Legends and Lore of the Mississippi Golden Gulf Coast Read Free

first weekend in June. During the summer months, local yacht clubs held sailing regattas. The guide listed four annual fishing rodeos: Ocean Springs Fishing Rodeo, sponsored by Ocean Springs Jaycees; Annual Biloxi Fishing Rodeo, sponsored by the Kiwanis; Annual Pascagoula Fishing Rodeo, sponsored by the Lions Club; and the Annual Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo in Gulfport.
    Many of these restaurants, hotels, motels and establishments have long since vanished from Mississippi’s Golden Gulf Coast, but there are some that have survived and are still considered favorites by tourists and locals alike. Many of these 1970 establishments became part of the fabric of Mississippi’s Golden Gulf Coast life and will long be remembered.

CHAPTER 2
    T HE L EGEND OF C APTAIN P ATRICK S COTT ’ S B URIED T REASURE
    What is a legend, and what is the difference between a legend and history? A legend is an unverified popular story or myth, especially one believed to be historical. On the other hand, history is a narrative of actual events. Mississippi Golden Gulf Coast has seen a long line of legends that, though not strictly true, add a little color to the local history.
    Most people find books and movies about pirates fascinating, and subsequently, Hollywood has a long history of pirate movies. As a child, I can remember watching the Mickey Mouse Club series about the Hardy Boys. One of the mysteries was about Applegate Pirate’s Treasure. You can probably still find individuals who remember the words to the theme song.
    Gold Doubloons and Pieces of Eight
    All belong to Applegate
    The chest is here, but, wait ,
    Where are all the Gold Doubloons and Pieces of Eight, Pieces of Eight?
    In 1926, there was a rumor of pirate gold near the mouth of Bayou Porteaux. An article in the Biloxi News dated April 18 indicated that an old legend had resurfaced. It appears some individuals had been digging on property near the mouth of Bayou Porteaux. The property had been owned by Captain Eugene Tiblier, so the reporter interviewed eighty-five-year-old Captain Tiblier, who indicated that he had also heard the rumors. He said when he was a small child his mother told him of a Frenchman and his family living there. His mother indicated that the man’s wife and daughter were slightly demented and would wander in the woods all day long. One day, they returned with a dirt-encrusted bar of gold. When asked where they found it, they pointed to the mouth of Bayou Porteaux. This was the beginning of the legend, but who buried the treasure?

    Bayou on Back Bay Biloxi, near Bayou Porteaux. Courtesy of Alan Santa Cruz Collection .

    Ocean Springs Hotel, along the shoreline. Courtesy of Alan Santa Cruz Collection .
    The treasure allegedly came from a pirate by the name of Patrick Scott who would raid ships in the Gulf of Mexico. It was said that he would return to Biloxi Bay every three to four months to bury his treasure. As with all legends, there had to be witnesses to help add to the mystery. Supposedly some young individuals followed him and his crew, who were carrying three kegs suspended from poles. When the young intruders were seen, they had to make their escape. Of course, the escape was made before they knew the contents of the kegs or where they were eventually buried. As this tale was told over and over, it eventually turned into a legend.
    The property was originally purchased in 1835 by William C. Simmons, who built a cabin there. About 1850, a brickyard was operated on the mouth’s west point. Then about 1884, Captain Tiblier bought the land, but he said people were digging for gold on the property long before he built his home.
    Captain Tiblier reported that in 1890, a man named Barlow came from Lake Pontchartrain by pirogue. He told Tiblier, “I have come here to give you a fortune.” He told Captain Tiblier he knew for a fact that pirates had buried treasure on his land. He told him to search for an oak stump and dig