D’Iberville, Miss. (WLOX) - The D’Iberville Historical Society is offering tourists a chance to experience the holiday season with a journey through the city’s past.
The village of Old D’Iberville has returned for its fourth year at the Town Green Building, offering a glimpse of the Gateway City’s history through a self-guided tour.
“This is our history and our heritage from days gone by,” former president of the D’Iberville Historical Society RJ Deno said.
The tour features 23 three-dimensional handcrafted replicas that capture both the past and present of D’Iberville. Personal stories are tied to each structure.
Pam Bauman examined a replica of David’s Fishing Camp, an old bait camp owned by her grandfather that was located at the end of Central Avenue.
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“I used to work weekends and use to shrimp with my grandpa,” Bauman said.
Bauman said seeing the replica brings back powerful memories of both the place and the storms that changed it forever.
“Camille wiped it out the first time Katrina wiped it out the second time it’s pretty close to what it was the last time,” she said.
The tour includes a replica of the original D’Iberville High School building, which burned down in 1965. Clayton Winters, a student at the current high school, said learning about the old school gives him a deeper appreciation for his community.
“It’s really awesome to be able to be here today and talk about the things and talk about the school and just how I came about what we still have and what we don’t have,” Winters said.
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Another replica features Doris’ hot tamales, a business that still exists today. RJ Deno’s mother Doris launched the business in 1976.
The tour also includes a replica of the Peoples Bank, now located on Lemoyne Boulevard. The bank’s second floor housed city hall more than 30 years ago.
Deno said the walking tour serves an educational purpose beyond creativity.
“It provides a sense of teaching the younger people who we were back in the olden days, which makes them realize who they are today,” he said.
Keith Wilson, president of the D’Iberville Historical Society, encouraged visitors to experience the historical display.
“Come out and see these replicas [and] learn what their history was. It’s important because we’re trying to preserve something that a lot of people may not know about some of these establishments don’t even exist anymore,” Wilson said.
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