We come to you this week near the southern most tip of Mississippi. We are in the Pearl River County town of Picayune.

During the early years of Picayune, the area was in the midst of a timber boom as companies harvested the immense stands of native pines. When the native timber was depleted, tung trees were brought in and planted in orchards. The nuts from the trees were harvested for their oil and used in furniture finishing and other operations.

The city of Picayune was named for a Spanish colonial coin in a roundabout way. Eliza Jane Poitevent Nicholson, owner and publisher of the New Orleans Daily Picayune , a newspaper named for the Spanish coin, named the town after the newspaper she owned. Today, Picayune is the only city in the world to bear this unusual and historic name. The town offers gracious southern hospitality in a true hometown setting.

In our first story, we meet Dr. Wynon Stewart, a Picayune veterinarian who has been treating the animals of this area for over half a century. He is the oldest practicing veterinarian in the state of Mississippi. His good humor and love for animals is praised by many of his clients.

Cecil Bennett is the owner of Pirates Plunder, a pawn shop and thrift store in downtown Picayune. In our next story we go inside his business and into the museum that boasts one of the finest collections of rare and unusual items that can be found in this area.

In our next story we travel east to Biloxi and visit one of the oldest restaurants in that area. Hugo's Restaurant is home to some of the finest pizza and pasta that can be found on the gulf coast. Come inside and find out what makes their pizza stand above the rest.

Picayune is situated in an area where the rolling hills of south Mississippi's pine belt region meet the Pearl River Basin. The contrast in terrain creates a setting rich with a variety of wildlife and lush vegetation. In our next story, we provide you with a close up view of some of these native plants at Crosby Arboretum, on this weeks edition of Walt's Way.

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