Ocean Springs in Jackson County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)
Marshall Park in 1919
Photographed by Mark Hilton, December 10, 2025
1. Marshall Park in 1919 Marker
This image of Marshall Park is taken from a postcard in the collection of Ocean Springs resident Sonia Cowart. It shows the Park in 1919, bordered by an iron fence made of railroad boiler tube sections. The fence, with this gate opening along Washington Avenue, was erected to keep free-roaming livestock from damaging the grounds of the Park.
Marshall Park was created by the Ocean Springs Civic Federation in 1911 in an effort to promote improvements in the city. Landscape gardener Charles F. Berge of Biloxi was hired to design the park in May 1911 by L & N Railroad Superintendent Charles Marshall.
A. E. Lee, editor of The Ocean Springs News, wrote in September 1911 that Marshall Park is "A very pretty spot and a credit to the town, the Civic Federation, and the Park Committee Messrs. H.B. Powell, Theo Bechtel, and J. H. Behrens. It should be the desire and determination of every loyal citizen to make it still prettier and a place all can point to with pride."
This informational sign is part of a community project led by the Historic Ocean Springs Association, and is made possible by a grant from the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area.
We thank the City of Ocean Springs for their support of this project.
Erected
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1911.
Location. 30° 24.911′ N, 88° 49.698′ W. Marker is in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, in Jackson County. It is at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Robinson Street on Washington Avenue. Located within Marshall Park at the west side of the Grandstand. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1001 Washington Ave, Ocean Springs MS 39564, 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: The Original 1912 Bandstand Moved Back Home To Marshall Park In 1989 (here, next to this marker); Marshall Park (a few steps from this marker); Ocean Springs Blues (within shouting distance of this marker); Farmers & Merchants Bank (within shouting distance of this marker); L&N Depot (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The L & N Railroad Depot (about 400 feet away); Ocean Springs State Bank and Post Office (about 600 feet away); Lovelace Drug Store (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ocean Springs.
Photographed by Mark Hilton, December 10, 2025
2. Marshall Park in 1919 Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on December 17, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 14, 2025, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 49 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 14, 2025, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
