From the beginning, seafood fueled the growth of the Gulf Coast economy. Retired fisherman Walter Ross discusses the early days of the seafood industry.
Oyster processing plants in Biloxi used steam to make shucking the oysters easier. Ross recalls fondly the smell of the steam coming from the many large factories.
When he was thirteen, Ross began working part time in the factory where his mother worked. He remembers being much too slow to keep up with the women.