Cat Island (Mississippi)

Cat Island (Mississippi)

Cat Island is a barrier island off the Gulf Coast of the United States. The island is named for raccoons which early explorers mistook for cats. It was called "Isle-aux-Chats" and "Isola de Gati" in French and Italian, respectively. It is within the jurisdiction of Harrison County, Mississippi. The western half and southern tip of the island is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

Formation and history

Cat Island is a unique "T-shaped" island created by colliding Gulf of Mexico currents. Unlike the other Mississippi islands, Cat Island's sand beaches are backed by dense forests of slash pines and live oaks. Due to the dredging of the Gulfport ship channel, however, Cat Island has lost its natural westward flow of sediment which provided material for the island to combat erosion. Bayous and marshes on Cat Island are home to alligators and refuge to migratory birds.

During the War of 1812, the old lighthouse keeper Juan De Cuevas (couevas) warded off the British from attacking New Orleans, thus allowing General Andrew Jackson time to raise an army. Cuevas was awarded ownership of the island and named "The Hero of Cat Island". The island's history of private ownership continued after that.

During World War II, the island was base for the Cat Island War Dog Reception and Training Center where Americans sent family dogs to be trained by the U.S. Army Signal Corps for military service. After WW II, plans to develop the island were drawn up but only partially executed. In World War II, Cat Island was used to train dogs to sniff out Japanese Americans because of the belief that they had a distinct odor. The war ended before the dogs were put to use.

The western half and southern tip of the island became part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore in 2002. The remainder of the island, including most of the beach, is still privately owned.

In 2005 Hurricane Katrina shrank the island by eliminating the southern tip.

ee also

*Mississippi Sound

References

*cite web | url=Gnis3|691552 | title=Cat Island | work=Geographic Names Information System | publisher=United States Geological Survey | accessdate=2006-04-13
*cite web | url=http://www.nps.gov/guis/pphtml/newsdetail4226.html | title=Initial Purchase of Land on Cat Island | work=Gulf Islands National Seashore | publisher=National Park Service | date=March 28, 2002 | accessdate=2006-05-04
*cite web | url=http://www.nps.gov/parkoftheweek/guis.htm | title=Gulf Islands National Seashore | work=Park of the Week | publisher=National Park Service | date=April 18, 2005 | accessdate=2006-05-04
*cite web | url=http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13130 | title=Hurricane Katrina Erodes the U.S. Gulf Coast | publisher=NASA Earth Observatory | accessdate=2006-05-04


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