About the Author

Author Betty Hancock Shaw is a native and lifelong resident of Gulfport who became intensely interested in preserving the city's history in 2005, after Hurricane Katrina devastated so much of the area. Her husband's grandfather, Hobart D. Shaw, designed the area's seawall, and his father, Philip W. Shaw Sr., was a former mayor of Gulfport. She earned a bachelor's degree in English from Mississippi State University. She is a founding member of Gulfport's historical society.

Reviews

Title: History of Gulfport Told Through Photographs
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Date: 6/20/2011 The newest addition to Arcadia Publishing's popular Images of America series is Gulfport from local author Betty Hancock Shaw. The book boasts more than 200 vintage photographs and memories of days gone by. Gulfport's name says it all. The port and railroads were the foundation for this community. In 1900, at two years old, its population was only a little over 1,000. However, by 1906, that number had grown to over 14,000. A wide channel and deepened basin provided for the 36 ships anchored in the harbor. Capt. William T. Hardy's railroad was complete. Wealthy oilman Capt. Joseph T. Jones had made good on his promises of a train depot, an office building, banks, schools, churches, and stores. The luxurious Great Southern Hotel stood as a star costing over $350,000 to build. Gulfport was a thriving port city. The golfing, hunting, and waterfront activities were an early appeal. Images reflect great fortune and the desperate losses in Gulfport. Highlights of Gulfport:
? The face of downtown Gulfport
? Building the seawall
? Hurricanes
? Gulfport and the military
? Entertainment and tourism
? People, places, and things of Gulfport Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or
(888)-313-2665. Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America's people and places. Have we done a book on your town? Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.


Title: New book captures Gulfport's history in photographs
Author: CASEY PORTER
Publisher: SunHerald.com
Date: 7/2/2011 The history that spills forth from Betty Hancock Shaw's book, Images of America: Gulfport, is wonderfully fascinating.
Part of Arcadia Publishing's Images in America series the book has more than 127 pages of black-and-white photographs from Gulfport's colorful history.
There are images of long-gone icons of the Coast such as the restaurant and private pier at Colonial Cottages from 1921, Falk's Waffle House with the Barq's Root Beer sign in front, Sea Isles Hotel Court, a billboard sign for Angelo's Spaghetti, dignitaries and more.
In all 127 pages, Shaw divulges more history about Gulfport than many residents knew.
And that is just her intent.
I want to help people understand that the way we live today (in Gulfport) didn't just happen, she said. It evolved, and has a colorful history.
Indeed, from the start of the first chapter Gulfport's history is more than evident.
The book begins with photographs of downtown Gulfport, most of which are dated as far back as the early 1920s. Though few of the buildings in the older photographs are still around today, a surprising number of the images of old downtown Gulfport may be strikingly familiar.
A photo dating back to 1961 of the Triplett-Day drugstore on in downtown Gulfport, for example, looks nearly the same in Shaw's book as it does today, but the book is not merely centered on the history of Gulfport's old buildings.
Other events and structures are mentioned, such as the seawall, which at the time of its completion in 1926 was the largest concrete structure in the world.
Gulfport Field, which was a major installation during World War II, is also mentioned, as well as what tourism and entertainment used to be like.
Shaw said she hopes her book will help people gain an understanding about Gulfport, as well as a respect for its history and the people who helped pave the way for the town residents know today.
A collection of true visual treasures for anyone interested in the history of the Gulf Coast, Gulfport, $21.99, Arcadia Publishing, is available at local retailers and your favorite booksellers.