User:Gastonpoint

History Of Gaston Point ( Gulfport, Mississippi) The Gaston Family moved to Gulfport from Heidelberg, Mississippi in 1890. Gulfport was incorporated around 1898. Vernon Gaston was the first white boy recorded on the vital statistics of the town of Gulfport, Mississippi in 1892. N. E. Gaston established a turpentine business where J C Rich/ Jitney Jungle use to be. The Gastons lived at the foot of Woodward Avenue. There were only three houses on the West Beach side of town when the Gastons moved.. The Gaston’s home in Gaston Point one at the foot of Ruth Avenue and the others were on the West Side School property. During this time, there were no schools or churches in Gulfport. The few parents and children had to go to Long Beach, Mississippi for school and church. There was a period of panic that hit Gulfport that wiped out their turpentine business. The Gastons left Gulfport but came back later. In 1911, N. E. Gaston died. In 1959, one of his daughters lived in Long Beach. She was the Mrs. H.H. Jones who owned Jones Drug Store. A son, Charles Gaston lived on second Avenue in Gulfport. Dr. R. W. Gaston, the third son, was a dentist from 1901-1915. Early on, Gulfport became known as the most cosmopolitan of all coastal cities. It’s citizens came from every sector of the United States and many foreign countries. Gulfport’s original city limit when incorporated in 1898, was bounded by the beach on the south and extended northward to 28th Street and from 20th Avenue on the East to 34th Avenue on the West. In 1904, the annexation doubled the size by taking lands westward for one mile including Gaston Point, and extended Northward by more than a mile.

Sunday January 8th, 2011, to commemorate the past and history of Gaston Point, a group of African Americans from Gaston Point gathered at the Holiday Inn in Long Beach, Mississippi. In attendance were Elliott Barkum, Richard Kelly, Jutson Holton, Lee Adams, Jr, Jerome Barkum, Davis Hawthorne, Levorne Hawthorne, Melvin Barkum, Glenn Love, John Kelly and Donald Ray Hawthorne, all from Gaston Point. During this gathering, they talked about events of Gaston Point's past and where houses and citizens lived on various streets in Gaston Point as well as some tales from the past in Gaston Point.

History Of The Gaston Point 7

There are 7 men from Gaston Point who dubbed themselves Gaston Point 7 (GP7). They consist of a group of brothers and friends who lived in Gaston Point. All were raised there during the 40ties and 50ties For over 30 years GP7 camped out in various places along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Because of their tight bond the name was given birth. GP7 members are Elliott “Chubby” Barkum; Richard “Polly” Kelly; Edward “Doe” Day; Jerome” Gee” Barkum; Levorne” Tick” Hawthorne; Melvin “Doc” Barkum and Glenn “Stay High” Love. GP7 camping expedition evolved from a pig roast in the dead of wintertime that took place at The Hawthorne Village in Long Beach, Mississippi. The event was not open to the public. Nevertheless, there were friends, parents of the GP7 and relatives visiting the pig roast as somehow, the word got out and they all came running in spite of the freezing weather. The temperature was hovering around 19 degrees. There were two fires going. One to roast the pig and the other to keep warm. From the pig roast, GP7 organized a committee. Once the committee was developed, they often met and decided to emerge from a pig roast to camping in similar cold weather. When the commission was organized, GP7 concluded to camp out every year during one of the coldest weekends during the wintertime as a testament to their friendship, challenging temperatures similar to that which occurred during the pig roast. The commission was split down into several factions of responsibilities. The duties were putting up tents, stacking wood, starting fires and keeping the fire going day and night, and setting up equipment for cooking as cooking was a component of this assigned task. There was also a facilitator making sure all this was carried out. The facilitator also arranged and conducted meetings that normally took place in Waveland, Mississippi at the Holiday Inn on Hwy 90. The initial camping locations were decided along Wolf River on a sand bar. Attending were a relative and friend. Ray “Ray Jr” White and Ralph Freightman were present on a couple of Wolf River camping trips. Ray also attended one other camping trip later. They as well as Milas “Doctor” Love, are honorary members of GP7. After roughing it on Wolf River where there are no toilet facilities, GP7 resolved to kick it upwards a notch. For over 30 years, GP7 camp out in inclement weather as it then moved to Buccaneer Park in Waveland, Mississippi. In that respect, GP7 camped in the primitive area, semi-roughing it as they had access to electricity and bathrooms. The energy was immeasurable within GP7 to come in concert as a group. The closer it neared time to camp, the more electricity that occurred between the group to move out there and make it happen. GP7 would arrive very early in the morning at Buccaneer Park to get the tents put up, stack wood and start fires for heat and cooking. The plan was to get the tents set up and fire going before dusk. To officially open camp, the GP7 would form a circle about the camp fire with their adult beverages and the first drink would be poured into the fire in honor of their departed. Once this ritual was performed GP7 played percussion instruments to their favorite tunes around the campfire. All this with a blend of shit talking, janking (teasing), telling jokes, drinking, eating grilled and prepared foods and reminiscing.