City of Chickasaw

City of Chickasaw. . , Front , The name Chickasaw originated from Native Americans living in the area prior to the arrival of the French settlement at Twenty-Seven Mile Bluff in 1702. Native Americans from the Apalachee and Choctaw Tribes referred to the creek running through the area as Chickasas Bogue. After the arrival of English settlers, the name was anglicized and became Chickasabogue from which the name Chickasaw was derived. In 1733, Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, Governor of the French Province of Louisiana, deeded a large tract of land which included the area of Chickasaw to John Baptist Lorending. This became known as the St. Louis Tract. Later the land was transferred to Joseph Chastang and was recognized by United States Congress in 1847. The Chickasaw area was settled by farmers and later a trading post was established. By the early 1900s, the community had grown to include a mill, which processed coconuts into oil and soaps, and a number of other manufacturing companies. , (Continued on other side). , Rear , (Continued from other side). , In 1914, Tennessee Coal and Iron Company purchased the land which included Chickasaw, and formed three companies, most notably Chickasaw Shipbuilding and Car Company, to build a shipyard and surrounding community. The companies installed pumps and built dikes to drain the cypress swamp and construct the shipyard. The community consisted of two residential villages, a school, sanitation, police services, transportation, and parks. Shipyard Villages included streets with homes facing each other on a common sidewalk. The shipyard built 14 ships before the end of world war one. In 1938, it was bought by Gulf Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of Waterman Steamship Company. During world war two, approximately 75 ships were constructed, including seven destroyers that earned 27 battle stars. After the war, operations at the shipyard gradually ceased. In 1946, Leedy Investment Company bought the entire village for one million dollars and homes were sold to individuals for the first time. On November 12, 1946, residents voted to incorporate as the City of Chickasaw.