Editing Pascagoula, Mississippi (section)

==History==

===Early history===

[[File:Gallica Biloxy map Pascagoula.jpg|thumb|left|Pascagoula Bay, early 18th-century French map]]

The name Pascagoula, which means "bread eater", is taken from the [[Pascagoula]], a group of [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]] found in villages along the [[Pascagoula River]] some distance above its mouth. [[Hernando de Soto]] seems to have made the first contact with them in the 1540s, though little is known of that encounter. [[Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville]], founder of the colony of [[Louisiana]], left a more detailed account from an expedition of this region in 1700.<ref name="auto">Goddard, Ives (2005). "The indigenous languages of the Southeast." ''Anthropological Linguistics.'' ''47'' (1): 1–60.</ref><ref name=Cain/>

The first detailed account comes from [[Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville]], younger brother of Iberville, whom the Pascagoula visited at [[Fort Maurepas]] in present-day [[Ocean Springs, Mississippi|Ocean Springs]], shortly after it was settled and while the older brother was away in France. Few details are certain about these people, except that their language seemed not to have shared an [[etymological]] root with the larger native groups to the north, the [[Choctaw]] particularly, who speak a [[Muskogean languages|Muskogean language]]. Some speculation exists that their language may be related to [[Biloxi language|Biloxi]]. The [[Biloxi people]] spoke a now-extinct [[Siouan languages|Siouan language]], which is related to the languages spoken by the [[Sioux]], [[Crow Nation|Crow]], and [[Ho-Chunk]].<ref name="auto"/><ref name=Cain/>

The territory of the Biloxi people seems to have ranged from the areas of what are now called Biloxi Bay to [[Bayou La Batre]] ([[Alabama]]) and {{convert|25|mi}} up the [[Pascagoula River]], and the Pascagoula people's territory seems to have ranged between some distance north of there to the confluence of the [[Leaf River (Mississippi)|Leaf]] and [[Chickasawhay River]]s.<ref name=Cain>Cain, Cyril Edward: ''Four Centuries on the Pascagoula'', Vol. 1 (1953)</ref>{{rp|19–21}} However, the Pascagoula language is completely undocumented; thus, genealogical affiliations from other authors are speculation.<ref name="auto"/>

The first European settlers of Pascagoula were Jean Baptiste Baudreau Dit Graveline, Joseph Simon De La Pointe, and his aunt, Madame Chaumont.

===Modern history===

The region changed hands over the next century, being occupied variously by the English, French, and Spanish until well after the [[American Revolutionary War]]. It came into the permanent possession of the United States in 1812, when it was added to the [[Mississippi Territory]]. At one point, for 74 days in 1810, Pascagoula was a part of what was known as the [[West Florida|Republic of West Florida]].<ref name=Cain/>{{rp|47–49}} Pascagoula was incorporated as a village in 1892. It obtained city status in 1901. Today's downtown Pascagoula used to be the town of Scranton, Mississippi, incorporated in 1870. The two towns merged in 1904 by governor's proclamation and in 1912 by Mississippi legislative act.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://casetext.com/case/city-of-pascagoula-v-krebs |title=City of Pascagoula v. Krebs |access-date=2023-03-24 }}</ref>

In October 1973, an alleged [[unidentified flying object]] sighting and [[alien abduction]] is said to have occurred when co-workers Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker claimed they were abducted by [[extraterrestrial life|aliens]] while fishing near Pascagoula. The incident, the [[Pascagoula Abduction]], earned substantial [[mass media]] attention.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Amy |first1=Jeff |last2=Plaisance |first2=Stacey |date=October 11, 2013 |title=Man says 1973 UFO incident turned life upside down |url=https://www.twincities.com/2013/10/11/man-says-1973-ufo-incident-turned-life-upside-down/ |newspaper=[[St. Paul Pioneer Press]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=June 27, 2019}}</ref> In June 2019, Pascagoula placed a historical marker near the alleged abduction site.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brockell |first=Gillian |date=June 26, 2019 |title=The men claimed they were abducted by aliens. In Mississippi, police believed them. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/06/26/i-floated-inside-man-returns-site-ufo-abduction-it-gets-historical-marker |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=June 27, 2019}}</ref> The city honors the abduction every year during an event called Goula Palooza. The festival takes place in the downtown area of the city.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wxxv25.com/51st-anniversary-of-pascagoula-alien-abduction/|title=51st anniversary of Pascagoula Alien Abduction|last=WXXV Staff|date=October 11, 2024|access-date=December 2, 2024|publisher=WXXV News 25|website=wxxv25.com}}</ref>

===Hurricane Katrina===
[[File:Katrina-Pascagoula-housesX.jpg|thumb|left|Houses destroyed or flooded by [[Hurricane Katrina]]]]
{{Main|Effect of Hurricane Katrina on Mississippi}}

On August 29, 2005, [[Hurricane Katrina]]'s {{convert|20|ft|m|adj=on}} [[storm surge]] devastated Pascagoula,<ref name=NWSmob>"[http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mob/0805Katrina/ National Weather Service Forecast Office – Mobile/Pensacola]." ''[[NOAA]].'' July 7, 2006.</ref> much like [[Biloxi, Mississippi|Biloxi]] and [[Gulfport, Mississippi|Gulfport]] and the rest of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.<ref name=TCRaug>"{{NHC TCR url|id=AL122005_Katrina|title=Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Katrina}}." (post-analysis) ''National Hurricane Center.'' revised August 10, 2006.</ref> Katrina came ashore during the high tide of 6:12 am, {{convert|2.1|ft|m|abbr=on}} more than typical.<ref>"2005 NOAA Tide Predictions: Pascagoula, Mississippi Sound" (2005), tide on August 29, 2006, ''NOAA'', web:[http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/get_predictions.shtml?year=2005&stn=0551+South+Pass&secstn=Pascagoula,+Mississippi+Sound&thh=%2b1&thm=20&tlh=%2b0&tlm=48&hh=*1.21&hl=*1.21 NOAA-tide-tables].</ref> Nearly 92% of Pascagoula was flooded. Most homes along Beach Boulevard were destroyed, and [[FEMA trailer]]s became an omnipresent sight.

Due to the media focus on the plight of [[New Orleans]] and Biloxi-Gulfport in the aftermath of Katrina, many Pascagoula citizens have expressed feeling neglected or even forgotten following the storm. Most Pascagoula residents did not possess [[flood insurance]], and many were required to put their homes on [[piling]]s before being given a permit to rebuild. TITANTubes, sometimes referred to as [[Geotextile tube|geotube]]s, were installed under the beach to serve as low-profile dune cores to protect the evacuation route.

[[United States Navy]] officials announced that two {{Sclass|Arleigh Burke|destroyer|0}} [[guided missile destroyer]]s that were under construction at [[Northrop Grumman Ship Systems]] in Pascagoula had been damaged by the storm, as well as the [[amphibious assault ship]] {{USS|Makin Island|LHD-8|6}}.

Hurricane Katrina damaged over 40 Mississippi libraries, flooding the Pascagoula Public Library's first floor and causing mold in the building.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ala.org/ala/cro/katrina/MSPL_Katrina_Damage.pdf|title=Hurricane Katrina Related Damages to Public Libraries in Mississippi|date=September 2005|website=Mississippi Library Commission|via=American Library Association|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031143618/http://www.ala.org/ala/cro/katrina/MSPL_Katrina_Damage.pdf|archive-date=October 31, 2007|access-date=2009-04-24}}</ref>