Some Place Special....
ABOUT BAY SPRINGS
The City Of Bay Springs, Mississippi
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The City of Bay Springs is nestled among the rolling foothills of southwestern Jasper County, Mississippi. This picturesque city is home to more than 2,000 residents. Bay Springs is named for the many natural springs in the area and a lovely gazebo with a beautiful spring marks the crossroads of Highways 15 and 18. Mississippi Highway 15 passes through the center of town, leading north 27 miles to Newton and south 24 miles to Laurel. Highway 18 crosses Highway 15 in the center of town and leads northeast 21 miles to Rose Hill and west 15 miles to Raleigh. Bay Springs is located at a heavily traveled crossroads in Southeast MS, so there is always a flow of traffic through the city.
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With a wide array of businesses, unique shops, restaurants, parks, and other attractions, we are sure you'll love Bay Springs, MS. We are well known for the many floral displays that change with the seasons, as well as Bayfest, Bay Springs' annual summer celebration. Bayfest is a hit among kids and adults alike and features unique vendors, tasty food options and live musical performances.
The City of Bay Springs continues to maintain a beautiful environment for its residents and guests with on-going improvements and new additions to city. We continue to have a thriving relationships with businesses and industries within our community and we are proud to have businesses such as Hol-Mac, Bayless Diner, Harris Hankins Motors, Wards, Georgia Pacific, Magnolia State Bank, Alexander's and many more. We take pride in our citizens and businesses and we thank them for their contribution to the growth and prosperity of Bay Springs and Jasper County.
We are one of the two county seats in Jasper County, Mississippi and we are home to one of the Jasper County Courthouses and the County Departments and Services. We take pride in our citizens and businesses and we thank them for their contribution to the growth and prosperity of Bay Springs and Jasper County.
Come and get a taste of Bay Springs, MS! We look forward to seeing you here!
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Please visit our facebook page City of Bay Springs for more photos, info, and event updates.
If you have questions about the City of Bay Springs, please contact us at City Hall.
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Phone: 601-764-4112.
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We believe all of our citizens can embrace who they are,
define their future, and can change the City of Bay Springs.
Our Mission Statement
The Town of Bay Springs Mission Statement
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To provide the highest quality of life through essential infrastructure, public safety, recreation, and welcoming growth within the constraints of fiscally responsible government. Collaborating with local businesses and other local elected officials to grow and strengthen our Town.
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Guiding Principles:
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Economic Growth and Innovation
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Effective Partnerships
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Regional Responsibility
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Infrastructure Investment and Renewal
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Encouraging and Promoting the Private Sector
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Informed and Involved People
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Safe and Accessible Neighborhoods
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Cultural Diversity and Inclusiveness
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Economic, Environment, and Social Responsibility
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Fiscal Accountability and Sustainability
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History
HISTORY OF BAY SPRINGS, MISSISSIPPI
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Located in the rolling hills of southwestern Jasper County, Mississippi, the picturesque city of Bay Springs is home to more than 2,000 residents.
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In the late 1800’s, Joe Blankenship founded sawmills in the dense, virgin forests of western Jasper County. At the turn of the century, Blankenship’s son-in-law, L. L. Denson, through the Denson Trading Company, founded a village called “Bay Springs,” which encompassed an area of 173 acres, including the center of the present day commercial area.The original plat of the community was filed in the county land records on September 12, 1901.
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According to tradition, the village was named for an artesian spring flowing from the trunk of a bay tree standing where the city gazebo now stands, and the spring flowing in the gazebo today is that same artesian spring.
Supported by sawmills, the community quickly became a trade center for western Jasper and eastern Smith County, despite a fire that destroyed the commercial buildings along what is now Third Street.
In anticipation of the coming railroad boom — rights-of-way granted through the town are dated as early as 1902 — the town was incorporated, receiving its charter on March 10, 1904, for an area containing four sections which were home to 520 inhabitants. By late 1904, the Bay Springs Bank was formed and became one of the rare banking businesses to survive the Great Depression.
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When the Mobile, Jackson, and Kansas City Railroad began operating about the year 1908, Bay Springs became a transportation center for the logging industry, as well as for other areas of industry and commerce. The railroad, running in a north-south direction, connected Bay Springs with the other small Jasper County towns between Laurel, twenty miles to the south, and Newton, thirty miles to the north, and provided the area with easy transportation. Even then, Bay Springs was a progressive community with no fewer than five churches.
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It soon boasted a mill for preparation of barrel staves and a cotton gin, in addition to its flourishing lumber industry. Before 1918, Bay Springs obtained electrical and telephone service and soon thereafter an ice house, placing the town on the cutting edge of gracious living. By the 1930’s, Bay Springs had a canning plant. In the early 1950’s Northern Electric Company opened a plant in the town, becoming the first Jasper County industry to provide employment for hundreds of women, as well as men.
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Throughout the twenty first century, Bay Springs has continued to be a beautiful, thriving city, expanding in territory and population.
