Long before Europeans appeared on Biloxi Back Bay, American Indians used trails leading to the water's edge, where their canoes were beached for crossings. In the early Colonial Period, ending in 1812, crossings became more dependent on the deepest water route as timber, brick, and livestock required safe passage through the natural channel between the Lameuse-Reynoir landing on the south side and the Ladnier-Quave landing on the north side. Between the 1840s and 1901, this was the principal crossing. In 1843, two years after Harrison County was established, a public ferry was licensed as the Back Bay Ferry, with Jenny becoming the first. It sank in the 1893 hurricane and was replaced by the Shrimp. Then the steam ferry Sam began operation at the new Harvey's landing, a home, tavern, boatyard, and ferry, but it burned and sank in 1895. The Shrimp continued at the old landing until the wooden D'Iberville Bridge was erected in 1901.