Hometown History: Evergreen Cemetery

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (WXXV) — Evergreen Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in Ocean Springs, and it holds centuries of stories from prominent people who helped to build the Gulf Coast into what we see today.

Nestled along the shores of Fort Bayou, Evergreen Cemetery has served as a final resting place for generations of the Ocean Springs community since the 1850s. But, beyond its quiet grounds lies a rich history — one filled with the stories of those who came before us, helped shape this coastal city, and left a lasting mark on the place they called home.

“I can not even begin to tell you how many families that have many, many descendants here in this area… go back for hundreds of years, and they are resting here,” said history performer Betty St. Amant. “This is a very special… I consider it to be like the resting place of history and the mothers and fathers that established this whole community.”

Within Evergreen Cemetery rests many prominent people who helped develop the city through industry, arts, and education. Among the over 2,500 graves lies the noteable Mary C. O’Keefe, the area’s first female school superintendent, renowned artists Walter and Peter Anderson, abolitionist Hannah Tracy Cutler, and the highly accomplished Reverend Dr. Jesse Lee Trotter Sr.

But, there are also lesser known individuals who have greatly left their mark on the community throughout their lives, including arborist Theodore Bechtel and Martha Holcomb.

“Martha Holcomb — she died in 1906. She and her husband ended up here sometime around 1890, mid-1890s and had a large amount of property. They turned that property into land that Theo, who was considered her stepson, ended up putting a very large orchard on, and it was known as the Bechtel Pecan Nursery,” said history performer Alison Campbell. “Martha Holcomb too, people in Ocean Springs will know that Holcomb Boulevard is a large street here that people go up and down all the time. She was responsible for having it extend all the way down to East Beach. She also donated $200 when she passed to the City of Ocean Springs, which went towards opening the first Ocean Springs public library.”

Many others who have impacted the city of Ocean Springs are buried in the cemetery, like Orey Young, who played a major role in improving the oyster industry on the coast along with blacksmith Anton Kotzum.

“They developed new safety standards. New industry standards in the machinery for oystering at the time. All of the Gulf Coast was oystering, probably two thirds of the entire community at the time was oystering, not just the working population, but the entire community – children and all. So Anton Kotzum and Orey made standards to help the oystering industry become safer and more accessible to everyone,” said history performer Tressie Fellman.

And then there is businessman Thomas Isaac Keys, whose dedication in his work changed the local postal service forever.

“He was a prominent businessman in the late 1800’s, had a big family, and opened up a couple of shops here that helped the industry kind of thrive in the areas that we are discussing – which are citrus, pecans, and oysters. He was also the first Black US postman of Ocean Springs, so that’s pretty cool. He served a pretty long term from 1897-1911, which was impressive to me,” said history performer Christopher Simmons.

Interestingly, many of the gravestones and markers in Evergreen Cemetery bear an engraving depicting an eye and three interlocking chain links. This emblem is associated with Eureka Lodge No. 4884 of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows, an African American fraternal organization established in Ocean Springs by at least 1903. During the era of racial segregation, the lodge served a purpose beyond fellowship and mutual aid. Its building also became a school where Black children could receive an education.

Today, these gravestones preserve more than the names of those who have passed. They offer tangible reminders of the people, organizations, and institutions that helped shape Ocean Springs’ history.

“Evergreen Cemetery was known because it was Blacks, and whites, and Protestants, and Jews and Catholics. It was a mix, and that was really kind of unique and wonderful,” said Campbell.

The stories of those who now rest at Evergreen Cemetery will live on for generations, as long as we continue to share them.

If there is a historic person or place you’d like us to feature on Hometown History, email mfayard@wxxv25.com.