Biloxi

History

In 1699, French colonists formed the first permanent, European settlement in French Louisiana, at Fort Maurepas, now in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and referred to as "Old Biloxi". The settlement was under the direction of Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville. The name of Biloxi in French was Bilocci, a transliteration of the term for the local Native American tribe in their language. Labeled along with "Fort Maurepas" In 1720, the area of today's city of Biloxi was settled for the first time around Fort Louis, and the administrative capital of French Louisiana was moved to Biloxi from Mobile. French Louisiana, part of New France, was known in French as La Louisiane in colonial times. In modern times it is called La Louisiane française to distinguish it from the modern state of Louisiana. Due to fears of tides and hurricanes, colonial governor Bienville moved the capital of French Louisiana in 1722 from Biloxi to a new inland harbor town named La Nouvelle-Orléans (New Orleans), built for this purpose in 1718–1720. In 1763, following Britain's victory in the Seven Years' War/French and Indian War, France had to cede their colonies east of the Mississippi River, except for New Orleans, to Great Britain, as part of the Treaty of Paris. At the same time, the French colony west of the Mississippi, plus New Orleans, was ceded to Spain as part of the Treaty of Fontainebleau. British rule lasted from 1763 to 1779, followed by Spanish rule from 1779 to 1810. Despite this, the character of Biloxi remained mostly French, as their descendants made up the majority of the population. In 1811, the U.S. traded with Spain to take over Biloxi and the related area, making it part of their Mississippi Territory. Mississippi, and Biloxi with it, was admitted as a state to the union in 1817.…

Geography

Biloxi is located in southeastern Harrison County, bordered to the south by Mississippi Sound (part of the Gulf of Mexico) and to the northeast partially by Biloxi Bay, which forms part of the Jackson County line. To the northeast, across Biloxi Bay, are the Jackson County city of Ocean Springs and the unincorporated community of St. Martin. The Back Bay of Biloxi continues west from the Jackson County line, crossing the city of Biloxi to Big Lake on the city's western boundary, where the Biloxi and Tchoutacabouffa rivers join. The Tchoutacbouffa flows from east to west across the city and forms part of the city's eastern boundary. Biloxi is bordered to the north and east by the city of D'Iberville and to the west by the city of Gulfport. According to the United States Census Bureau, Biloxi has a total area of , of which are land and , or 18.14%, are water. | date = August 2010}}

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• BILOXI HIGH SCHOOL
  High · Biloxi · 1,728 students · 15.9:1 ratio
• GULFPORT HIGH SCHOOL
  High · Gulfport · 1,728 students · 17.5:1 ratio
• DIBERVILLE SENIOR HIGH SCH
  High · BILOXI · 1,389 students · 18.5:1 ratio
• NORTH GULFPORT ELEMENTARY AND MIDDL
  Elementary · Gulfport · 1,060 students · 14.3:1 ratio
• BILOXI JUNIOR HIGH
  Middle · Biloxi · 881 students · 13.1:1 ratio
• NORTH WOOLMARKET ELEMENTARY AND MID
  Elementary · BILOXI · 875 students · 15.9:1 ratio
• BAYOU VIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL
  Middle · GULFPORT · 826 students · 14.8:1 ratio
• BILOXI UPPER ELEMENTARY
  Middle · Biloxi · 800 students · 12.1:1 ratio