Hattiesburg Area History

Historical Timeline

• 1880's
  • 1883
    • The first train runs from Meridian to Hattiesburg.
  • 1884
    • Hattiesburg is incorporated as a city.
    • The New Orleans & North Eastern Railroad track across Lake Ponchartrain is completed.
  • 1888
    • A yellow fever scare leads to an ordinance barring all trains from stopping inside the city limits; the quarantine is lifted later that year.
  • 1889
    • The Sullivan-Kilrain bare-knuckle boxing match is held in the Hattiesburg area near Richton.

• 1890's
  • 1893
    • A massive fire destroys many downtown businesses; new building codes requiring brick construction follow.
    • W. S. F. Tatum opens his lumber business in Hattiesburg.
  • 1897
    • The Hattiesburg Progress newspaper (later renamed the Hattiesburg American) is founded.
  • 1899
    • Governor A. J. McLaurin proclaims Hattiesburg a "city" (population, approximately 3,600).

• 1900's
  • 1900
    • The first Gulf & Ship Island train runs from Jackson through Hattiesburg to Gulfport on July 4th.
  • 1903
    • Hattiesburg High School graduates its first class (3 students).
    • R. H. Hemphill purchases the first automobile in Hattiesburg.
    • The passage of city ordinance #183 creates the Hattiesburg Police Department; B. M. Moffet is police chief at the time.
    • Work begins on Kamper Park (the land originally deeded to the UDC by businessman John Kamper).
    • The Gulf & Ship Island Hospital (later to become Methodist Hospital) goes into service.
  • 1904
    • Hattiesburg's Volunteer Fire Department transitions to a paid, full-time branch of government with A. F. Potter as its first fire chief.
  • 1906
    • The city experiences a small pox epidemic.
  • 1908
    • Forrest County (named after Nathan Bedford Forrest) is created out of a portion of Perry County with Hattiesburg as the new county seat.

• 1910's
  • 1910
    • The first PTA in Mississippi is established at Hattiesburg's Walthall School.
  • 1911
    • Mississippi Women's College (now William Carey University) opens its doors.
  • 1912
    • Mississippi Normal College (now The University of Southern Mississippi) is established.
    • R. R. Swittenburg wins a Commercial Club contest for coining Hattiesburg's nickname, "The Hub City."
    • The original downtown "Hub Sign" on the Ross (now The America) Building is activated on Thanksgiving Day.
  • 1915
    • The Hattiesburg Fire Department welcomes its first motorized fire truck.
  • 1917
    • General Leonard Wood arrives to begin plans for Camp Shelby (named in honor of Revolutionary War hero Isaac Shelby).

• 1920's
  • 1922
    • The Forrest County Courthouse is built.
      Hercules Powder Company begins its Hattiesburg operations.
  • 1924
    • WFOR (the oldest continuously operated radio station in Mississippi) begins broadcasting.
  • 1925
    • Citizens vote to replace Hattiesburg's trolley car system with buses.
  • 1929
    • The Saenger Theater, the city's first air-conditioned building, opens on Thanksgiving day.

• 1930's
  • 1930
    • The original library on Main Street (now the Hattiesburg Cultural Center) opens its doors.
    • The Forrest County Health Department is established.
    • The municipal airport (now The Bobby Chain Airport) is dedicated during this period.
  • 1932
    • The current downtown post office on Pine Street is constructed.
    • Ethel Baylis becomes the first woman elected to a Forrest County office.
  • 1933
    • Reliance Manufacturing opens its garment production operations.
  • 1935
    • The Cleveland Indians and the New York Giants play exhibition games at the (then) Kamper Park ball field.
  • 1936
    • The Mississippi Jook Band performs in Hattiesburg and makes what is considered by many to be the first rock-and-roll recording.
  • 1939
    • Paul B. Johnson, Sr. of Hattiesburg is elected governor.

• 1940's
  • 1940
    • Rural electric cooperatives bring "Light to the Forest."
  • 1941
    • Pearl Harbor is attacked. War-time rules are invoked at Camp Shelby.
  • 1942
    • Hattiesburg opens-up to soldiers training at Camp Shelby.
  • 1943
    • A fire at the central telephone office knocks out Hattiesburg and Camp Shelby service; most repairs are completed over a 10 day period.
  • 1945
    • Jack Lucas, a resident of Hattiesburg, becomes the youngest Medal of Honor recipient in the 20th century for his service in World War II.

• 1950's
  • 1952
    • Forrest General Hospital admits its first patient.
  • 1953
    • Dial telephones come to Hattiesburg.
    • March of Dimes fundraising activities are held in the city.
  • 1955
    • A dedication ceremony for The Boy Scouts' Camp Tiak is held at the Fruitland Park facility.
  • 1956
    • Hattiesburg's first television station, WDAM, named for its founding owner, David A. Matison, begins broadcasting.

• 1960's
  • 1963
    • Hattiesburg native Paul B. Johnson, Jr. is elected governor.
    • Shelby State Park is restored and its name changed to Paul B. Johnson State Park.
    • Lake Shelby, originally built by German WWII prisoners housed at nearby Camp Shelby, is renamed Lake Geiger.
  • 1964
    • Freedom Summer in Hattiesburg sees groundbreaking civil rights activities.
  • 1965
    • Superintendent S. H. Blair announces initial integration plans for Hub City schools.
  • 1968
    • Lance Corporal Roy Wheat from neighboring Jones County becomes the only Mississipian to be awarded the Medal of Honor for his sacrifice in the Vietnam War.
  • 1969
    • Hurricane Camille hits Mississippi.

• 1970's
  • 1970
    • The Hattiesburg Area Historical Society sponsors its first annual pilgrimage of historic homes.
  • 1973
    • The first annual Juneteenth celebration is held in Hattiesburg.
  • 1974
    • The neighboring city of Petal incorporates.
    • The Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport (PIB) begins operations.
    • The Cloverleaf Mall holds its grand opening.
  • 1975
    • Hattiesburg native Evelyn Gandy is the first woman elected as Mississippi's Lieutenant Governor.
  • 1976
    • The Hattiesburg Historic Neighborhood holds its first annual candlelight celebration of the Christmas season.

• 1980's
  • 1980
    • The new Methodist Hospital in west Hattiesburg opens its doors.
  • 1981
    • The Greater Hattiesburg Park is officially renamed the W. P. "Smokie" Harrington Baseball Park.
  • 1983
    • D.R.E.A.M. of Hattiesburg is chartered in a grass-roots effort to develop a community-based drug prevention program.
  • 1984
    • Veterans Memorial Park opens.
    • The first annual Hub Fest is sponsored by the ADP (Area Development Partnership).
  • 1985
    • The former USO building on Front Street (now a Community Center) is named in honor of Jackie Dole Sherrill, the city's first female police officer who was killed in the line of duty.

• 1990's
  • 1991
    • Hattiesburg wins the top City Livability Award at the U. S. Conference of Mayors.
  • 1993
    • Hattiesburg sees its first downtown mural (a tree mosaic on the side of the city engineering department) during this period.
  • 1994
    • Turtle Creek Mall holds its grand opening.
    • A prehistoric archeological site with artifacts dating back to 4,000 B. C. is discovered on the Marshall Durbin Company property on James Street.
  • 1995
    • Oseola McCarty gains national recognition through her philantrophy to The University of Southern Mississippi.
    • The Tatum Park Recreational Complex opens.
  • 1996
    • The new library on Hardy Street opens.
    • Town Square Park in downtown is dedicated.
    • Olympic teams from Kenya and Malawi train in Hattiesburg.
  • 1997
    • Methodist Hospital is renamed Wesley Medical Center (known today as Merit Health Wesley).
    • A dedication ceremony is held for Veterans Memorial Drive.
    • Hattiesburg declares May 15th as Police Memorial Day.
  • 1998
    • The Lake Terrace Convention Center opens.
    • The HPD becomes the first law enforcement agency in Mississippi to become nationally accredited through the CALEA.
  • 1999
    • The J. L. Cartlidge Forrest County Multi-Purpose Center hosts its first rodeo.
    • HyettPalmer consultants provide a blueprint for revitalizing downtown Hattiesburg.
    • The Rails-to-Trails district (built on abandoned railroad tracks from Hattiesburg to Prentiss) is renamed The Longleaf Trace.

• 2000's
  • 2000
    • The newly restored Saenger Theater reopens.
    • The Forrest County Tax Collector's building is dedicated to the memory of Korean War pilot Jesse L. Brown.
    • Hattiesburg joins the Mississippi Main Street Association as part of the city's downtown revitalization efforts.
  • 2001
    • The Armed Forces Museum dedication is held at Camp Shelby.
  • 2002
    • The groundbreaking ceremony for Hattiesburg's 9-11 monument is held.
  • 2003
    • Plans are announced for the Freedom Summer Driving Trail (commerating Freedom Summer '64 civil rights activities).
  • 2004
    • The downtown post office is named in honor of Hattiesburg native and Korean War hero Henry Commiskey.
  • 2005
    • Hurricane Katrina hits Mississippi.
    • The first Historic Mobile Street Renaissance Festival is held.
  • 2006
    • The Coca Cola Bottling Company in Hattiesburg celebrates 100 years.
    • A ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opens the first portion of the Evelyn Gandy Parkway in Petal.
  • 2007
    • A gala opening is held for the newly restored downtown Historic Depot Intermodal Center.
    • The International Checker Hall of Fame in the city of Petal is destroyed by fire.
    • Historic Hattiesburg High on Main Street is severely damaged by fire.
    • The ADP announces "The Festival of Swans," an outdoor art project consisting of brightly painted swan sculptures; many can still be seen throughout the city.
  • 2008
    • Renovation begins on the former USO Club on 6th Street (to become the African-American Military History Museum).
    • The Mississippi Blues Trail "Roots of Rock & Roll" historic marker is unveiled on Mobile Street.
  • 2009
    • The first Festival South (the city's annual arts celebration) is held downtown.

• 2010's
  • 2010
    • The Beverly Drive-in, a local historical landmark, is destroyed by fire.
  • 2011
    • Hattiesburg sees its first annual Caerus Mardi Gras parade.
  • 2012
    • Forrest County's new jail is named in honor of (then) Sheriff Billy McGee.
    • Hattiesburg sees its first Halloween night parade.
  • 2013
    • Hattiesburg Clinic celebrates 50 years of service.
  • 2016
    • The results of a tourism contest are announced: Hattiesburg residents are "Hattiesburgers." :)
    • City leaders propose an overpass to relieve downtown railroad congestion.
  • 2017
    • Groundbreaking is held for "The District" at Midtown.
  • 2018
    • The Gold Star Families Memorial at Camp Shelby becomes a reality.
    • A new three-sided replica of the original "Hub Sign" ushers in the city's first annual New Year's Eve Celebration on Front Street.
  • 2019
    • Lawmakers announce funding allocation for a new bridge between Hattiesburg and Petal.
    • The Twin Forks Rising Community Development Corporation (redevelopment of Ward 2) holds a ribbon cutting ceremony.

• 2020's
  • 2020
    • A statue of civil rights leader Vernon Dahmer is unveiled outside the Forrest County Courthouse.
    • Forrest County and Hattiesburg officials declare the response to COVID-19 a local emergency.
  • 2021
    • Preservation Crossing, an age-restricted apartment facility, moves into the renovated Hattiesburg High building on Main Street.
    • Peggy Sealy is the first woman officially named as the city's chief of police.
  • 2022
    • The Hattiesburg Police Department holds a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Public Safety Complex built on the original downtown site of Methodist Hospital.
    • The Mississippi Heritage Trust recognizes Mobile Street's Smith Drug Co. restoration project.
  • 2023
    • City Hall is 100 years old.