The Progress Archive

Although Ocean Springs was the site of the first settlement in what would become Mississippi, which was established in 1699 by French explorers, it remained a small town until tourism became well-established in the 1890s. Located on the Gulf of Mexico in Jackson County, Ocean Springs was home to the artistic Anderson family which moved from New Orleans in the 1920s, and opened Shearwater Pottery, which still operates today.

The newspapers in Ocean Springs progressed through several owners and name changes. Albert E. Lee bought the Ocean Wave (1895-97) in 1897 and renamed it the Progress (1897-1905). Ernest E. Beaugez, who had bought the newspaper in May 1904, changed its name to the Ocean Springs Progress (1905) after a fire destroyed its headquarters on March 4, 1905. By 1909, Lee returned to the paper as editor/publisher of the Ocean Springs News (1905-16). He also published the Jackson County Times (1917-49). By 1936, Lee's son Harry was the editor of the Times. The Gulf Coast Times (1949-1953?) was the newspaper's final manifestation.

In 1904 and 1905, the masthead of the four-page Democratic Progress read, "Official Journal of Ocean Springs" and "Official Journal of Jackson County." Content included the usual general interest stories, national and international items such as the St. Louis World's Fair and the construction of the Panama Canal, and occasionally poetry. The paper excelled at local reporting: a "Notes and Comments" column covered state and local politics, "County News Notes" had social announcements from surrounding towns, and "Local News" and "School News" columns were devoted to activities in Ocean Springs. "Farmer and Planter" was a regular column carrying news of interest about local industries such as raising cows, pigs, and sheep; cotton and corn production; growing fruit and nut trees; and improved methods of turpentine production. Board of Supervisor reports, legal notices, obituaries, meeting notices, and advertisements rounded out the local news.