Fort Maurepas (1699-1702) and French Colonial History at Ocean Springs

          A Reconstructed French Colonial Fort
 

     On April 8, 1699, an expeditionary force of French soldiers, sailors, and laborers with their French Canadian cohorts commenced construction of the first French fortress in the lower Mississippi River Valley. These brave men were led by Pierre LeMoyne, Sieur d'Iberville (1661-1706), him self a native of Canada, operating under the patronage of King Louis XIV (1638-1715) of France. Iberville's mission was to locate the mouth of the Mississippi River and establish a French presence on the Mexican Gulf Coast to discourage Spanish and English incursions into the area claimed by France. Some French strategist feared that if the English controlled the mouth of the Mississippi that their holdings and commercial enterprises including the lucrative fur trade of interior North America were doomed.
          The basis of the French claim was the exploration by Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (1643-1687). La Salle reconnoitered the Mississippi River locating its deltaic mouth in April 1682. He claimed for France the vast area between the Rocky Mountains and the Alleghenies drained by the Mississippi and all of its tributaries. We know this territory as Louisiana, i.e. belonging to Louis (Louis XIV). La Salle called the Great River, Colbert, in honor of the French Minister of Marine.
          The small fort was located on a narrow peninsula on the east side of the Bay of Biloxi within the present day limits of the city of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Iberville named this French Colonial outpost, Fort Maurepas. It was named to honor the French Minister of the Marine (Navy), Jerome Phelypeaux de Maurepas, Comte (Earl) de Pontchartrain.
          Several locales in North America bear the name Maurepas or Pontchartrain: Lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain in southeastern Louisiana and Point Maurepas on the island of Michipicoten (Ontario) in Lake Superior. The Fort Maurepas settlement was also called Biloxi for the local Siouxan Indian tribe which lived on the Pascagoula River.
         

Plan of Fort Maurepas by Remy Reno

          Fort Maurepas was designed by Remy Reno, the draftsman of Iberville, utilizing the system of military fortification developed by Marshall Vauban, nee Sebastian Le Prestre (1633-1707). Iberville's men utilized available materials for the fort's construction which covered an area of one-half acre. Bastions, palisades, living quarters, warehouses, and other structures were fabricated from indigenous trees, i.e. oak, hickory, and pine. Maurepas was armed with at least twelve cannon (possibly eight pounders) taken from the French frigates, La Badine and Le Marin.
          When Iberville departed for France in May 1699, he left a garrison of seventy-six men and ten officers. They were given cows, hogs, a bull, seed (peas, corn, and beans), and ship stores to survive until his anticipated return in 1700. The crops planted failed due to a severe drought, but fortunately the garrison was supplied from the French base at St. Domingue (Haiti). Monsieur Sauvole was left in command with Jean Baptise LeMoyne, Sieur de Bienville (1680-1768), the brother of d'Iberville, second in command.
          During Iberville absence, Bienville explored the surrounding area making brief stops at Pensacola, Mobile Bay, Pascagoula River, Lake Pontchartrain, and the Mississippi River discovering the future site of New Orleans. On the Great River, he encountered an English corvette, Carolina Galley, and convinced Captain Bond and his Huguenot settlers to retreat back to the Gulf.
          This point of detour just south of New Orleans is still called English Turn (Detour-a-l'Anglais), and marked the commencement of a long period of time (1699-1763) in which the French controlled the Mississippi Valley from the Rocky Mountains to Biloxi. Iberville returned to Fort Maurepas in January 1700 aboard Renommee. The report of an English ship in the Mississippi River gave strong impetus for the Frenchmen to construct a small fort there. Fort Mississippi (Boulaye) (1700-1707) was completed in the spring of 1700.
          Under Commandant Sauvole, the French continued good relations with the local Indian tribes in the vicinity of Fort Maurepas. They traded European goods (guns, axes, powder, etc.) for food and animal skins while absorbing the wood lore and culture of the Indian.
          Conditions at Fort Maurepas were generally miserable as insects (gnats and mosquitoes), snakes, alligators, disease (especially yellow fever), and the paucity of drinking water were prevalent. In addition morale was low as the Canadians long accustomed to trapping and voyaging refused to farm. Drinking of spirituous liquor was also a problem.
          By 1701, Iberville decided to move the garrison to a site on the Mobile River at Twenty Seven Mile Bluff. This settlement called La Mobile (Fort Louis de la Louisiane), for the local Indians, was established in the spring of 1702.
          Locating here allowed the French to be nearer the Spanish settlement at Pensacola. France and Spain had recently become allied and had initiated a conflict with England called the Queen Anne's War (1702- 1713) in North America. Another advantage at La Mobile was that the river gave them access to the interior of Alabama were trading with larger Indian nations was possible.
          Fort Maurepas was abandoned in the early months of 1702. It is generally believed that the structure was burned or dismantled to prevent an enemy of the French to utilized it. The French returned their capital to the area of the "Old Fort" at Ocean Springs briefly in 1719 before establishing a post (Fort Louis) at Biloxi in 1720.
         

1949 Historical marker

          On November 20, 1949, an historical marker commemorating the establishment of Fort Maurepas by Iberville at Ocean Springs in April 1699 was placed on US Highway 90 and Front Beach Drive.  Iola Y. Davidson spoke on the history of the French Beachhead followed by Mrs. Charles McDaris of Gulfport, representing the DAR.  John D. Smith, Southern District Highway Commissioner, also spoke about the Fort Maurepas marker.(The Daily Herald, November 21, 1949, p. 1)

         Local interest in Fort Maurepas began in 1967 when Colonel Rudolph Fink and J.K. Lemon began collecting maps and charts from the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris. This information was shared with the history aficionados of the Gulf Coast resulting in an interest to locate the original site of Fort Maurepas.
         

1699 Historical Committee

          In March 1971, a group of citizens organized at Ocean Springs to promote an interest in historical events of the past, present, and future of the Ocean Springs, Mississippi area. This association was called the 1699 Historical Committee. The 1699 Historical Committee is responsible for the annual Iberville Landing Commemoration (April), seeks to have the Fort Maurepas marker returned from the Cabildo, and was instrumental in the Fort Maurepas replication.
          In 1973, the 1699 Historical Committee, State Representative Marby R. Penton, and Secretary of State Heber Ladner saw their years of work come to fruition when the Mississippi Legislature passed House Bill No. 1361 which appropriated $300,000 to "purchase land for the location of the Fort Maurepas historical site, provided that said site is entered in the National Register of Historical Places". In the same year, archeologists from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History began a survey to locate the site of Fort Maurepas. Most of their efforts were concentrated in the Lover's Lane area of west Ocean Springs.
          Although some trenching was done, conclusive evidence for the structure was never discovered. One theory why the fort was not found was that the scientists were not allowed to explore a particular location (Poitevent) where cartographic and surface evidence indicated the fort to be situated. Others believe the original site of Fort Maurepas on the high bluff at Fort Point was eroded long ago by wave action and violent storms.
          The Gulf Regional Planning Commission released its study titled, "Reconstruction of Fort Maurepas", also in 1973. This detailed study dealt with the history and significance of Fort Maurepas, and the costs to acquire land and build an historically accurate replica.
          By 1975, Fort Maurepas zealots saw the Mississippi Legislature apportion $250,000 to the State Building Commission for a site to be administered by the Department of Archives and History. With this money, two tracts of land were purchased in February and March of 1976 by Governor Cliff Finch and Secretary of State Heber Ladner representing the State of Mississippi.(The Ocean Springs Record, March 11, 1976, p. 2)
          The most westerly tract of approximately 5.7 acres was the former location of the Edwards' summer home. In 1899, Dr. Jasper J. Bland (1850-1932) bought the property, and opened the Beach Hotel (Jackson County Deed Book 20, pp. 248-250).
          Eventually, he enlarged the structure to three stories renaming it the New Beach Hotel in 1909. By 1921, the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart were occupying the site utilizing it as a summer orphanage. It later became their retirement home. Hurricane Camille damaged the structure in 1969, and it was torn down by Clarence Galle in 1971. The Missionary Sisters sold the tract to the Richelle Corporation of Metairie, Louisiana in February 1974 (Jackson County Deed Book 448, p. 546).
          Richelle planned to develop the property as the Twin Bluff Condominiums, but were foreclosed on and sued by the First National Bank of Jackson County (Chancery Court Case No. 29,412). The Bank was awarded the land, which they sold to the State on March 1, 1976 (Jackson County Deed Book 554, pp. 644-645).
          The other contiguous parcel of about two acres was sold by the Missionary Sisters to Donald M. Bradburn in September 1975. Bradburn later conveyed to the Ocean Springs Yacht Club who sold to the State on February 16, 1976. (Jackson County Deed Book 543, p. 387 and Book 554, pp. 646-647).
         

Fort Maurepas replica

           In 1979, the State Legislature appropriated $350,000 for the construction of the Fort Maurepas replica. Fred Wagner of Bay St. Louis was named project architect and the New Orleans firm of Koch & Wilson associate architects.  In September 1980, the State Building Commission awarded a contract for $273,000 to the Carter & Mullins Construction Company of Columbia. House Bill No. 1296 (March 1981) allowed for $950,000 in Federal revenue sharing funds to complete Fort Maurepas. The first phase of construction was completed in August or September of 1981. It consisted of an exterior stockade (154 feet x 154 feet) constructed of single, treated pine post about eight feet tall. The square enclosure encompasses an area of about .54 acres. The southeast corner of the Fort Maurepas replica is a blockhouse or bastion (Royal Bastion). It is triangular in plan about twenty feet tall and served as the Governor's House and cannon fortification. No other bastion was commenced. The only portion of the inner palisade completed is a twenty eight-foot section, which runs west of the Royal Bastion and includes the main gate (seven feet wide). This wall is approximately twelve feet tall and is built triple log thick. No interior buildings have been constructed, i.e. soldier's lodges, bakery, or general warehouse.  Unfortunately in 1982 and 1983 the Mississippi Budget Commission took measures to avert State budget deficits. With a deficit of $85 million facing them in 1983, the Commission approved a $9 million cut in agency appropriations, which included $900,000 for the completion of Fort Maurepas. Since this time State and Federal funds for the completion of Fort Maurepas had been suspended indefinitely.
          With the State of Mississippi apparently not financially capable of committing funds to complete the Fort Maurepas project, it was felt that if the City of Ocean Springs got title to the property something might be done to accomplish this goal. By February 1991, under the leadership of District 113 Representative, Alvin Endt, the House voted to transfer the title to the City of Ocean Springs. After Senate approval and Governor Ray Mabus's signature, Mayor Kevin Alves on April 25, 1991, received the quitclaim deed to the two tracts containing the Fort Maurepas Reconstruction from the State of Mississippi by the Department of Archives and History and Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. The State of Mississippi retained all mineral rights and stipulated that the city maintain the fort as a historic site and include in its annual budget sufficient funds to maintain the structure. (Jackson County Deed Book 975, pp. 113-117).
           A ceremony was held at the Fort Maurepas replica on July 21, 1991 where Mayor Kevin Alves accepted the title to Fort Maurepas from Archives and History representative, Elbert R. Hilliard. U.S. Representative Gene Taylor addressed the group and said that the fort was "worthwhile to the preservation of our heritage", and pledged his support on seeing the replica completed.
          On August 20, 1991, the Environmental Concerns Committee of the Greater Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce proposed to the City of Ocean Springs that the marsh, wetlands, contiguous upland and wooded habitats which were adjacent to Fort Maurepas be declared an "inner city" nature preserve. The City Council accepted the proposal, which additionally provided for the protection, management, and development of a natural history program for the area. Discouragement of activities which might degrade the aesthetics, biological, scientific, or educational value of the area surrounding Fort Maurepas was another goal. (Minutes of the City of Ocean Springs, Mississippi (8-20-1991), pp. 582-583).
    

Fort Maurepas Society

           On June 10, 1992, an organizational meeting was held at the Ocean Springs City Hall to form the Fort Maurepas Society. The purpose of this group is to outfit, maintain, and complete the construction of Fort Maurepas. After a slow first year, the Fort Maurepas Society is progressing and plans to present the citizens of Ocean Springs with some interesting programs commencing this fall. They tell me that "a few good men" will be coming from Fort Toulouse in October. Be there!

Reenactments

           After the formation of the Fort Maurepas Society, the Fort Maurepas replica became the site of annual reenactments for about ten years.  In the spring of 1992, Commandant Ray L. Bellande went to the Fort Toulouse replica at the Fort Toulouse-Jackson Park near Wetumpka, Alabama and invited the French Colonial animators there to participate in the first reenactment at Fort Maurepas, which was held in early October 1993.

Compagnies Franches de la Marine performing manual of arms

(January 1994)

Fort Toulouse danseurs

(February 1995)

Arrival of Iberville

(October 1997)

Ouisconsin Northwest Trading Company

(February 1999)

Iberville and marines landing at Ship Island to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Iberville's landing

(February 1999)

Katrina-2005

          In late August 2005, Hurricane Katrina essentially destroyed the Fort Maurepas replica on Front Beach Drive at Ocean Springs.  The large bastion on the southeast corner of the structure was floated some forty-feet north of its foundation by the tempest.  Most of the existing palisades were destroyed or severely damaged by the tidal surge on the morning of August 29th.

Fort Maurepas

(image made September 2005)

Post-Katrina

         In the fall of 2005, the remains and debris of the battered and inundated Fort Maurepa replica were removed.  The large, bastion timbers were saved.  Mayor Connie M. Moran called for a public meeting at the Ocean Springs Community Center on the eve of April 27, 2006 to discuss the future of the site.  Frank Burandt of Greg Cantrell Inc., landscape architects, of Kenner, Louisiana will present their design for the site.  Mayor Moran said of the Fort Maurepas replica:  "It was very user unfriendly and it was vandalized constantly, despite the installation of lighting and security cameras.  We want this [new park] to be a place everyone can enjoy."(The Sun Herald, April 24, 2006, p. A3)

Fort Maurepas Park plan

Fort Maurepas Park

          In mid-June 2006, about one hundred residents of Ward II, in which the Fort Maurepas replica sat for almost twenty-five years, overwhelmingly approved the preliminary plan of Frank Burandt, landscape architect, for a beach park on the beach front site situated between Washington and Jackson Avenues.  Fort Maurepas Park will feature a Great Lawn outlined by a low brick wall, which in plan view replicates a Marshall Vauban (1633-1707) fortification, similar to that erected by Iberville's men in April 1699.  Marshall Vauban served Louis XIV (1638-1715) of France as a military engineer.  There will be a stage on the north side of the Great Lawn.  The south side of the Great Lawn will be graced with statuary and historical markers commemorating the five centuries of local history.  Other amenities of the Fort Maurepas Park will be a two-story pavilion with toilets, a playground for children, picnic tables, and a boardwalk on the southwest perimeter of the Fort Maurepas Nature Preserve.(The Ocean Springs Record, June 29, 2006, p. A1)

          Eric Clark, Mississippi Secretary of State, revealed in a letter to Mayor Connie Marie Moran on July 24th, that the preliminary plans of the City of Ocean Springs to create a Fort Maurepas Park on the site of the Katrina damaged-destroyed Fort Maurepas replica meet with his approval and satisfy the requirement that Ocean Springs maintain the State donated property as an historic site.  To quote from Mr. Clark: "The State conveyed the property to the City of Ocean Springs in 1991, and the deed requires the City to maintain the property as an official historic site.  I have concluded that the plan described above honors that requirement and I am happy to give my approval.  I wish you well with this project, and with your efforts to rebuild and improve your beautiful city."(The Ocean Springs Record, August 17, 2006, p. A10)

Breaking Ground- 29 August, 2006

[l-r: Alderman-at-Large Julia Weaver; Asst. Police Chief George Mulvaney; State Senator Tommy Moffett; Ray L. Bellande; Alderman Greg Denyer; Ken P'Pool, MDAH; John Gill, ?, Mayor Connie Marie Moran; Police Chief Kerry Belk; State Representative Henry Zuber; ?, Fire Chief Mark Hare; Frank Burandt of Greg Cantrell & Associates; ?; and  Scott ? with Senator Trent Lott.

Ray L. Bellande, Local Historian

[images courtesy of Terry Dickson and The Ocean Springs Record]

            Ground was broken  for the Fort Maurepas Park on August 29th, 2006 at the site on Front Beach Drive with primarily local dignitaries and neighbors in attendance.  Mayor Connie Moran opened the session with a welcoming statement to the small audience on the grounds.  She was followed by Ray L. Bellande, local historian, who gave a brief history of the old Hansell-Edwards-Bland property on which the 1981 Fort Maurepas replica had stood until Katrina's wrath erased it last August 29th.  Ken P' Pool from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History in Jackson,Mississippi closed the speech making with a review of the French Colonial history of the area and Ft. Maurepas' importance to the French effort in securing La Louisiane and establishing their future colony from here.  Invited dignitaries then shoveled dirt to signify the commencement of the $1.3 million dollar project.  Practically the entire cost of  Fort Maurepas Park development will be derived from FEMA funds, the Katrina Benefit Fund owned by the City, and  the Department of Natural Resources Tidelands Fund, thus placing no additional burden on taxpayers.(The Ocean Springs Record, August 31, 2006, p. A1)  

Project in limbo?

              In mid-October, the Board of Aldermen were informed by Adrienne Howell, City Clerk, that the anticipated $629,000 FEMA money intended for Fort Maurepas Park could be used ONLY to replace what was on the site, i.e. the 1981 fort replica.  The Board believed that the FEMA grant was for the new park and voted  not to spend any more money on the park project until it could be ascertained with certainty that funding was secure for the $1.3 million dollar project.  Mayor Moran aspired that FEMA would accept the Fort Maurepas Park proposal as a qualified replacement for the destroyed Fort Maurepas replica.(The Ocean Springs Record, October 12, 2006, p. A1)

              In January 2007, Mayor Moran related that an announcement of the historical site assessment of the Maurepas Park property would soon be released.  This investigation was performed by contractors hired by the Department of Homeland Security for FEMA to ascertain in particular that no Native American artifacts on the proposed park site.  By mid-January, the State Historical Preservation Office confirmed that an archeological survey of the park site, which included soil borings found nothing adverse to prevent the construction of Maurepas Park.  The future of the project rests with financial assistance from FEMA, which is expected to pay 75 per cent of the estimated $1.3 million cost.  A grant from the Department of Marine Resources [DMR] of $297,000 is anticipated to be given for parking, sidewalks, and for boardwalks to access the Fort Mauepas Nature Preserve.  A private donation of $100,000 has been made for a playground for the park.(The Ocean Springs Record, January 11, 2007, p. 1 and January 18, 2007, p. A8)

Project alive and well

              After the tenth public hearing on the proposed Fort Maurepas Park was held on July 2, 2007,  the Board of Alderman elected to revise the current plan for the facility.  Alderman Matt McDonnell of Ward II, the ward in which the proposed park will be located, proposed that the revisions include: use pervious materials for the thirty-two parking spaces; scale down the two-story pavilion; pull back the platforms in the marsh area; add low-level lighting; and maximize the green space.  This proposal will be presented to the OS Historical Preservation Commission on July 12th and the Board of Mayor and Aldermen on July 17th.(The Sun Herald, July 9, 2007, p. A2)

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REFERENCES:

John H. Blitz, C. Baxter Mann and Ray L. Bellande, Mississippi Archaeology, "Fort Maurepas and Vieux Biloxi: Search and Research", Vol. 30, No. 1, June 1995, pp. 23-58.
 

Margaret Rose Caraway, " The Cornerstone of Old Fort Maurepas", Journal of Mississippi History, April 1951.
 

Volney J. Cissna, Jr.,"Reconstruction of Fort Maurepas", The Gulf Regional Planning Commission Report (Gulfport), 1973.

Charles L. Dufour, Ten Flags in The Wind: The Story of Louisiana, (Harper & Row: New York - 1967).
 

Jay Higginbotham, Fort Maurepas: The Birth of Louisiana, (Colonial Books: Mobile, Alabama-1968).
 

Elbert R. Hilliard, The Establishment of the Fort Maurepas Historical Site: A Report From the Board of Trustees of the Department of Archives and History- (1973).
 

Michael C. Krivor, Mississippi Archaeology, "Relocation and Evaluation of the Back Bay Biloxi Shipwreck Site 22 Ja542, Jackson County, Mississippi", Vol. 36, No. 2, 2001, pp. 101-128.
 

Richebourg Gaillard McWilliams, Iberville's Gulf Journals, (University of Alabama Press: University, Alabama -1981).
 

Mississippi Gulf Coast Yesterday & Today (1699-1939), "The Site of Fort de Maurepas", Federal Writers Project in Mississippi Works Progress Administration, (Gulfport Printing Company: Gulfport-1939), p. 91.
 

Dawson G. Phelps, Research Report of Fort de Maurepas, Mississippi, (US Department of The Interior, National Park Service-1939).

C.E. Schmidt, Ocean Springs French Beachhead, (Lewis Printing Services: Pascagoula - 1972).
 

Charles Sullivan, The Mississippi Gulf Coast: Portrait of a People, (Windsor Publications: Northridge, California-1985).
 

WPA For Mississippi Historical Data-Jackson County,(State Wide Historical Project-1936-1937), 478 pages.

The Bay Press, "Ocean Springs breaks ground on new fort", September 1, 2006, p. 18.

The Daily Herald, "Marker to designate site Ft. Maurepas", November 5, 1949, p. 2.
The Daily Herald, "April 8 Designated Fort Maurepas Day", April 5, 1951, p. 6.
The Daily Herald, "Historic Fort Maurepas site may be termed elusive", July 20, 1973.
The Daily Herald, "Fort Maurepas job to begin in 1980", October 3, 1979.
The Daily Herald, "Opening date set for Fort Maurepas bids", August 5, 1980.
The Daily Herald, "Fort Maurepas replica to be in Ocean Springs", September 12, 1980.

The Gulf Coast Times, "Fort Maurepas day to be observed in public school", April 5, 1951, p. 1.

The Gulf Coast Times, "Fort Maurepas program presented at public school", April 12, 1951, p. 1.

The Jackson County Times, "Old Coast Fort may become Shrine" June 26, 1937, p. 1.
 

The Mississippi Press

The Mississippi Press, "Friends of Fort Maurepas forms", June 14, 1992.
The Mississippi Press, "Fort foes to eat some crow", August 9, 1992.
The Mississippi Press, "First fort picnic: Fort Maurepas opens its wood doors to show needs for funds, completion", August 30, 1992.
The Mississippi Press, "Fort Maurepas is site of new Fireside Chats", July 7, 1003.

The Mississippi Press, "View living history event at Fort Maureas Oct. 8-10", October 3, 1993, p. 1-B.
The Mississippi Press, "Fort Maurepas comes alive in re-enactment ceremony", October 10, 1993, p. 1-A.
The Mississippi Press, "Fort Maurepas still lost, despite search", November 16, 1998, p. 1.
The Mississippi Press, "Groups join to reprint Fort Maurepas book", December 24, 1998.
The Mississippi Press, "French Colonial visitors tour Fort Maurepas", October 10, 1999, p. 8A.
 

The Mobile Press Register

The Mobile Register, "Fort Maurepas brought back to life", February 16, 1995.

The Ocean Springs News, "Iberville stone", October 21, 1965, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs News, "Biloxian says French built two settlements", August 9, 1967, p. 8.

The Ocean Springs Record, "1699 Historical Committee receives State Charter", March 11, 1971, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Maurepas replica shown", February 17, 1972, p. 1.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Fort Maurepas Scale Model", (photo, Claude E. Hooten, architect built model)-March 16, 1972, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Progress seen for Fort Maurepas construction", February 8, 1973, pp. 1 and 2.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Cissna discusses Fort Maurepas", March 1, 1973, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Reeks discusses Fort Maurepas", March 8, 1973, p. 6.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Archaeologists seek Ft. Maurepas proof", June 21, 1973, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Search begins to find actual Ft. Maurepas site" , July 12, 1973, p. 3.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Archaeologists search for Fort", July 19, 1973, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Maybe Maurepas?", July 26, 1973, p. 2.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Early articles support Ocean Springs as Maurepas site", August 9, 1973, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Digging continues in search of Fort", August 16, 1973, p. 17.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Archaeologists continue search", September 27, 1973, pp. 1-2.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Galle presents interior view of Fort", March 28, 1974, p. 4.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Lane residents block Fort search", December 6, 1973, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Senate approves Ft. Maurepas land purchase", February 27, 1975, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Fort site selection meeting tonight", September 4. 1975, p. 1.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Building committee to consider land", September 11, 1975, p. 1.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Fort Maurepas site selection still undecided", October 16, 1975, p. 1.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Fort site could be decided by January 1", November 13, 1975, p. 1.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Aldermen take steps to conclude site purchase", January 15, 1976, p. 1.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Fort consultant's report gives bright prospects for Maurepas site", January 22, 1976, p. 1.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Favors Fort, opposes parking [letter to editor]", February 12, 1976, p. 4.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Fort is great idea, but at wrong location [letter to editor]", February 12, 1976, p. 4.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Fort 'ain't' my new neighbor yet [letter to editor]", February 12, 1976, p. 4.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Yacht Club agrees to sell property to State", February 19, 1976, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "1699 reaffirms Fort support", February 26, 1976, p. 1.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Clear survey majority favor Maurepas project", March 4, 1976, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Fort Maurepas Land Purchased", March 11, 1976, p. 2.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Ft. Maurepas no Jamestown", (letter to editor)-March 11, 1976, p. 5.
The Ocean Springs Record, "More shots fired at Ft. Maurepas", April 22, 1976, p. 5.

The Ocean Springs Record, "New Marker [Sauvolle]", April 29, 1976, p. 5.

The Ocean Springs Record, "County behind Fort Maurepas project", October 21, 1976, p. 2.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Monies appropriated", March 31, 1977, p. 2.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Fort Maurepas construction to begin soon", July 10, 1980. p. 1.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Bids for Fort Maurepas to be opened August 28th", August 7, 1980, p. 2.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Fort Maurepas to be opened in Jackson", September 9, 1980, p. 1.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Fort starts to take shape", January 22,1981, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Maurepas replica 20% complete", December 17, 1981, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Frenchman seeks Maurepas site", November 11, 1982, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Maurepas funds frozen indefinitely", January 13, 1983, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Fort Maurepas project still awaiting state commission's go-ahead", January 16, 1983, p. A 7.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Proof: d'Iberville's Colonists were permanent settlers of the Mississippi Gulf Coast", April 21, 1983, p. 1.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Fort Maurepas still depends on funds", March 21, 1985, p. 2.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Turned down by Park Service", August 28, 1986, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "City may get Fort Maurepas", February 21, 1991, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "City officially receives Fort Maurepas deed", July 25, 1991, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Ours at last [photo]", July 25, 1991, p. 3.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Society seen as vehicle to move Maurepas along", July 23, 1992, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Fort Society wants to know rules up front", August 13, 1992, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Fort society, city discuss options for restoration of Maurepas", August 27, 1992, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Fort Maurepas Society plans trip to Alabama", November 12, 1992, p. 8.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Fort Maurepas Society holds city picnic, outlines future activities", June 17, 1993.

The Ocean Springs Record, "History comes alive at Fort Maurepas", July 1, 1993.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Fort Maurepas Society to hear William Winter", August 5, 1993.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Living history weekend set at Fort Maurepas in October", August 5, 1993.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Ft. Maurepas Society announces events", August 12, 1993.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Former Governor to speak to Ft. Maurepas Society", August 12, 1993.
The Ocean Springs Record, "History come to life", October 14, 1993, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "City Oks Fort foundation", November 13, 1993, p. A1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "The Beach-New Beach Hotel: 1899-1921", May 19, 1994.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Visiting French teens say differences from home minor", August 18, 1994, p. 1.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Maurepas to go back in time this weekend", January 26, 1995.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Bastille Day finds French in fort", July 20, 1995, p. 1.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Society hosts guests", August 1, 1996, p. 10.
The Ocean Springs Record, "Reenacters stage living history", October 10, 1996, p. 1.

The Ocean Springs Record, "1699 soldiers to visit park [GINS], February 13, 1997, p. 5.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Fort Maurepas book re-issued for 300th", January 14, 1999, p. 1.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Quisconsin and Northwest Trading Company voyageurs arrive", February 11, 1999, p. 1.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Fort Salvage (two photos)", December 15, 2005, p. A1.

Maurepas Park

The Ocean Springs Record, "City mulls fort's future", December 22, 2005, p. A1.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Meek seeks new use for Fort's space", April 27, 2006, p. A1.

The Ocean Springs Record, "City listens to Fort Maurepas site ideas, options", May 4, 2006, p. A7.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Ward 2 residents back Fort site plan", June 29, 2006, p. A1.

The Ocean Springs Record, "City receives State OK on Fort Maurepas plans", August 17, 2006, p. A10.

The Ocean Springs Record, "City breaks ground on waterfront park", August 31, 2006, p. A1.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Fund question halts Maurepas", October 12, 2006, p. A1.

The Ocean Springs Record, "City hopes Maurepas funds near: FEMA awaiting historical assessment review", January 11, 2007, p. 1.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Maurepas plan clears State historical hurdle, FEMA next", January 18, 2007, p. A8.

The Ocean Springs Record, "Joint panel favors pier at Fort Maurepas", February 1, 2007, p. A1.

The Ocean Springs Record, "HPC discusses Fort Maurepas", January 31, 2008, p. A1.

The Sun Herald

The Sun Herald, "Fort's future murky", March 1, 1981.
The Sun Herald, "Funding for Coast projects approved", March 19, 1981.
The Sun Herald, "Fort Maurepas replication gets state approval", November 25, 1981.
The Sun Herald, "Fort Maurepas plans to be presented", July 20, 1982.
The Sun Herald, "Fort Maurepas replica should be considered for system (GINS)", March 23, 1986, p. A-2.
The Sun Herald, "Holding down the fort", August 22, 1992, p. D-1.
The Sun Herald, "Winters recounts tales of d’Iberville’s heroism", September 4, 1993, p. 1.
The Sun Herald, "They’re going to partake like its 1699", October 3, 1993, p. E-1.
The Sun Herald, Jackson County, "Vive la Maurepas", April 2, 1994, p. 1.
The Sun Herald, "Fort gets in on Carnival fun", February 4,1995.
The Sun Herald, "Building a case for Fort Maurepas Site", April 25?, pre 1997.
The Sun Herald, "Christmas Southern style", December 25, 1998, p. A-1.
The Sun Herald, "Fort Maurepas birthday party set", March 28, 1999, p. F-1.
The Sun Herald, "Ocean Springs, please shoot those cannons", April 4, 1999, p. E-1.
The Sun Herald, "Fort Maurepas group gets green light to develop plan", March 17, 2004, p. A-9
 

Maurepas Park

The Sun Herald, "Fort Maurepas plan still in limbo", October 17, 2005, p. A-5.

The Sun Herald, "Fort Maurepas in Ocean Springs", November 28, 2005.

The Sun Herald, "Fort Maurepas up for debate", April 24, 2006, p. A3.

The Sun Herald, "Fort Maurepas site will be redesigned", April 24, 2006, p. A3.

The Sun Herald, "Alderman mull using Katrina funds for park revamp", July 9, 2007, p. A2.

The Sun Herald, "Fort Maurepas to get new life", December 17, 2007, p. A2.

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