Long Beach in Harrison County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)

Bear Point Bayou

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 9, 2024

1. Bear Point Bayou Marker

Inscription. Bear Point Bayou is fed by a natural spring located north of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad tracks near Wright Avenue. Bayou waters flow southward through Long Beach into the Mississippi Sound between Nicholson and Douglas Avenues. Origin of the bayou name is unknown but Bear Point appears on a British map of 1774 and in land records of that period. Bear Point became the earliest settlement site of present-day Long Beach when Nicholas and Marianne Ladner built a dog trot style home near the bayou in 1788.

Erected 2004 by Long Beach Historical Society • Harrison County Board of Supervisors.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1774.

Location. 30° 21.202′ N, 89° 8.196′ W. Marker is in Long Beach, Mississippi, in Harrison County. It can be reached from Friendship Oak Circle west of Beach Park Place, on the right when traveling west. Marker is near a pedestrian bridge between Gulf Park Library and the Fleming Education Center on the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Park campus.

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Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Long Beach MS 39560, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and on the Gulf Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Administration Building (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); "Friendship Oak" (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named Friendship Oak (about 700 feet away); Gulf Park College (about 700 feet away); Early Long Beach (approx. ¼ mile away); St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church (approx. ¼ mile away); a different marker also named Early Long Beach (approx. half a mile away); Long Beach Presbyterian Church (approx. ¾ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 9, 2024

2. Bear Point Bayou Marker

in Long Beach.

Also see . . .
1. Brief History of Long Beach. Native Americans inhabited this area long before any records were kept and the creation of a British map in 1774 shows Bear Point, the first name of the village that would eventually become Long Beach. (Long Beach Historical Society) (Submitted on March 16, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

2. Long Beach: City of Many Names. The name Long Beach didn’t appear until 1882. This area was first seen on a British map in 1774 listed as Bear Point. Perhaps the British may have named the little Indian village with its crystal clear stream and the occasional bear. (Mississippi Gulf Coast Museum of Historical Photography) (Submitted on March 16, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Credits. This page was last revised on March 16, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 16, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 455 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 16, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.