Mississippi Coast National Heritage Area | Spring 2023 Newsletter

FROM OUR DIRECTOR

Welcome to spring on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We are so happy beautiful weather has arrived and we can venture out and start exploring. Hopefully, you’ve been able to get out and enjoy the wonderful sites. Whether historic homes are your interest, cultural attractions, amazing museums or natural settings, like nature trails or Blueways, are your thing, there is so much to see and enjoy. A good place to start is a visit to the French Colonial Memorial Gardens, a community garden or local nursery. The natural beauty of the Gulf Coast is what makes our Heritage Area so special.

In this issue, we highlight some community events in the area and we do more than give tours at the Charnley-Norwood, we also have an educational curriculum for school field trips. If your bucket list includes a trip to Ship Island, make sure you read our article on the Native Guard before you visit. One last thing, enjoy all that makes the coast historically innovative, naturally flavorful.

THANK YOU!

A very special thank you to our contributors for this spring edition. We appreciate your willingness to share the historically cultural, naturally flavorful stories of the Mississippi Coast National Heritage Area. Your generosity helps tell our stories.

Russell Barnes, Local Maritime Historian (page 2)

John Bernstiel, Park Ranger at Gulf Islands National Seashore (page 6)

Michael Watson, Secretary of State for Mississippi (page 12)

Deborah Burst, Journalist (page 17)

MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF MARINE RESOURCES

Joe Spraggins, Executive Director

Rhonda Price, MS Coast NHA Director

Andrew Barrett, Heritage Coordinator

Jeff Rosenberg, Heritage Coordinator

RoxAnn Rankin Wicker, Communications Coordinator

Joyce Hart, Administrative Assistant

Marie Lewis, Administrative Assistant

U.S. SENATORS

Cindy Hyde-Smith

702 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

Phone: (202) 224-5054

Roger Wicker

555 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

Phone: (202) 224-6253

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE (DISTRICT 4)

Congressman Mike Ezell 443 Canon HOB

Washington, DC 20515

Phone: (202) 225-5772

Cover Photo, Bon Silene at Charnley Norwood House, read more on page 24

Rhonda Price MGCNHA Director

MISSIONour

ENHANCE, CONSERVE AND PROVIDE CONNECTIVITY to cultural resources of a unique and defined area through identification, interpretation and promotion.

CREATE AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES and serve as a source of pride. Providing increased awareness and appreciation of their environment, history, culture, traditions and lifestyles.

PROMOTE ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY of heritage resources that benefit the entire region and support the long-term enhancement and conservation of those qualities that make the six counties of the MS Coast NHA unique.

TELLING THE AREA’S NATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT STORY to residents and visitors through activities and partnerships that celebrate the area’s unique history, people, traditions and landscapes.

Your MS Coast NHA is a partnership of communities, businesses, governmental agencies, non-profit organizations and individuals who value the region’s rich cultural and environmental diversity, history, natural beauty and traditions.

LIFE

35 From Trash to Treasure: A Coastwide Collection of Art

36 Recent

at Charnley-Norwood House

39 Sip. Savor. Social. Brunch this Scenic Setting at Bacchus on the Beach

HISTORICAL

HISTORY OF BILOXI REGATTA

Article Contribution by Russell Barnes

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Biloxi was called “The Seafood Capital of the World.” One reason for this title was the fleet of fishing schooners that annually harvested shrimp and oysters for the local factories to process. But, often lost in the conversation of Biloxi’s historical legacy, is another aspect of the story about the Biloxi fishing schooners and the men who sailed them. These boats and their crews participated in exciting summer races from the 1880s through the late 1930s. These races preceded the harvesting season and gave the sailors and fishermen a chance to unwind and have some fun before their season of hard work began.

Sailing regattas in Biloxi date back to the late 1800s. News articles of small boats racing locally for cash prizes are found sprinkled in newspapers back to at least the 1870s. The local yacht clubs created rules and regulations for racing. The regattas became annual events with plenty of publicity and interest. Small racing sloops, catboats and even sailing skiffs raced in various classes for financial prizes, and perhaps as important, prestige. Men with money and a desire to win contracted with local shipyards to create the next sensation; a racing sloop or catboat that would best all comers in the next regatta. Summers along the Mississippi Gulf Coast became known for the regattas, the fast racing boats and the competition for money and prestige. Everyone wanted to hoist the silver loving cup.

However, in the closing days of the 19th century, working schooners were added to the regatta, creating a different cultural flavor that was as much about the people involved as the boats they sailed. Instead of just wealthy, white clad competitors, the working schooners were sailed by hard-nosed sailors and fishermen who all boasted that their schooner was the best, fastest boat on the coast. These men had pride, knew more about hard work and had dirt under their fingernails. They were rowdy, their language rough, they smelled of oysters and shrimp, tar and grease and cypress and pine. They built and repaired the boats they sailed and knew the value of the sweat upon their brows. They risked their lives daily to provide for their families who often worked in the seafood canneries and prayed to God for His protection from storms and accidents. They eked out a poor living and lived literally hand to mouth. They had little formal education and many could not even write their names. They were among the laborers who made Biloxi’s seafood industry famous.

As early as 1890, the local paper reported a class for working schooners in the Biloxi regatta and in the years following, the schooners made more of an impact each year. By the early 1900s, working schooners were even divided into individual classes based on vessel length One of the most notable working schooners to participate in the early Biloxi regattas was the American Girl, built by Martin Fountain Sr in 1900. In 1901, she won nearly every race in which she participated. There were offers to buy her from owner Jean Trochessett. Wealthy businessmen offered large sums to any boat builder who could build a schooner to beat her in the next regatta. American Girl competed successfully in regattas for well over a decade, until the smaller schooners were out classed by larger, faster boats.

By the 1920s, larger schooners built by Anson Holley and Jackie Jack Covacevich were perennial favorites to win the races. Holley built schooners such as Mary Foster in 1922 and Julia Delacruz in 1924. Covacevich built four identical schooners in 1917 named Anna Eve, I Heidenheim, L. Goldman, and H. E. Gumbel. In contrast to Holley’s traditional clipper bowed schooners, these four Covacevich schooners were designed with a spoon shaped bow. The H. E. Gumbel was a regular winner through the 1920s, while Julia Delacruz ran away with the honors in 1924.

Each year, there was speculation about which boat would win that year’s races, and on race day, Biloxi Yacht Club officials met with the captains and crews. The sailors listened to the rules, knowing they would do little more than pay them lip service during the race. Captains would call upon their own vast storehouses of sailing knowledge to win the race, caring only to make sure they rounded the markers as close as possible and making sure they were always first to round the mark. The schooners had been put in first class condition for the race with fresh paint and new sails. Crews were not supposed to apply grease or something similar to the hull’s bottom and, while no one would ever admit doing it, it was probably done. The crew were told to lay down flat on the deck during the race to cut down on possible wind resistance. Captains watched every detail carefully to assure the best outcome, eager to seize upon any advantage to help their boat win.

Quite often, the captain and crew were as important as the boat in the regattas. Men like Martin Fountain Jr., Bijou Tiblier and Amos Ross were always in high demand come regatta season. A seasoned captain knew the waters he sailed and the weather that he would encounter. His senses guided his decision making during the race. The sound of the wind in the rigging, the heave of the hull in a swell and the feel of the wind on his face would all yield vital information to be considered in deciding how to steer the boat. He also studied his competitors as they sailed nearby. How the other schooners sailed was as important as his own boat’s progress. The race was often a battle of wits between the various captains. Who could take advantage of the elements first and best often decided the race.

As with all good things, the days of the sailing schooner eventually came

to an end. The last schooner race was held in 1938. Four schooners raced that year and all of them had been lately altered to carry engines as well as their sails. They had no topmasts and used only their three lower sails. Henry Brasher’s Perfection and Wonder were there, along with Covacevich’s H. E. Gumbel and Martin Fountain Sr.’s Maybelle. The sails were patched, the wood work a bit scarred, and the paint work barely presentable. However, the old ladies still had beautiful lines and made a pretty picture. Technological and economic progress were pushing these boats to extinction, but they still worked their way around the course in fine fashion one last time.

By the early 1940s, state laws were changed, permitting boats to harvest oysters under motor power, spelling the end of the Biloxi Photos courtesy of Biloxi Public Library, Walter Fountain and Joe Scholtes Collections and Russell Barnes, respectively.

fishing schooners.

The schooners raced for about 50 years and it would be another half century before two modern replica schooners would race again. With the changing law, the old boats lost their masts and sails, engines and large pilot houses were installed and a wonderful period of Biloxi’s history passed. In the years to come, stories were told by the men who sailed these schooners and historians have written accounts based on newspaper stories as well. Even so, the age of hard working, hard playing men and their beautiful “White Winged Queens” is difficult to recover. But, perhaps if we slow down and take a quiet moment to close our eyes and allow our senses to work, we might still be able to hear the sounds of wind in the sails and waves lapping against the hull, and smell the brackish water along with the cypress and oysters.

THE NATIVE GUARD

THE LEGACY OF LOUISIANA'S BLACK SOLDIERS

Article contribution by John Bernstiel, Park Ranger, Gulf Islands National Seashore

Photo courtesy of Gulf Islands National Seashore Collection, Captain Chase and Company of the 2nd Louisiana

The 74th United States Colored Troops (USCT), an all-Black unit that served during the Civil War, left a legacy and cultural impact that extends beyond its ties to New Orleans and Mississippi’s Ship Island. The unit’s history includes significant distinctions, like being one of the first Civil War units with non-white officers in their ranks and one of the first Black regiments to engage Confederates in combat. The regiment’s unique role and early ties to Louisiana make the 74th USCT a fascinating part of United States military history and the Black freedom struggle.

On May 2, 1861, less than a month after the first shots of the Civil War, Louisiana Governor Thomas D.Moore accepted a regiment of free Black men into Louisiana’s militia. Given the nickname Native Guard, white citizens of New Orleans, delighted with the formation of a Black military unit, hailed the “native” soldiers as defenders of their home city and Confederate ideals. Put on display in grand fashion and paraded up and down the banks of the Mississippi River, the truth is the effort to enlist Black Louisianans was a facade. Confederate authorities never considered arming and training Black men for combat. In April 1862, with U.S. military forces approaching New Orleans, the Native Guard was disbanded while Confederates evacuated the city.

General Benjamin Butler, commanding officer of U.S. forces occupying New Orleans, initially resisted calls to arm former enslaved individuals to supplement his forces. Fearing threats of a counterattack and facing unruly citizens loyal to the Confederacy, Butler changed course after learning of the Native Guard’s existence. After assurances that the men of the Native Guard had no loyalty to the Confederacy, Butler issued General Order Number 63, ordering the enlistment of free men of color in New Orleans. From this order arose three regiments of the Louisiana Native Guard.

The 2nd Louisiana Native Guard entered federal service on October 12, 1862. Initially, all but one of the company officers were considered men of color. One of these men, Major Frances Dumas, became one of the highest-ranking Black officers to serve during the Civil War. Colonel Nathan Daniels, a white officer, commanded the unit. Recruits varied in age from 17 to 56 and in experience, with all but one hailing from New Orleans.

Photo courtesy of Jubilo the Emancipation Century

Early in its service, the 2nd Regiment guarded railroads and key points in the greater New Orleans and La Fourche areas. In January 1863, elements of the regiment were deployed to defend Ship Island while others were stationed at Fort Pike, La. The U.S. Army planned for the departing commander of Ship Island, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Rust, to transfer part of his unit, the all-white 13th Maine Infantry, to Colonel Daniels. As Rust suspected, his soldiers refused to serve on Ship Island with the incoming Native Guard. This caused Daniels to place the enlisted men of the 13th Maine under arrest for disobedience. With tensions rising, the remainder of the 13th Maine transferred from Ship Island to Fort Jackson, La. This would not be the last time Daniels and his unit would face obstruction from their fellow soldiers in reaction to the unit’s racial makeup.

The Native Guard’s time on Ship Island consisted of drilling, constructing earthen artillery batteries around the island’s unfinished fort and guarding prisoners. On the morning of April 9, 1863, elements of the 2nd Regiment boarded naval vessels to participate in a raid on East Pascagoula, Miss. The Native Guard landed and engaged in combat with Confederate forces. The Black warriors briefly took possession of the town, captured Confederate flags and unfurled the United States flag from a hotel. A Confederate counterattack was quickly repelled by the Native Guard later that day. Hearing word of Confederate reinforcements approaching, Colonel Daniels ordered his men to withdraw. During their exit, a shell from the U.S. gunboat J.P. Jackson landed near a group of Native Guard soldiers, killing four and injuring five. Despite this, the Black soldiers remained calm and completed their withdraw.

Remarking on the East Pascagoula Raid in his diary, Colonel Daniels marveled over the bravery and coolness of his men. His writings speak of his personal ideals and pride in his unit, but also highlight and contradict the common belief that Black men did not naturally possess the skill nor discipline needed to be soldiers. The soldiers of the 2nd Louisiana Native Guard were one of the first Black units to meet Confederates in combat, and the first to do so on the Gulf Coast.

Photo courtesy of Civil War Talk

Racial tensions between the Native Guard and white soldiers and sailors on Ship Island were everpresent. By the summer of 1863, most of the non-white officers had been removed or asked to resign. Military reorganization and consolidation led to the 2nd Louisiana Native Guard being re-designated the 2nd Regiment, Corps de Afrique, in June 1863. The following April 1864, the unit became the 74th United States Colored Troops.

In August 1864, parts of the 74th USCT departed Ship Island to join the siege of Fort Morgan on Mobile Bay. The Confederate-held fort surrendered to U.S. forces on August 23. With victory in hand, the Black troops returned to Ship Island in September. With massive reductions in the U.S. Army at the end of the Civil War, the 74th USCT left federal service in October 1865.

Although U.S. General Benjamin Butler originally intended to enlist free men of color only, it is estimated that as much as half of the soldiers originally mustered into the U.S. military’s iteration of the Native Guard were freedom seekers who were formerly enslaved. The actions of these men, and those in similar units, during the Civil War showed that, contrary to popular belief held by military officials and the public at the time, Black soldiers could and would fight. Their legacy is reflected in the successful contributions to U.S. war efforts from Black military units to come, the eventual desegregation of the U.S. military and the strength and diversity of America’s modern soldiers.

Bibliography: Bearss, Edwin C. Historical Resource Study: Ship Island, Harrison County, Mississippi, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida/Mississippi. National Park Service, Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1984. Hollandsworth, Jr., James G. The Louisiana Native Guards. The Black Military Experience During the Civil War. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press, 1998. NPS. “Second Louisiana Native Guard” (U.S. National Park Service), nps.gov/articles/2la.guard.htm. Weaver, C.P. Thank God My Regiment an African One, The Civil War Diary of Colonel Nathan Daniels. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press, 1998.

Photo courtesy of US Coast Guard

INNOVATIVE

PUBLIC TRUST

For the many Mississippians who’ve never heard of Public Trust Tidelands, we wanted to take a minute to tell you about a rather deep subject. In general, Public Trust Tidelands are submerged lands naturally subject to the ebb and flow of the tide landward to the natural mean high-water mark which generally serves as the boundary between Trust lands and private lands. Artificially filled Tidelands remain subject to the Trust, while excavated uplands do not become part of the Trust. The boundary between Trust lands and private lands is not a fixed or stationary line. Since the boundary line is the current natural mean high-water mark, natural forces such as accretion can increase the upland private estate while erosion can increase the Trust lands. Thus, via legislative directive, the Public Trust Submerged Land Maps were created to depict the boundary between Trust lands and private lands. While they are on file with the chancery clerk of each coast county, copies can also be found in the Secretary of State’s Jackson and Biloxi offices.

The Public Trust Tidelands Doctrine is founded on ancient legal thoughts from the Roman author Gaius later used in the Institutes and Digest of Justinian, which in the sixth century formed Roman civil law. The doctrine stated in part that by the law of nature, the sea and its shore belong to all mankind. This concept was adopted in English common law after institution of the Magna Carta. The sea and its shore were protected by the crown for the benefit of its subjects. After Independence, the American Colonies (and later the States) stood in the shoes of the king holding the sea and shore in trust for their citizens. On formation of the Union, the original States retained ownership of their Trust lands. Future States joined the Union on “equal footing” so similar trusts in the bed of the sea and its shore were created for each new state. Mississippi’s Tidelands Trust lands were provided to the state with statehood on December 10, 1817.

Article Contribution by Secretary of State Michael Watson

TIDELANDS

The Public Trust Tidelands have been subject to numerous court decisions. In 1857, the Mississippi Supreme Court held in Martin v. O’Brien that “the shores of the sea below high-water mark belong to the state as trustee for the public….” In Cinque Bambini Partnership v. State, the Court declared “title to all lands naturally subject to tidal influence, inland to today’s mean high-water mark, is held by the State of Mississippi in trust.” In Phillips Petroleum Company v. Mississippi the United States Supreme Court affirmed the Cinque Bambini decision that the State of Mississippi owns in trust for the public all land subject to the ebb and flow of the tide, up to the line of mean high tide, regardless of the navigability of the waters over them.

In 1989, the Mississippi Legislature enacted the Public Trust Tidelands Act. Mindful of the many and sometimes conflicting public purposes of the trust, the Legislature declared it “to be the public policy of this state to favor the preservation of the natural state of the public trust tidelands and their ecosystems and to prevent the despoliation and destruction of them, except where a specific alteration of specific public trust tidelands would serve a higher public interest in compliance with the public purposes of the public trust in which such tidelands are held.” Justice Robertson noted in Cinque Bambini “the public purposes to which these lands and waters placed in the public trust may be devoted are not static.” The public purposes include navigation and transportation; commerce; fishing; bathing, swimming, and other recreational activities; development of mineral resources; environmental protection and preservation; and the enhancement of aquatic, avian, marine life and sea agriculture.

Because the Mississippi Constitution prohibits donating State-owned lands to individuals or private corporations, for profit corporate and gaming use of Public Trust Tidelands require a tidelands lease. The Secretary of State is authorized to “rent or lease surface lands, tidelands or submerged lands owned or controlled by the State of Mississippi lying in or adjacent to the Mississippi Sound or Gulf of Mexico or streams emptying therein.” The leasing authority is discretionary; the Secretary “may lease or rent surface lands, tidelands or submerged lands....”

Under this discretionary authority, the Secretary may decide a particular proposed alteration of Public Trust Tidelands does not serve a higher public interest in compliance with the purposes of the trust and decline a lease application. If leasing is allowed, the Secretary sets the initial rent which is statutorily adjusted by an appraisal or the Consumer Price Index on a regular basis.

Rents collected by the Secretary from Tidelands leases are deposited in the Public Trust Tidelands Fund. Additionally, assessments paid by on-shore gaming operations are deposited into the Public Trust Assessment Fund. Each year the Secretary transfers these Funds to the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources following their appropriation by the Legislature for “new and extra programs of tidelands management, such as conservation, reclamation, preservation, acquisition, education or the enhancement of public access to the public trust tidelands or public improvement projects as they relate to such lands.” Since 1997, the Secretary has transferred more than $187 million to MDMR. These Funds have allowed the three coast counties and included cities to build public piers and boat launches, and to improve and build marinas and harbors. These Funds have also allowed MDMR to establish and monitor fishing reefs in the Mississippi Sound; to acquire environmentally important habitat for Mississippi’s Coastal Preserves; and to conduct important scientific research on subjects like fisheries stocks, red tide, and submerged seagrasses.

The importance of the Public Trust Tidelands cannot be overstated. Our office is focused on balancing their preservation and economic development to benefit future generations of Mississippians. Maintaining a “One Coast” approach is key to ensuring that happens.

Michael Watson, Secretary of State State of Mississippi

NATURAL

The Crosby Arboretum: South’s Premier Native Plant Conservatory

Article Contribution by Deborah Burst

The anticipation grows the moment you step out of the car. A cool autumn morning, the hearty pines welcome you in a repeated lullaby as the wind slices through its nimble needles. You turn the corner, and the magic begins in a winding trail of hardwoods pierced by the morning sun. Long shadows stretch across a sandy pathway dotted with a blanket of cinnamoncolored leaves. Welcome to a most enchanting fairy tale hidden inside the forests of The Crosby Arboretum.

Located in Pearl River County just outside Picayune, Miss., The Crosby Arboretum grew from the L. O. Crosby Jr. estate. And so began a dream to create an outdoor classroom to educate legions of people in how our choices made today in nourishing our surroundings determines the future for those who follow. To be exact, 104 acres with 700 off-site acres preserved for scientific study owned and managed by Mississippi State University.

Touted as the south’s premier native plant conservatory, the arboretum owns three primary habitats, the Savanna, Swamp, and Woodland exhibits. No matter your passion, be it hiking, bird watching or photography, there’s something for everyone with more than 300 species of indigenous trees, shrubs, grasses and wildflowers. Keep an eye out for the wildlife with early morning sightings of deer, foxes, rabbits and egrets congregating along the waterways.

Patricia Drackett, director and assistant extension professor of landscape architecture, has invested 14 years of hard work with the help of scores of volunteers, as well as support from the Mississippi State University landscape architecture department, and financial and moral support from foundation board members. “Our goal is to enlighten and inspire others to learn more about native plant species and our natural world.”

© The Crosby Arboretum

© Deborah Burst

© The Crosby Arboretum

© Deborah Burst

© The Crosby Arboretum

© Deborah Burst

The 10-year master plan began in the early 1980s, what Patricia describes as a pretty magical thing. “An amazing group of land planners, landscape architects, foresters and botanists - a team composed of scientists and artists who collaborated, learning from each other and creating an incredible master plan.”

Dedicated to native plants, they began a most industrious endeavor as they planted thousands and thousands of shrubs, trees and herbaceous perennials, including pitcher plants. Many of the early plants were donations from native plant nurseries in Louisiana and Alabama.

The Arboretum has received many national awards. “The garden planners were forward- thinking. Although there may be other native plant exhibits, I don’t think anyone’s garden is as large as ours, nor do they have the decades of experience or the national reputation,” says Patricia.

Nature can reveal some of her most intimate moments if you just take the time to study her every move. As the hours grow long and the seasons change, the shadows and light cast a whimsical portrait. Surrounded by sky-high pines, one of the most prized exhibits, the Pinecote Pavilion, captures nature’s heavenly artistry.

Fay Jones, an architect from Fayetteville, Ark., brought together indigenous material and a free-flowing frame. The stunning symmetry follows what Jones calls a geometric theme inviting sunbeams weaving their way through central skylights. An organic unity, he notes, “…where seasonal shadows and light will forever enhance the poetic construction.”

A 2-½ acre pond was excavated near the pavilion, casting an exquisite reflection adding a profound portrait of the saintly structure. So stunning, many have exchanged their vows under the blissful shadows.

And perhaps one of the most moving events at the pavilion, the Sunrise Easter service captures the holy day's first light. Patricia added that it also serves as a moving backdrop for memorial services, particularly those who worked hard in the arboretum's design and implementation.

Stroll along the trails, 12 in all with interpretative signs that describe the flora, fauna and cultural history. Each season brings to life a new perspective, from a rainbow of color to an enchanting concert of birdsong and whistling winds.

Winter is Patricia’s favorite season. The barren branches reveal the architectural structure of trees and the lichens on the bark, a colorful, harmless fungus that collects moisture. She reminds visitors to take note of the bright red mushrooms, as they seem immune to the cold days. And don’t forget, the red cardinals bring a delightful contrast against the blur of gray.

Spring delivers a renewal of life as the pitcher plants fill the muddied bogs with a magical carpet of yellow blooms. Enjoy woolly sunbonnets, tiny white bog violets, sweet-smelling native azaleas and a rainbow of bright orange and yellow-flame azaleas. Patricia calls it a roller coaster of spring wildflowers from late summer to early fall.

© Lana Gramlich

© The Crosby Arboretum

© The Crosby Arboretum

“In May, the light pink mountain laurel and multiple shrubs break out with vivid pink native orchids. Purple longleaf milkweed replaces the pitcher plants and we often collect a good amount of seeds in addition to summer seeds of the tall orange milkweed,” explained Patricia. “Fall months bring to light the scarlet pine lilies and tall grasses mixed with swamp sunflowers, then the late blooming deer’s tongue and the false liatris. And the golden orb-weaver spiders captivate kids, especially when we show them photos of silk tapestries woven from the webs.”

Every cool snap whispers memories of autumn’s painted landscapes, it’s nature’s grand finale, her siren song, that seductive allure before winter ’s hibernation. And The Crosby Arboretum delivers with jeweled-toned vistas. Every trail begs another stop, another round of photos, from the blazing rainbows of cypress trees and maples to the deep green pines and gold wildflowers. Even better, catch the morning sun with cobalt-colored skies mirrored across the Pinecote waters.

The Crosby Arboretum delights the senses and brings peace to all who enter, no matter the season. More than a living memorial and educational venue, it’s an everlasting experiment in nurturing the environment.

Arboretum volunteer and instructor Nadine Phillips, an INFTA-Certified Forest Therapy Guide, leads public walks designed to help participants relax more deeply in nature while improving physical and mental well-being. Book the tour in advance as they fill up fast.

Evidence continues to show that forest therapy boosts your immune system, improves mood, accelerates recovery from surgery or illness and even offers a deeper sleep at night. More than the physical rewards, there’s the mental aspect. Immersing ourselves in a natural environment builds a sharper intuition along with a renewed spirit of happiness and social interaction.

Tour The Crosby Arboretum’s trails or grab a seat on the park bench and just listen to the chatter of wind slicing through the branches. Nature has quite a personality, and she welcomes all who enter her palatial abode.

Visitor's Center:

Check in at the Visitor’s Center to register and receive a wristband. Visit their library and gift shop, along with info on local native plants and upcoming arboretum programs and events. The Crosby Arboretum is open Wednesday through Sunday. Visit their website for more details on monthly activities at crosbyarboretum.msstate.edu.

Words by Marie Lewis | Photos courtesy of 9-Ball Fishing Charters

Doyou remember the Magic 8-Ball? The Magic 8 Ball is a plastic sphere, made to look like an oversized version of the one used in a game of pool. The user asks the ball a yes or no question then turns it over to reveal one of 20 answers. Some answers are more helpful than others. (I can’t be the first person to turn the ball over in excitement only to get “reply is hazy, try again” as an answer). The snow globe-size ball reached peak popularity in the 1970’s, so it’s been a while since I’ve seen one. But in the last few months, I’ve seen the Magic 8 Ball in more places than I have in a while -on my co-worker’s desk a few months ago and then in Mississippi Today cartoonist Marshall Ramsey’s work. Most recently, however, I saw it in a write-up when I was looking to learn a little about the 9-Ball Fishing Charters. I often talk with Charter Captain Barry Deshamp and First Mate Jason as I get my morning walks in at the Gulfport Harbor. As I was researching his charter business, I ran across this writeup: “You don’t need a Magic 8-Ball to know that going on an angling trip with 9-Ball Fishing Charters is going to pay off big time.” Here we go with that Magic 8-Ball again!

Barry has been in the charter fishing business for over 35 years. I asked him how he came up with the name 9-Ball Fishing Charters. He said when he was a teenager, he worked at a pool hall, and he became good at the game 9-Ball. Once he got in the charter boat business, he wanted it to be the best, just like he was when he played 9-ball pool.

Jason shared that when there are no trips planned with customers, they go out on what they call a “Bait Date.” A bait date is when they go out and catch bait for their next fishing adventure.

The 9-Ball Fishing Charter boat is a 23 ’Donzi center console with a 300 HP Yamaha engine. The vessel is equipped with radar, GPS and a VHF radio and can easily accommodate four people. All the fishing gear is provided in the price of the trip, as well as the fishing license. Fish specialties are Red Snapper, Red Drum, Bluefish, Amberjack, Cobia, Jack Crevalle, Bonito, shark, King Mackerel, trout, speckled trout and other varieties of fish. 9-Ball Fishing Charters offers both inshore or offshore saltwater fishing (Biloxi, Gulfport, Long Beach, Ocean Springs or the barrier islands, Chandeleur, Ship, Cat and Horn). They offer half-day or full day fishing.

Captain Barry’s 9-Ball Fishing Charter is the product of the love of fishing and the desire to show as many people as possible just how amazing angling can be. He specializes in family charters and has great patience and eagerness to pass on the rod to the younger generations. I read some of the reviews for 9-Ball Fishing Charters and this stuck out the most:

“If you want THE BEST, FORGET THE REST! Capt. Barry and Jason are true professionals.”

So, it is obvious that the Magic 8-Ball isn’t needed to book your next fishing adventure, just go with 9-Ball Fishing Charters!

gulfcoast.org/listings/9-ball-fishing-charters/500 or msfishingcharter.com

As part of the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area’s Nature-Based Tourism effort, the Blueways program was established to provide explorers an unforgettable experience along miles of beaches, rivers, creeks and bayous. There are currently 15 Blueways, or water trails, that have been mapped out for recreational canoers and kayakers within the six coastal counties in Mississippi. Here is a quick look at the Turkey Creek Blueway in Harrison County, Miss.

Turkey Creek begins in central, rural Harrison County and flows toward its confluence with Bayou Bernard, just north of the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. The creek is popular for fishing, swimming and canoeing and is a mainstay to the local culture and quality of life. The Turkey Creek area is home to an historic Black community settled in 1866 by emancipated men and women emboldened by slavery and the Civil War, who dared to sow the seeds of freedom, faith and self-reliance that still prevails to this today.

Turkey Creek watershed drains just over 17 square miles of land that has relatively flat topography, creating a slow-moving coastal stream with tidally influenced areas near the coast. The upper watershed is composed mostly of rural lands covered by wet-pine savannas and forests whereas the lower portion of watershed has a lot of developed lands. This more developed area includes Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, Gulfport, Long Beach and the Interstate-10 business corridor.

The Gulfport Lake Boat Launch is located behind Bayou Vista Golf Course on Washington Avenue at N30.42419° W89.06040°. This launch is ideally located approximately one-third of a mile due east of the mouth of Turkey Bayou on Bayou Bernard. Local fishing boats use the ramp year-round, with pleasure boats and jet skis in warmer months, especially on weekends. There is an asphalt parking area, and a sand beach to the side of the boat ramp for kayak and canoe launching. The usual tidal range is less than 2’ between high tide and low tide, influenced by the Mississippi Sound. The water in Bayou Bernard is brackish, and Turkey Creek is mostly freshwater in the upper reaches. There may be times in the year when the upper reaches (generally past mile marker 2) are too shallow for paddling.

Marshes in this area are dominated by needle rush with duckpotato. Narrow disjunct bands of smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) occur along the creeks with bands of high-level salt-meadow grass (Spartina patens) occurring along the upland borders. This unique location provides excellent feeding, resting and wintering habitat for numerous types of migratory bird species, such as the Brown Pelican, White Pelican, ospreys and cormorants, and this area is known to be an Osprey rookery.

To learn more about the Turkey Creek Blueway, or the many other coastal Blueways Mississippi offers for paddlers, visit the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area’s website at msgulfcoastheritage.ms.gov/natural/blueways. Here you will find descriptions for all the coastal Blueways as well as downloadable PDF maps to help plan your adventure.

TURKEY CREEK

Words by Andrew Barrett

COMMUNITY

GARDENING GULF the

Words by Jeff Rosenberg and RoxAnn Rankin Wicker

Unsurprisingly, the Coast guarantees a Spring time experience that leaves visitors and communities begging for it to last. The weather hits that sweet spot of cool and brisk in the mornings and warms to a mild heat in the afternoons. While the weather is perfect so is the opportunity to tour community gardens, formal gardens, rose gardens, and pollinator gardens. Here is a collection of our favorite gardens that offer traditional native flora and glorious grounds.

COMMUNITY GARDENS

Ruth’s Roots | 130 Court St. Bay St. Louis

Community gardens are becoming a new trend here on the Gulf Coast. Shared gardens provide neighbors and residents an opportunity to introduce themselves, as well as the vegetables and herbs they bring. Perhaps they illustrate a social innovation of sorts, a strategic model to ignite the social needs after COVID, promote a sense of community again, teaching and learning from one another, or possibly increase awareness of sustainable foods.

One such garden in Bay St. Louis hits the mark in their community. Ruth’s Roots Community Garden, located at 130 Court Street, began as a project with Hancock County Juvenile Drug Court. The community garden would aide local adolescents and residents with knowledge of gardening, flora and nature while pursuing inner development and individualized expression.

With seasonal planting, Ruth’s offers fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs and honey to the community. Visitors will find an array of producers, such as chickens, worms and honeybees. Others enjoy just sitting and listening. The garden provides a sense of solace and rest for those just needing a moment of peace. This beautiful little spot continues to be a catalyst by creating a positive sense of security, fostering a safe place for community meeting and reinforces the identity of Bay St. Louis.

If you would like to donate to this community garden, please make checks payable to Hancock Community Development Foundation with “Ruth’s Roots” notated in the memo line and mail to 100 S. Beach Blvd., Bay St. Louis, MS 39520.

© Old Town Bay St. Louis

© Old Town Bay St. Louis

© Ruth's Roots

© Ruth's Roots

FORMAL GARDENS

Oak Crest Mansion Inn | 5267 Menge Ave. Pass Christian | P: 228.452.5677

E: oakcrestmansioninn.com

Oak Crest Mansion Inn bed and breakfast celebrates not only special events, such as weddings and corporate meetings, but a gorgeous formal garden with intriguing, artful, blooming colors.

Built in 1920, Oak Crest Mansion, located in Pass Christian, boasts 12 soothing acres of exceptionally manicured grounds. One can find rest under one of the many live oaks or find more time for contemplation in the chapel, even finding meditation in the gazebo. The varied spaces create a sense of significance within one’s personal and spiritual embrace.

The sprawling lawn offers a large variety of easy walking avenues and vista viewpoints to all plantings on either side of the estate. While walking the grounds nature will unfold through your sight and senses. An amazing offering of spacious garden rooms, perfumed roses and magnolias, curved beds, trees and shrubs are skillfully planted in this garden providing an exceptional example of what can be achieved through vision and experience.

Over 100 years old, this garden provides immediate impact and makes it a perfect spot for taking in the colors of spring annuals and perennials. Oak Crest Mansion Inn offers a peaceful sanctuary with a comprehensive range of historical culture as well as an extensive array of native plants for easy walking and visitors with mobility restrictions. Be amazed at one of the coast’s most diverse collection of rich colors bursting into life against the backdrop of the graceful southern estate.

© Grace & Gold

© Grace & Gold

© Oak Crest

© Oak Crest

© Oak Crest

POLLINATOR GARDENS

The Meadow, Charnley-Norwood House |

509 East Beach Blvd. Ocean Springs

Visitors to the Charnley-Norwood House have an opportunity to experience two types of landscape gardening which play an important part in the property’s history. These are the meadow and the rose garden.

The meadow, the more prominent of the two, is visible from the road and acts as a filter and buffer that would have originally afforded privacy to the occupants. The property was referred to by the Charnley family as “Charmleigh,” a pun on their last name and leigh, an old English term for meadow. It is without a doubt that the meadow, in all seasons, is quite charming.

A time traveling visit to the Mississippi Gulf Coast 1,000 years ago would show a shoreline littered with this type of coastal meadow, an important habitat in the life cycles of the area’s flora and fauna. While a visit to the CharnleyNorwood House 100 years ago would show little change to the meadow in front of the house, it serves as a natural landscape and is a heavily managed one with the intent of creating a picturesque viewshed. The scenic landscape movement began in England during the 18th century with the goal of presenting an idealized view of nature and natural landscapes. It would become quite popular in the United States during the mid-19th century with the bestknown example of this style of landscape design being Central Park in New York City, which was first laid out in the 1850’s.

While views of the meadow are serene, the meadow is an important lived-in landscape as well. Both the Charnley’s and the Norwood’s would spend time walking through the tall grasses and admiring the native wildflowers.

FRENCH COLONIAL ROSE GARDEN

Moran Site Memorial Garden

110 Porter Ave. Biloxi

The Moran Site is a French cemetery which dates to the founding of Biloxi. It was established between 1720 to 1722 and is among the oldest, most significant French colonial sites in the United States. During this era, Biloxi served as a staging ground for the thousands of European immigrants brought over to work the inland concessions. Human remains near the site were first uncovered in 1914, and since then stories abounded as to the identity of the skeletons, with some speculating they were pirates or lost slaves. However, it would be over half a century before the archaeological investigation took place determining that the physical features of the skeletal material suggested they were European, and the grave goods found with them dated to the 18th century. Undoubtedly, the remains were those of settlers in France’s colony of “Nouveau Bilocxy.”

In February 2012, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources purchased the Moran Site, nearly an acre of land to preserve a time in history, long forgotten. The remains recovered during the two excavations were reinterred as part of a ceremony celebration commemorating Mississippi's French Heritage. The garden includes a historical marker and interpretive signage that describes the site’s history and the archaeological findings.

The ‘Moran Site,’ a memorial garden providing a place of beauty and peace representing a sign of hope, empathy, and understanding to the remains of French descendants.

The Moran Site is a treasured site for visitors to enjoy nature in the heart of Biloxi. The French inspired garden bolsters the historical and ecological landscape of the site. The angel adorning the center represents unconditional love in the face of adversity for those seeking peace and a new life.

ROSE GARDENS

Charnley-Norwood House

509 East Beach Blvd. Ocean Springs

What separates the house from the meadow is the more formal rose garden. Rose gardening has origins that date back millennia, and the placement of the rose garden between the meadow and the house is symbolic of the progression from untamed nature to ordered nature to the organized house.

The arrangement of the rose garden into formal orientation symbolizes the organization and domination of humankind over the environment (with further transitioning to the house which symbolizes complete order and thoughtfulness).

A Historic Log Home Provides The Stage For a Homestead Revival

Words by Jeff Rosenberg | Historical Photos Courtesy of Land Trust of the Mississippi Coastal Plain

he Shaw Homestead is a rare survivor. While a century ago, log homes built by settlers of European descent could be found all over Mississippi, only a handful remain today. Established in the late 19th century, the Shaw Homestead is a domestic farm site consisting of several buildings that were in continual use, but only receiving minimal updates, through most of the 20th century. The homestead landscape features are reflective of early settlement patterns in Pearl River County, and throughout the Mississippi’s Pine Belt region. This region is part of a larger pine forest stretching from the Carolinas to Texas. The sandy soil of the pine belt was not fit for large-scale farming, and many early settlers relied on livestock farming on an open range.

HOW HOMESTEADS CAME TO BE

Passed by the United States Congress on May 20, 1862, the Homestead Act accelerated the settlement of the western territories by granting adult heads of families 160 acres of surveyed public land for a minimal filing fee and five years of continuous residence on that land. The act would continue in a variety of forms until 1988.

By the late 1840s, several developments supported the growth of the homestead movement. Unprecedented numbers of immigrants were arriving to the United States, many of whom looked to unsettled western lands for a new life. New transportation routes, such as canals and roadways, made possible transportation of goods grown on these western farms to markets in the eastern United States and even Europe. During this time, England's repeal of its corn laws opened new markets to American agriculture.

Claimants were required to live on and “improve” their plot by cultivating the land. After five years on the land, the original filer was entitled to the property, free and clear, except for a small registration fee. The title could also be acquired after a six-month residency and trivial improvements, provided the claimant paid the government $1.25 per acre. After the Civil War, Union soldiers could also deduct the time they had served from the residency requirements.

THE SHAW HOMESTEAD

A homestead patent for the property was awarded to Bernard Dedeaux by the United States Government on April 5, 1888. Shortly after receiving the patent, Dedeaux would sell the property to his brother-in-law, Jules Ladner, who, in 1902, would sell the property to his daughter and son-in-law Melvina and Gilbert Shaw. Prior to deeding the property to his daughter, Ladner was responsible for the construction of the centerpiece of the homestead; a one-story, two-pen, dogtrot house of log construction.

Out buildings at the homestead are the Smoke House, Jar House, Corn Crib, Grist Mill and Tractor Shed. Ruins of a two-story wooden barn remain. Other remaining landscape features are an in-ground concrete dip vat used to treat livestock for parasites, a fenced plot for the vegetable garden and a fenced farmyard. During the period of significance, Pearl River County had open range livestock grazing laws and, because of this practice, areas surrounding the house, out buildings, garden and crop fields, were fenced to keep livestock out, rather than creating a fenced pasture for containing livestock.

THE LOG HOME

The main house, a three-bay, single pile, log dog-trot house, took its overall form c.1890 when Jules Ladner replaced an earlier structure with the current house. The Shaws made modifications as their needs and finances allowed, but the house has maintained its original dogtrot form. The most significant addition came in the first decade of the Shaws’ ownership when the existing sash windows were added to the house, two cabinet rooms were built on the back porch and a wall was built enclosing the west end of the dogtrot. Electricity and propane gas were added to the property in the 1950s. The house would never receive running water.

The home reflects a cultural landscape and building typology that was once common across the frontier west of the Alleghenies. The form and construction of the dogtrot arises from two groups of immigrant traditions combined to create a uniquely American housing type. The linear building plan that allows cross ventilation for each room comes from the Tidewater South tradition that was developed because of the South's hot climate. The log construction techniques of these houses come from the midland folk tradition influenced by immigrants from heavily timbered areas of central and northern Europe. As native-born Americans of European decent and new European immigrants migrated westward, these two distinct building traditions would meld to create the log dogtrot form. Shorter logs, being easier to maneuver, determined a typically smaller size to log housing and led to the utilization of “pens,” or separate structures, under a common roof. The dogtrot form was especially adapted to log construction because the length of a manageable log would determine the length of a pen. One pen could be built at a time, and as the jointed corners of the pen were not adaptable to expansion, the second pen could be built several feet from the existing pen, and a single roof would cover both, creating a porch or open hallway between the two pens. By the early 19th century, housing constructed with this type of material and in this form was quite common amongst yeomen farmers in the eastern United States as the houses have been found in range from Georgia to Illinois.

House vs Cabin. Why is the Shaw Homestead considered a log house and not a log cabin?

While the house may look primitive today, at the time of its construction, it would have been considered a proper residence for families settling in a remote area of the Piney Woods region. The term “cabin” refers to a small, crude or simply built structure; whereas the term “house” reflects the residence as a larger, detailed, permanent structure. The Shaw house reflects the Victorian tradition of having separate rooms for separate activities and gives a hierarchy to these spaces. Outbuildings on the property, like the smoke house, are one room and of cruder log construction than the dressed and jointed logs that make up the main house.

LIFE

From Trash to Treasure:

A Coastwide Collection of Art

Alice Moseley Folk Art & Antique Museum partnered with the Mississippi Coast National Heritage Area (MSCNHA) grants program to fund their grant proposal, “Painting the Coast.” This partnership would fund the project’s transition of 40 recycled Coca-Cola syrup containers into artful trash receptacles. Students and artists from along the Mississippi Gulf Coast were invited to commission their designs in this recycle, renew, reuse project. Each barrel represents and honors the Coastwide cities and their legacies through artwork.

The barrels are as unique to the artist as they are to the city they represent. Many artists’ designs were specifically conceived around the culture and heritage of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. One trash barrel by artist Nikki Main depicts three oysters, a play on the Holy Trinity. Artist Jessica Salaun’s barrel depicts three of our main seafood species - crabs, oysters and shrimp.

This civic-inspired grant was hugely successful, not only with the artisans, but also the recipients. The movement has business owners, municipalities, churches and neighborhoods enjoying the beautification that ‘litter’ly gave a new lease in the pollution game. One such barrel that was highly appreciated was St. Rose de Lima Catholic Church in Bay St. Louis. Father Thomas was delighted to showcase the commissioned piece outside the sanctuary. Another was the City of Bay St. Louis’ former Mayor, Eddie Favre. Favre, working in public service for 42 years, served as mayor for 20 of those. The receptacle shows Favre as a caricature adorned with Mardi Gras beads, holding a glass of champagne and a coastwide smile.

This project was not only an opportunity for community organizations to be more cognizant in the reduction of litter flow, but the grant was also used to engage community partnerships and help turn public spaces into a conversation of change. The MSCNHA recognized the opportunity Alice Moseley Folk Art & Antique Museum pitched to socially engage litter control and pollution awareness through art. The belief is that art has the ability to empower people, stimulate a more responsible, pollutioncontrolled dialogue and focus on public art preservation that will continue to align with the mission of the MS Coast National Heritage Area.

As you visit local cities and mixed-use properties along the Gulf Coast, you may see one of these recycled barrels. Perhaps it is a pop of color, a historic landmark, the Holy Trinity in many forms, a sweeping oak that reaches out from the city of Long Beach or even the simplicity of the magical sunsets that catch your eye. It is the hope you will pause for a moment to admire the message.

If you would like to know more about this project, please contact Katrina Niolet, Operations Director at the Alice Moseley Folk Art & Antique Museum, by calling 228-4679223 or visiting the museum at 1928 Depot Way, Bay St. Louis, MS 39520.

Words by RoxAnn Rankin Wicker, Photos by Alice Moseley Folk Art & Museum

Students Ring in Spring at the Charnley Norwood House

Words by Jeff Rosenberg; Photos courtesy of Ocean Springs School District

It has been a busy winter and spring at the Charnley-Norwood House in Ocean Springs. We celebrated the end of the calendar year with our ever-popular Holiday Open House on December 11. This event, typically held the first or second week in December, provides an opportunity for visitors to experience the house at their own pace while visiting with Mississippi Coast National Heritage Area (MSCNHA) staff members and enjoying light refreshments as the house is tastefully decorated for the season.

At the beginning of February, students from Ocean Springs Upper Elementary spent the week visiting the CharnleyNorwood House to learn about both the home’s architecture and its relationship to the meadow. While touring the meadow, students gained a better understanding of how vegetation can describe habitats, practiced observation skills and data collection through activities, such as scavenger hunts and making their own sound map of the meadow. Inside the home, students learned how architecture is designed to create specific experiences, how nature can influence design and about passive technologies implemented more than 100 years ago that are still applicable today.

While the meadow might look dormant during this time of year, it is alive with all sorts of activity. A variety of wildlife from pollinators to birds, along with turtles and rabbits, all make their home and forage for food in the meadow. During late winter, after the last threat of freezing weather has passed, the meadow receives its annual “haircut” where the grasses are cut down to eight inches in height. Both ashes and seeds are spread during this time. While the ashes simulate the nutrients that fire would typically bring to the meadow, the seeds ensure that the native fauna remains present, keeping invasive species at bay. By mid-April the meadow is fervently growing and becoming a riot of wildflower blooms.

The layout of the property with the rose garden serves as a transition space between the geometric order of the house and the organic order of the meadow. Late winter is the time for trimming the roses. Removing dead and diseased canes ensures the roses will survive, in addition to triggering new growth and encouraging the bushes to produce more flowers. While trees today shade the rose garden more than they would have historically, the roses still receive plenty of sunlight and are entering the time of year when most active blooming occurs.

Looking forward to the summer, our next open house will be Saturday, June 10, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., when we celebrate Frank Lloyd Wright’s 156th birthday. Stop by to visit the house and learn more about Frank Lloyd Wright’s involvement with the property, along with his life and times. If you’d like to tour the house before then, tours are available by appointment. Please drop us a line at heritage@dmr.ms.gov or call 228-234-7298 to inquire about availability.

FLAVORFUL

SIP. SAVOR. SOCIAL: Brunch this scenic setting at Bacchus on the Beach

Words by RoxAnn Rankin Wicker

Nestled between live oaks, iconic Scenic Drive and adjacent to Highway 90, Bacchus on the Beach restaurant provides a cozy and upscale take on brunch. Surrounded by the sound of seagulls and spectacular views of the Gulf of Mexico, your soul (and appetite) will thank you as you settle into the menu offerings.

With brunch venues popping up all along the coast, Bacchus is the restaurant if you’re looking for an indoor/outdoor elevated, but casual, dining. This restaurant promises a myriad of brunch choices to suit every taste. Bacchus on the Beach offers spectacular ambiance and assuredly hits the mark with their expansive portfolio of delicious, rich, cultural flavors. It exudes an aura of refined comfort food, and guests will enjoy the fresco vibes on the expansive deck coupled with views of the harbor amidst the sparkling waters of the gulf.

Masterfully known for their New Orleans-style lunch and dinner cuisine, their brunch menu garners the same appeal. The brunch menu offers something for everyone. Whether you want to sit on the back deck and cozy up to a Bloody Mary while taking in the scenery or meet your girlfriends for Sunday brunch for endless mimosas, Bacchus on the Beach will bring your brunch affair together.

My choice is the crab cake benedict, a palatable amount of heat lightly incorporates this crab cake. Sitting high atop a hearty crostini, the crowned jewel, a perfectly poached egg with hollandaise to coat the stack drips with flavor. Not a savory person? No problem. You will instantly fall in love with the Poulet Pain Perdu (fried chicken and French toast). The perfect mix of salty and savory. This generous serving of buttermilk fried chicken on top of a thick slice of brioche French toast, smothered in warm, gilded maple syrup, kissed with a dusting of powered sugar, my word have mercy, your taste buds will be impressed.