GAUTIER MUNICIPAL COURT 

In 1867, Fernando Upton Gautier established the Fernando Gautier & Sons Sawmill on the west side of the Pascagoula River. Growth to the area took off after the sawmill was established. Because the family’s name was painted on the sawmill water tower, the town soon became known as Gautier. At this time there were only about 200 people in the town until shipyard workers who came to work in Pascagoula at the Ingalls Shipyard began moving to the area at the beginning of World War II. The Ingalls shipyard was purchased and expanded in the 1960’s, triggering another growth spurt in Gautier. The City of Gautier was not incorporated until 1986, yet the city continued to grow.

The Pascagoula River borders the east side of Gautier, offering a wide array of water recreation, fishing and eco-tourism opportunities. The Pascagoula River is also known as the Singing River because of the “singing” sounds heard in late summer and autumn during the late evening hours. The legend is based on the mysterious extinction of the gentle Pascagoula Indian tribe. The nearby Biloxi Indian tribe was not so gentle and peaceful, therefore became an enemy of the Pascagoula Indians. As the legend goes, Anola, a Biloxi princess, fell in love with the chief of the Pascagoula tribe, Altama, despite the fact she was promised to the chief of her own tribe.

Anola fled the Biloxi tribe to live with Altama and his people, leading to all-out war between the two tribes. The Pascagoulas swore to save the young couple or perish along with them. Because the Pascagoulas were so outnumbered, they joined hands, began changing a song of death, and walked into the river rather than be captured by the Biloxi. It is believed the “singing” sounds heard at the river today are the death song of the Pascagoulas.

The 2005 devastation of Hurricane Katrina slowed the growth of Gautier and surrounding Mississippi towns, although it is believed Gautier will grow in the same way Jackson is growing over the next few decades. U.S. Route 90 passes through the center of Gautier, while I-10 goes through the northern part of the city. Gautier is comprised of 32.1 square miles, with nearly 6 percent of that being water. As of 2017, the population of Gautier was nearing the 20,000 mark