Biloxi

Biloxi is at the junction of Farm roads 1416 and 2460, forty-five miles northeast of Beaumont in east central Newton County. Indians from east of the Mississippi River, probably Biloxi, settled the area sometime before 1822. They called the site Biloxi, either in reference to the Mississippi town of that name, which they had visited, or simply in reference to their group designation. In either case, the area was one of three known sites of Indian occupation in the area that become Newton County. The Biloxis continued to visit the region until after the Civil War. In 1829 Lorenzo de Zavala acquired the region including Biloxi from the Mexican government as part of a large grant to which he was to sponsor the immigration of 500 families. Settlers entered the Biloxi region shortly thereafter and established sizable plantations. Most of the newcomers eventually concentrated at nearby Belgrade, although Biloxi maintained its post office from 1853 to 1860. Despite setbacks, Newton County at one time licensed ferry operations at the Biloxi crossing of Big Cow Creek. As of the 1960s a few persons still inhabited the area just west of the site of Biloxi.