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Site of the landing of Pierre LeMoyne Sieur d'Iberville in February 1699 and the birthplace of the French colony la Louisiane, Biloxi has been nurtured by the waters of the Gulf of Mexico for more than three hundred years. Located almost due north of the mouth of the Mississippi, on a coast laced with small rivers, bays, and bayous, the historic peninsula city owes much of its fortune and growth to the bountiful waters and pleasant salt-air ambiance of the Mississippi Sound. Although Biloxi garnered its earliest fame as a seaside antebellum resort, the arrival of the railroad in 1870 led to the meteoric rise of a seafood industry which, by the end of the nineteenth century, had allowed the city to lay legitimate claim to the title "Seafood Capital of the World." Since the 1880s, a large Biloxi fishing fleet has harvested the Mississippi Sound and adjacent Gulf waters, keeping the city's seafood among the most highly prized in the nation. Today, a bustling new casino gaming industry, resort hotels, and myriad outdoor recreational activities have promoted the city to a world class tourist and retirement destination.

Flatonia owes its place on the map to the railroad and its name to German immigrant and entrepreneur F.W. Flato. The Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Railway first traversed southwestern Fayette County in 1874. Inexpensive land along the line attracted farmers and ranchers, and new shipping and trade opportunities enticed merchants. Immigrants of German and Czech origins mingled with Mexican Americans, African Americans, and transplants from the Southeastern United States. These diverse groups were known to brawl one minute and unite in a common cause the next. Flatonia's survival has depended upon its ability to adapt while honoring its heritage. As rail service declined, a location on the coast-to-coast Old Spanish Trail (US Highway 90) provided a steady flow of automobile traffic. Cotton disappeared, but cattle and egg production remained strong. The buildings of the Flatonia Commercial Historic District still retain their late-19th- to early-20th-century charm, earning distinction in the National Register of Historic Places.

Vinalhaven Island has been the home port of a productive commercial fishing fleet for over 200 years. By 1819, Vinalhaven vessels were fishing for cod and herring from Seal Island all the way to Labrador waters. By 1878, Carver's Harbor was lined with docks, fishhouses, a sail loft, a net factory, and the Lane & Libby fish plant. Throughout the 19th century, boats brought bait, salt, and supplies to Vinalhaven and returned with fish and granite from the island's quarries. Lighthouses at Brown's Head, Heron Neck, Saddleback Ledge, Goose Rock, and Matinicus guided mariners through storms. In Vinalhaven shops, boatbuilders constructed small dories, peapods and double-enders, masted schooners, and lobster boats, as well as the 365-ton Margaret M. Ford. Passenger ferries played an important role as the primary link between Vinalhaven and the mainland. The island has long been a successful center of maritime economic activity, so it is no surprise that islanders call it "the center of the universe."

Portland is not only the site of numerous marine terminals along the Willamette and Columbia Rivers but also home to much of our American maritime history. Portland shipbuilding started in 1840 with construction of the schooner Star of Oregon. Over 100 years later, three Portland shipyards would build 621 ships for the war effort. Both before and after World War II, several steel and iron companies used the harbors in Portland for their manufacturing. Aside from production, Portland ships over 13 million tons of cargo every year and is the biggest shipper of wheat in the United States. The city displays this maritime history along its beautiful rivers.