Gulfport

Captain Joseph Jones, Charles Keck, 1942
Captain Jones is considered one of the two founders of Gulfport. After making his fortune in Pennsylvania oil fields, Jones bought a bankrupt railroad company with the idea of connecting the Ship Island harbor with a railroad pier in Gulfport. Congress would not authorize funds to dredge a channel between the two points, so Jones paid for it himself. By building the Gulfport harbor, Jones played a significant role in the growth of the city.