Historically, the region is the “birthplace” of several significant French families. In particular, the plantation of Pierre Baptiste was located in present day Coden. Pierre was a member of the Urbain Baudreau Graveline clan, being the son of Jean-Baptiste Graveline De Baudreau. Graveline was one of the original founders of the city of Mobile. He arrived at old Biloxi on January 6, 1700 aboard the Remommee with Pierre Baptiste Lemoyne, Sieur D’iberville. A 1726 census verifies that the Baptiste-Huet family established residence at Oyster Point in Coden.

Descendents of this family - who are scattered throughout France, Canada and the United States - published the quarterly magazine, “The Les Descendants”. Barbara Mcnamara of Germantown, Tennessee is one of the Portersville Revival Groups 's Board of Directors. . For more information on the Baptiste history in the region, see Mcnamara, Barbara, “Pierre Baptiste”. As published in the Les Descendants Magazine, volume 23, number 1 (spring, 2002).