nental route. Four U.S. Senators, including Pal Harrison of Mississippi, attended and pledged federal aid for improvements along the route. November 4,1924. Daily Herald. The citizens of Harrison County voted for a $2 million bond issue to build a seawall across the Gulf rim from Henderson Point to Point Cadet. April 10,1925. Daily Herald. The Board of Supervisors of the three Coast counties agree to build three bridges. The Harrison County Board pledged to build a new concrete bridge from Biloxi to D’Iberville to replace the wooden one built in 1901. The Harrison County Board further pledged to collaborate with the Hancock County Board to span the Bay of St. Louis and with the Jackson County Board to span the Bay of Biloxi into Ocean Springs. November 17,1925. Daily Herald. The Old Spanish Trail from Jacksonville, Florida, to West Texas was to be designated as United States Highway Route. No. 90. Marking was to begin the following year. The marking of U.S. Highway Route No. 49 running northward out of Gulfport was to begin immediately. November 21,1925. Daily Herald. Auto tags issued in 1925 in Mississippi totaled 180,000. December 31,1925. Daily Herald. Motor buses were slated to replace streetcars (trollies) between Gulfport and Pass Christian that night. Streetcars from Gulfport to Biloxi would be phased out by motor buses shortly. November 24,1926. Contractors finishing up the bridge over the West Pearl River in the Honey Island Swamp were allowing traffic to pass over. The ferry at this point was eliminated. [Since Harral Ayers of the Old Spanish Trail spoke of two bridges at that point together with four and one-half miles of dredged marsh embankment road, then the East Pearl River Bridge obviously had been previously completed. The completion of the West Pearl River Honey Island Swamp Bridge allowed traffic to cross from Mississippi about seven miles above Slidell. By the time these bridges were opened, ferries were in operation at the Rigolets and Chef Menteur. Merrill “Red” True, bom in 1915 in Mississippi City, remembered in July 2003 that the Rigolets ferry' could cany' 20 cars. When he was about 12 years old True accompanied his uncle on a trip to New Orleans from Mississippi City. According to True, that Sunday the automobiles were stacked up in a line over 100 long at both the Rigolets and at Chef Menteur. The swarms of mosquitoes were so fierce that the people standing outside their cars lit smoky fires of dry' swamp grass to drive them off. He said. “It was w'ise in those days to allow ten hours to get from Mississippi City to New Orleans.”] January 11,1927. Daily Herald. Dedication of the new D’Iberville Bridge over Back Bay Biloxi was slated for the following day. This new concrete drawbridge replaced the old wood- 26