Native Americans inhabited this area long before any records were kept, and a British map created in 1774 shows Bear Point, the original name of the village that would eventually become Long Beach.
See the Colorful Names Section for the history of other early names of the city shown on coast maps.
Europeans living on Cat Island for nearly forty years interacted with Native Americans during the 1700s, years before moving to the mainland in 1788, where they built a home on Bear Bayou. Other settlers would join their remaining descendants during the 1800s.
By the 1850s, government records of the United States and the State of Mississippi both show postmasters for this area under the former names of the city beginning in 1854 and continuing into the 1860s and 1870s.
The town prospered with the advent of the railroad in 1870, when New Orleans residents began coming frequently for relaxation. Many of them moved in as permanent residents. Others also moved in from every direction, and by 1880, the town began taking shape from its platting to its final renaming. The first store and school were built, and the shipping of vegetables by rail marked the beginning of the truck farming industry.
The first library was established in 1895 by local ladies who received moral support and assistance from New Orleans visitors. Read more about the library….
In 1905, on July 1, twelve residents formed the Artesian Well Company, and incorporation was being considered. A memorable part of the town’s history is that when it wanted to incorporate, 900 residents were required, but there were only 890. After a plea for help, Donatien and Anastasia Dubuisson, along with their 13 children, decided to move out of the Pineville community. The residential count was then higher than needed, and the couple even had another baby after moving to Long Beach! As time passed, the large farms were converted into subdivisions, and the city developed an aura of a bedroom community, becoming known for its excellent schools and friendly people.
In 1906, telephone service became available, as did an electric power and light system provided by the Miss. Gulf Coast Traction Company, along with its electric railway system, sparked a real estate boom.
It wasn’t long before Long Beach became known as the Radish Capital of America and achieved a coast-wide reputation as THE vegetable market area. The farmers of the day were very successful, and northern markets were ripe for our southern produce, which was shipped to them with great enthusiasm. They were very fond of our “Long Reds”, radishes as long as carrots, which were in demand as an accompaniment to beer in drinking establishments.
During the 1920s, Gulf Park College, an elite girls’ school, opened on the site of the current Southern Miss campus on East Beach Blvd; a new City Hall was built along with waterworks and fire protection systems; the Long Beach School District was organized, and a new school for all twelve grades was built. This decade also saw the building of the erosion-preventing seawall.
Significant progress was made during the 1950s. Many streets were paved, and a new city hall was built. A new high school opened in September 1959, serving students in grades 9 through 12. During the 1960s, a middle school opened, which relieved space in the new high school. Two elementary schools and a new stadium were also built. The first shopping center opened on the beach in 1962, only to be destroyed by Hurricane Camille.
The University of Southern Mississippi opened a regional campus on the former Gulf Park site in 1971, and in 1974, the office of the Mayor was made a full-time position. Annexation occurred in 1981, resulting in a significant increase in land area and a corresponding rise in population to 20,000. By this time, our school system had gained a superior reputation, and new residents clamored to move into the city.
Devastation struck in the form of Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, destroying most of Long Beach, nearly a half mile back from the shoreline, further than any other hurricane. Recovery took several years, and Jeff Davis Avenue, the main street, is the most beautiful it’s ever been, enhanced by all new buildings, including a new city hall, and a town green on the former school location that includes many amenities for resident use, and which consists of a new WWII Memorial. Many festivals and celebrations have taken place at the lovely spot. The school that was destroyed on the property is now north of the railroad and out of harm’s way.