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Jackson County Area Guide

Jackson County

Jackson County is located at the southern tip of Mississippi, along the state line of Alabama. Jackson County is included in the Pascagoula, Mississippi, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was approximately 131,000. The county seat of Jackson County is Pascagoula.

History

Jackson County was founded in 1812 and was named after the U.S. President Andrew Jackson. The county transitioned from Spanish to American rule in 1810 when it was absorbed into the Mississippi Territory and brought under the Constitution of the United States. Mobile County was divided into three counties in December 1812: Mobile on the east, Jackson in the middle, and Hancock on the west.

Jackson County’s timber and sawmill industry prospered greatly in the early days. It brought the first economic boom to the county, which lasted from 1880 to 1910. At the turn of the century, the pecan industry was also quite prosperous.

The Jackson County Port Authority was organized in 1958. It was structured around a concept aimed at attracting industries to the county. Local money financed port development as well as dredging the Pascagoula River and Bayou Casotte channels. The Port of Pascagoula was the stimulator for further industrial and economic development.

Today, Jackson County continues to grow at a steady pace. The county is described as the “most industrialized county in the state.” Jackson County owns a state-of-the-art hospital system, has excellent schools, a top-rated community college and a university branch.

Parks and Recreation

The Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department is committed to the preservation of their open spaces for the use of community members and visitors. More than 4,500 children in Jackson County log more than nearly a quarter of a million hours annually on county baseball, softball, pee wee football and soccer fields. Adults add an additional 18,000 hours of playing time.

Please click here for information about all of the ball fields and parks in Jackson County
http://www.co.jackson.ms.us/DS/RecreationBallParks.html

For information on beaches and boat launches please click here
http://www.co.jackson.ms.us/DS/RecreationBoatLaunches.html

Whispering Pines Golf Course
http://www.co.jackson.ms.us/DS/GolfCourse.html
Whispering Pines is the perfect place to perfect your game! Here you will find the ideal mix for golfers, offering a challenging 72 par course. The 18-hole course is 6,392 yards long with Southern Pines quietly guarding the pin on every hole. Whispering Pines is operated by the Jackson County Board of Supervisors and managed by the Recreation Department. The course is open seven days a week and features a driving range, club house, snack bar and grill, monthly specials and pro lessons.

Attractions

In Jackson County you will never get bored! Come visit the G.I. Museum and have a look at some of the uniforms worn and weapons used in World War II. The Walter Anderson Museum of Art is a popular attraction perfect for everyone. Whether you want to spend the day with family or friends, Jackson County is the ideal place to go for fun and entertainment.

G.I. Museum
http://www.g.i.museum.com
The G.I. Museum features over 30 mannequins in various complete uniforms and weapons of the time.

Eco Tours of South MS
http://www.ecotoursofsouthmississippi.com
The Eco Tours of South Mississippi offers interpretive boat tours of the Pascagoula River marsh and swamp and trips to barrier islands. There are also overnight trips on the Pascagoula River.

Gulf Islands National Seashore Visitor Center
http://www.nps.gov/guis
The Gulf Islands National Seashore Visitor Center is an interpretive center for barrier islands in the Mississippi District. The center offers exhibits, nature trails, ranger programs, campground and picnic areas. Islands are accessible by private boat.

J. L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium
http://www.usm.edu/aquarium
The J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium is currently located in Ocean Springs. Groups of all ages are encouraged to register for entertaining and educational programs.

Mississippi Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Mississippi Vietnam Veterans Memorial honors the young men from Mississippi who made the supreme sacrifice.

Walter Anderson Museum of Art
http://www.walterandersonmuseum.org
The Walter Anderson Museum of Art adjoins the community center where Anderson painted imaginative murals in the 1950s. The murals depict the flora and fauna of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Here you’ll find the intricately painted “Little Room” from his cottage, public school murals from the 1930s, permanent and changing exhibits.

Gulf Coast Gator Ranch and Airboat Tours
http://www.thegatorranch.com
Here at the Gulf Coast Gator Ranch, boardwalks and pathways take visitors through the natural habitats of the alligator. The ranch is both exciting and educational! There are walking tours, a swamp tour, and airboat rides.

Cities and Towns

Gautier
http://www.gautier-ms.gov/cms2/
Gautier is located along the Gulf of Mexico, west of Pascagoula in Jackson County. As of 2000, Gautier’s population was approximately 12,000. The homestead that Fernando Upton Gautier established in 1867 still stands at the mouth of the Pascagoula River, as a hallmark of the city that now bears his name. He also established a lucrative sawmill business in the area.

Moss Point
http://www.cityofmosspoint.org/
Moss Point is a city north of Pascagoula in Jackson County. As of 2000, Moss Point’s population was approximately 18,000. A large part of Moss Point was unfortunately destroyed in 2005 by the strong east side of Hurricane Katrina.

Ocean Springs
http://ci.ocean-springs.ms.us/
Ocean Springs lies at the heart of the Mississippi Gulf Coast on the eastern shore of Biloxi Bay. Ocean Springs is known as the City of Discovery in recognition of a French settlement in Ocean Springs that took place in 1699. Ocean Springs is home to many art galleries, shops, and ethnic restaurants. Ocean Springs was severely affected by the strong wind and huge surge of Hurricane Katrina. Today, the community continues to rebuild and improve the city.

Pascagoula
http://www.cityofpascagoula.com/
Pascagoula is located in Jackson County and is home to approximately 26,000 people. Pascagoula is a major industrial city of Mississippi. Before World War II, the town was a fishing village with about 5,000 residents. Today, Pascagoula is home to the state’s largest employer, Ingalls Shipbuilding. Other major industries in Pascagoula include Signal International and Mississippi Phosphates.

Big Point
Big Point is a census designated place in Jackson County. As of 2000, Big Point’s population was 115.

Escatawpa
Escatawpa is a census-designated place in Jackson County. As of 2000, Escatawpa’s population was approximately 4,000. At various points in history, the town has been known as Dog River, Dutch Bayou, and Tugas. The name Escatawpa comes from the Choctaw Indian name for the area “Oestcatawpa” which translates to “trim cane.”

Gulf Hills
Gulf Hills is a census-designated place in Jackson County. As of 2000, the town’s population was approximately 6,000. Gulf Hills is located along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and is bordered by St. Martin to the west, Latimer to the north, and Ocean Springs to the south.

Gulf Park Estates
Gulf Park Estates is a census-designated place in Jackson County. As of 2000, the population was approximately 4,000.

Helena
Helena is a census-designated place in Jackson County. The population was 778 at the 2000 census.

Hickory Hills
Hickory Hills is a census-designated place along the northern side of the city of Gautier in Jackson County. The population was approximately 3,000 at the 2000 census.

Hurley
Hurley is a census-designated place in Jackson County. The population was 985 at the 2000 census.

Latimer
Latimer is a census-designated place in Jackson County. The population was 4,288 at the 2000 census.

St. Martin
St. Martin is a census-designated place in Jackson County. The population was 6,676 at the 2000 census. St. Martin is located along the Mississippi Gulf Coast with Gulf Hills to the east and the city of D'Iberville to the west. St. Martin’s southern border is the Biloxi Bay.

Vancleave
Vancleave is a census-designated place in Jackson County. The population was 4,910 at the 2000 census.

Wade
Wade is a census-designated place in Jackson County. The population was 491 at the 2000 census.