Biloxi City Park & Welcome Sign

Biloxi City Park and Welcome Sign. . This Biloxi welcome arch originally stood at the northeast entrance of Biloxi's old City Park, which was on the northwest corner of Reynoir Street and south of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad depot. The Biloxi Commercial Club and the City of Biloxi worked together to create the park, which opened in 1911 on the land leased from the railroad company. The park was a hub of activity throughout the early 20th Century Band concerts, political rallies, and patriotic celebrations were enjoyed by the public and the park was open to private and organizational picnics, dances, and other social gatherings., In 1915, the Biloxi Park Commission elected to advertise the city by erecting an electric sign that could be seen from passing trains. City officials flipped the switch on December 27, 1915, and "BILOXI" was brilliantly introduced to the traveling world. The great arch welcomed Northern tourists called "snowbirds," who found a winter haven in Biloxi, as well as summer tourists seeking the cool breezes of the Gulf of Mexico. The railroad company donated the land to the city of Biloxi in 1916., The development of highways and the increase in automobile travel resulted in the decrease of passenger train travel. Use of the city park decreased during the years of the Great Depression, and the sign's electricity was finally disconnected. The city sold the park property in 1965, and the arch stood derelict. In 2000, the arch was moved to the Town Green where it welcomes new generations of travelers.