Round Island (Mississippi)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/RoundIsland_2005.jpg/220px-RoundIsland_2005.jpg)
Round Island is a small,
In 1849, Round Island was used as a staging area by Venezuelan adventurer Narciso López for a filibustering expedition to liberate Cuba. The expedition involved three chartered ships and as many as 600 men. However, US president Zachary Taylor, who had renounced filibustering as a valid means of U.S. expansion, took steps against López and ordered his ships blockaded and seized. After six weeks, all the volunteers had been talked into leaving Round Island.[2][3]
The island had a lighthouse as early as 1833. The original wooden structure was replaced in 1859 with a brick lighthouse at 30°17′31″N 88°35′12″W / 30.2919°N 88.5867°W at the southern tip of the island.[4] In 1998, the lighthouse was toppled by Hurricane Georges. In 2005, reconstruction of the lighthouse was in progress, but the structure was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.[4]
Hurricane Katrina damaged Round Island, cutting channels partly or completely through from east to west.
Nearby islands
- Deer Island
- Horn Island
- Petit Bois Island
References
- ^ "GEMS – Round Island". Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. Archived from the original on 2006-02-18. Retrieved 2006-03-18.
- ISBN 9780807118511. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
- ^ de la Cova, Antonio Rafael (2000). "The Taylor Administration Versus Mississippi Sovereignty: The Round Island Expedition of 1849". The Journal of Mississippi History. LXII (4): 295–327.
- ^ a b Historic Light Station Information: Round Island Light Retrieved 2013-08-01
- ^ "Round Island Lighthouse Preservation Society". Retrieved 2006-03-18.
- ^ Surratt, John (6 December 2005). "Governor announces $7.5 billion environmental initiative". The Mississippi Press. Retrieved 2006-03-18.
- ^ VT Halter helping to reclaim Mississippi island Retrieved 2013-11-07
- ^ Dredging project at VT Halter Marine benefits Round Island Retrieved 2013-11-07
30°17′42″N 88°35′12″W / 30.29500°N 88.58667°W