Alphabet File page 163
Data taken from the twelfth U. S. Census, showing the agricultural and manufacturing development of the county and the number of its inhabitants, will prove interesting. The number of farms in 1900 was given at 530, total number of acres in farms, 75,855, acres improved 6,014, value of the land exclusive of the buildings $199,910, value of the buildings $131,940, value of the live stock $241,829, and the total valueof m farm products not fed to stock $170,339. The number of manufacturing establishments in 1900 was 40, capital $l,989,927, wages paid $270,858, value of materials used $746,710, and the total value of products was $l,446,344. The total assessed valuation of real and personal property in the county in 1905 was $4,030,028 and in 1906 it was $4,394,736, which shows an increase during the year of $364,708. The population for the year 1900 was, whites 8,356, blacks 3,530, a total of ll,886,and an increase of 3,568 over 1890. In 1906 the population f the county was estimated at 13,500. Artesian water of an excellent quality was estimated at 13,500. Artesian water of an excellent quality is found in all parts of the county. The county schools for both is found in all parts of the county. The county schools are both whites and blacks are in excellent condidition, there being 46 white and 7 colored country schools.besides several excellent schools
Hancock County - History
Unrecorded to 1699
1699 - First European visitor was Robert Cavalier de LaSalle in 1682 - April 7, 1682. (from H. C. Chamber of Commerce letter)
1699
Iberville and Bienville. In Dec. 1699 Bienville placed a few families, a sergeant and 15 men in a fort on the bluff at Bay St. Louis (Beach, n. side of deMontluzin St.
1721
Jan 3, 1721 the "Le Gironde" and "La Volage" arrived with immigrants from Madam Mazieres whose grant of 17,084 acres lay north of present day Felicity Street. ______ Arrival of the Caskett Girls Feb 10, 1763 Treaty of Paris France ceeded to Great Britain.
1782
1781 is the first written land grant within the present city of BSL issued to Philip Saucier. This land was later passed to Marshall and Joseph Necaise.
1799
May 8, 1799 Spain declared war on G.B. and forced the surrender of British possessions on the Gulf Coast to Spain.
1800
Fall of 1800 Spain secretly ceded Louisiana to Napoleon by the Treaty of Ildelphonso. However, Spain remained in actual possession of the territory until 1803 when Louisiana went from France to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase.
1812
Established - On May 14, 1812 the area from the Pearl to the Perdito became by statute a part of Mississippi territory. In September this large area became known as Mobile County. On December 14, 1812 the territorial legislature split this area into three counties. The United States claimed the land that today includes Hancock Pearl River, Harrison and Stone counties. The large area received the name "Hancock County" in honor of John Hancock, the famous signer of the Declaration of Independence. (PC&C p8)
HANCOCK COUNTY FORMATION
"Works Progress Administration for Mississippi " Source Material for Mississippi History, Hancock County Volume XXIII, Compiled by State-Wide Historical Research Project
Susie V. Powell, State Supervisor
Miss May Edwards for Hancock County - March 19, 1936
FORMATION OF COUNTY
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West Florida came into the possession of the United States in 1810 (to the Pascagoula River), and the Mississippi coast was very promptly divided into the districts, of which the western, known as "Viloxy" included the territory between the Bay of Biloxi and Pearl River and between the thirty-first parallel and the Gulf of Mexico.
This section was erected in a county named Hancock on December 14, 1812. The boundary is stated as following in the act of the territorial legislature.
"All that tract of country lying south of the thirty-first degree of north latitude, and west of the line running due north from the middle of the Bay of Biloxi to the thirty-first degree of north latitude and east of the Pearl River shall compose a county and shall be known by the name of Hancock".
The original extent has been reduced by subsequent acts of the State Legislature to approximately one-fourth of the area stated. The present counties of Harrison, Stone and Pearl River have all been carved out of the old district.
Harrison County was first via February 5, 1841. Defined as:
"A new county shall be, and the name is hereby created in this state, to be bounded as follows: Beginning at the point where the line dividing ranges 13 and 14 strikes the Bay of St. Louis, then with said line due north to the northern boundary of township 3, south, thense due east to the center of range 9, thence south to the Bay of Biloxi, thence southeast to the Point Caddie, thence westwardly with the sea shore and the shore of the Bay of St. Louis to the beginning, which county now includes a portion of the county of Hancock and a portion of the county of Jackson. The said county hereby created shall be called the county of Harrison."
Stone County was later created out of the northern part of Harrison.