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Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
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Bay Saint Louis is a city located in Hancock County, Mississippi. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 8,209. It is the county seat of Hancock County. Like several other upper Gulf Coast cities, Bay Saint Louis was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 (see details below).
St. Louis is located at 30°18'53" North, 89°20'39" West (30.314696, -89.344096).
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Encyclopedia
Bay Saint Louis is a city located in Hancock County, Mississippi. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 8,209. It is the county seat of Hancock County. Like several other upper Gulf Coast cities, Bay Saint Louis was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 (see details below).
Geography
Bay St. Louis is located at 30°18'53" North, 89°20'39" West (30.314696, -89.344096). It is situated on the Bay of Saint Louis, which empties into the Mississippi Sound.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.9 square miles (43.7 km˛), of which, 6.1 square miles (15.9 km˛) of it is land and 10.7 square miles (27.8 km˛) of it is water. The total area is 63.70% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,209 people, 3,271 households, and 2,064 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,342.1 people per square mile (517.9/km˛). There were 3,817 housing units at an average density of 624.1/sq mi (240.8/km˛). The racial makeup of the city was 80.23% White, 16.59% African American, 0.40% Native American, 1.11% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. 1.68% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 3,271 households out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% have someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size is 3.05.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,106, and the median income for a family was $41,957. Males had a median income of $32,261 versus $21,308 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,483. 13.2% of the population and 10.0% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 17.2% of those under the age of 18 and 11.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Education
The City of Bay St. Louis is served by the Bay St. Louis-Waveland School District.
It is the home of St. Stanislaus College prep, a residency and day school for boys grades 6-12, and Our Lady academy, a day school for girls grades 6-12. These two share some classrooms as well as a Catholic upbringing.
Hurricane Camille
On August 17th, 1969, Hurricane Camille made landfall at the tip of Louisiana before continuing to Bay St. Louis.
Hurricane Katrina
On August 29, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. CDT, Hurricane Katrina made its final landfall near Bay St. Louis, at the mouth of the Pearl River, with a storm surge. Hurricane Katrina came ashore during the high tide of 9:15AM, +2.3 feet more, causing a storm tide over deep.
The final death toll from Hurricane Katrina is not yet known.
The town was notable for being the highest point on the entire Gulf of Mexico coastline (approx. 12 feet), its pristine beaches, and esteemed restaurants such as Trapani's.
Hurricane Katrina damaged over 40 Mississippi libraries, with severe roof and water damage to the Bay St. Louis Public Library. The library reopened to the public on October 12, 2005, and is awaiting repairs. The Bay St. Louis Bridge on US Highway 90, was also damaged, with many bridge sections downdropped at the west edges. A new higher bridge is being built to replace the span destroyed by Hurricane Katrina . On May 17, 2007, the eastbound lanes of the new bridge was opened to two-way traffic.
USGS Topographical maps show a common elevation contour line running throughout a ridge along old HWY 90 (Old Spanish Trail) in the western edge of the city. It was primarily this area which did not see the surge inundation of Hurricane Katrina.
The city of Knoxville, Tennessee delivered aid to the city after Katrina.
, an relief outreach of the Episcopal and Lutheran churches which is based at Christ Episcopal Church, regularly organizes volunteers from across the United States to provide relief to the people of Bay St. Louis. Relief is usually in the form of light house repair, as many times, when contractors paid to build houses ran off with the money before the job was completed, the occupants were left with an unfinished house. Much of the work that M.O.B. does is concerned with undoing the damage caused by these contractors. Siding, tiling, painting, landscaping, etc are addressed by M.O.B.'s work. The volunteers live in Quonset hut dormitories, and are provided for in terms of food, water, air conditioning, and other necessities. Volunteers from 49 states (excluding Alaska)have worked there, with most volunteers coming from the Atlantic Coast, especially Massachusetts and North Carolina. Other large sources of Volunteers are California, Michigan, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Texas. As of May 29, 2008, over 6,000 volunteers had passed through M.O.B.
Currently, all the underground utilities are being replaced, whether they worked or not as part of a mass government grant. The work is very slow. The company overseeing the work, Hemphill Construction Company, does not work on weekends, nights, or any holidays. They took off for a week for Christmas and Thanksgiving and left the roads a mudhole and almost unpassable if you are in a small car. The company has just about all the roads ripped up and leave what they called 'aggreate mix' which is another term for mud. The work has gone on for too long and needs to be sped up or another company called in that can finish the job sooner and with better planning than Hemphill.
Notable Residents
- Pete Fountain - most notably clarinet player, lived in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi, just before Hurricane Katrina.
- Gene Taylor - U.S. Congressman
- Bob Wright - Renowned open ocean Navy Marine Mammal trainer, graduated from Bay Senior High School here in 1979
- Alice Moseley - The paintings of Alice Moseley (1909-2004) have received acclaim from art critics, art educators, and art collectors. Her work has appeared in art shows and museum exhibits throughout the South. Many tour buses and numerous tourists visit her museum in Bay St. Louis yearly. She has been featured in Southern Living, Coastal Living, Southern Breeze magazines, and other regional publications for her art and humor…Bay St. Louis misses Miss Alice and is proud to retain her memory at the Alice Moseley Folk Art & Antique Museum in her home on Bookter Street.
- Maria Kapp- World renowned dog trainer grew up in the Bay area before she went on to pursue her dream of becoming one of the most recognizable names in dog training and breeding
External links
- , Official City Website
- , the local newspaper
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