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Gulf Islands National SeashoreEvening sunlight shines on historic Fort Pickens.
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Gulf Islands National Seashore
History & Culture

history & culture includes:

People
Stories
 
 
A distant view of the east side of Fort Massachusetts on a partly cloudy day.
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Fort Massachusetts located on West Ship Island, MS is accessible by a passenger ferry from Gulfport.
Fort Barrancas         Fort Pickens

Advanced Redoubt    Batteries

Fort Massachusetts   Fort McRee

The forts of Gulf Islands National Seashore span almost 150 years, from the Spanish colonial Bateria De San Antonio (1797) to the World War Two-era Battery 234. This reflects the historic value of the anchorages at Pensacola Bay, Florida and Ship Island, Mississippi. Most striking among these are the American Third System forts: Fort Pickens, Fort Massachusetts, Fort Barrancas, and the Advanced Redoubt, all of which saw action during the Civil War.

 

 
A Ship Island passenger ferry is in the Mississippi Sound.
West Ship Island ferry information
Access this link for passenger ferry information
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Historic Resource Study of Ship Island
National Park Service Cultural Resource Database
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National Park Service Cultural Resource Database
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WWII dog trainers at Cat Island, Mississippi located at Gulf Islands National Seashore.  

Did You Know?
Because of the tropical-like conditions, the U. S. Army established the Cat Island War Dog Training Camp in south Mississippi during World War II. A variety of dog breeds were trained to guard, deliver messages, and attack the enemy. Cat Island is part of Gulf Islands National Seashore.

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Last Updated: October 05, 2006 at 16:17 EST