Biloxi, MS 1950's - Back Bay Mission & Sun & Sand Motel

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Travel & Events

[vickip01]

Hi I hope you don't mind if I share this do you? Thanks

[todezwis]

@vickip01 Hello vickip01. No, I don't mind you sharing this at all. We're all proud of our hometowns and I'm happy to be able to share a little of your city's history with you!

[Harleydude2]

Thank you for uploading this old video. My first job was at the Sun N Sand and I remember one or two of the other homes in the video. The little green house towards the end of the video use to sit on back bay. I do believe Boom Town Casino owns that property now.

[todezwis]

@Harleydude2

You are very welcome. I hope that this brought back many happy memories. Thank you also for your input. I'm still trying to date this exactly, but I believe that it was in February of 1954, from the information that I've been able to gather so far. Unfortunately, many documents and records were destroyed with the passing of Katrina, and they could have helped to specify the date.

[todezwis]

@Harleydude2 I didn't know that the pool had been filled in. Thanks for sharing that. I did talk to someone from the Historical Society in Biloxi and was told that much of what was near the shoreline, both there and in Mobile, was destroyed by Katrina and much has not been rebuilt.

[Harleydude2]

@rfermier Unfortunately, the Sun N Sand "shamrock pool" was filled in years ago and then the entire prperty was sold when the casinos came into Biloxi. The Treasure Bay Casino owned that property untill Katrina destroyed it. I was home a week or so ago and if memory serves me right, there is nothing on the spot where the pool and Southern part of the hotel was.

[Harleydude2]

@rfermier My first job was as a room service delivery boy at the Sun N Sand back around 1982. By then, the hotel was in decline. The hotel and that beautiful pool was bought by one of the original casinos in the early 90's and the hotel and pool were removed. Katrina eventually destroyed that casino and as of last year there was a nothing on the corner of the hwy where the hotel origianlly stood.

[todezwis]

@rfermier

I've been told by a historical society member that most anything that was near the beaches was wiped out by Katrina. I know that the Old Friendship House lot is still empty after an Olive Garden restaurant on that spot was destroyed, as well.

[rfermier]

My parents took me to the Sun & Sands motel when I was a child, back in the late 1950's. I remember the shamrock swiming pool with the "stem" part that went into a little "cave" that was in the bar area. I wonder what's there today.

[todezwis]

JoeHilley2

I understand that a lot of these places don't exist anymore. People from the mission told me that their buildings were sold and torn down in the early '90s by the casinos. The rest were taken care of by Katrina. It's been interesting doing detective work to get information about all these old films we found after my father's passing. Unfortunately, there's no one left in the family who remembers any of these trips now.