
Bridge to Biloxi Dedicated
Ocean Springs Becomes a City
City Erects Monument "Site of Fort Maurepas"

The community is welcomed to submit corrections or additional 
information of historical value in respect to Ocean Springs.  
Email any information or suggestions to 
info@oceansprings-ms.com