Secret Facts Page Three

1. In 2009, archaeologists deemed land near the Biloxi Lighthouse as the oldest known French Colonial Cemetery in the South and the second oldest in the United States. A Weeping Angel from Carrera Marble resides over the area in memoriam.
2. Crittenden Distillery in Kiln produces and sells Kiln Shine Pure Shine, a traditional corn whiskey.
3. The Mississippi Blues Trail has over 200 markers across the state narrating the journey of the Blues genre, with 8 markers in Coastal Mississippi.
4. Coastal Mississippi is home to six barrier islands: Cat, Ship, Deer, Horn, Round, and Petit Bois.
5. Named Cat by Spanish explorers mistaking raccoons for feline friends, Cat Island was used to train dogs by the US Army Signal Corps during WWII.
6. All but the western half and southern tip of Cat Island is privately owned. 
7. Ship Island is home to Fort Massachusetts, a preserved brick fortification completed in 1868.
8. Round Island once housed as a lighthouse as early as 1833; after two replacements, the wooden structure was moved on shore to the foot of the Pascagoula River Bridge.
9. With the growth of the shrimping and canning industries in the late 19^th century, Coastal Mississippi saw a boom in immigration from Czech, Austrian, German, Polish, and Yugoslav communities.
10. After the fall of South Vietnam in 1975, Coastal Mississippi saw an influx in Vietnamese refugees, now comprising a majority of Biloxi’s seafood industry.
11. In 1904, Biloxi was dubbed the Seafood Capital of the World.
12. The Gulf Coast region produces 70% of the nation’s oysters.
13. The Gulf Coast region produces 69% of the national’s domestic shrimp.
14. 90% of species in the Gulf of Mexico nest in the Mississippi Sound.
15. The Mississippi Sound has the highest concentration of Bottlenose Dolphins, as the Gulf of Mexico has the largest population of the species in the world.
16. The Friendship Oak in Coastal Mississippi is more than 500 years old.
17. “Biloxi Bacon,” or striped mullet, has been feeding Coastal residents since the Civil War. Once a staple during war times, it’s still abundant in coastal waters and best served fried or smoked with a side of grits and eggs.
18. Coastal Mississippi po-boys are prepared every which way. But the secret style comes dressed with mustard, mayo, lettuce, and tomato and then pressed after assembly.
19. A group of roosters with secret origins reside in downtown Ocean Springs. Ringleader Carl and his entourage are known to keep time better than most.
20. Take a step back in time aboard the Biloxi Oyster Schooner, an authentic replica of a “white-winged queen” that sailed Coastal Mississippi from the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s.
21. The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport is a leader in conservation, public education, and research on marine mammals.
22. The Maritime & Seafood Museum in Biloxi contains 20,00 square feet of Coastal Mississippi’s aquatic history, educating visitors on shrimping, fishing, oystering, blacksmithing, net and boat making, and more! 
23. In addition to the seafood industry, the trade of net making has been passed down by generations in Coastal Mississippi.
24. Paddle down the Pascagoula River, the largest free-flowing river in the lower 48 states.
25. Tour Lazy Magnolia, Mississippi’s oldest packaging brewery in Kiln.
26. On July 1, 2017, Mississippi joined 48 of its fellow states in allowing small breweries to sell beer on their premises.