Soon after setting foot in Ocean Springs, Chelsea Prince and her family met the town’s most famous resident. They had just arrived on the Coast in the summer of
2020, after Prince’s husband had been assigned to Keelser Air Force Base. As the family enjoyed their treats from the Tatonut Donut Shop, a loud “cock-a-doodle-doo” grabbed their attention.
“To our surprise, there were two beautiful roosters crossing the road side by side,” Prince recalls. “We got a good chuckle at the sight when a friendly local noticed, welcomed us to Ocean Springs and proceeded to tell us stories of Carl the rooster.”
Among the locals, Carl was larger than life and a bona fide celebrity. Ocean Springs was his town, and everyone else was just living in it. Often referred to as “Carl 2.0” or “Carl J,” he kept people company as they ate their meals and was warmly welcomed in stores and restaurants. Carl stuck to a daily routine, so if Prince and her family were out and about downtown, they eventually ran into him.
Prince considers the beloved rooster one of her family’s first friends in Ocean Springs — a source of joy during a difficult transition.
“He became such a big personality and character in our lives,” she says. “I truly felt like I was living in a storybook taking place in the most picturesque small town, and Carl was the main character.”
“(Carl) became such a big personality and character in our lives. I truly felt like I was living in a storybook taking place in the most picturesque small town, and Carl was the main character.”
Prince was so inspired by the charismatic creature that she decided to write his story, apty titled “Carl the Rooster.” As the book’s protagonist, Carl welcomes a new kitten to town and introduces him to all his favorite events and places, all the while showing him why Ocean Springs is a great place to call home. Local artist Ben Prisk signed on to illustrate the project.
“I knew the illustrations would be what really captured people’s attention, and I wanted to make them laugh,” Prince says. “Carl did very funny things, and we have a funny town. That’s what makes it so great.”
Shortly into the illustration process, Carl went missing. Shop owners were puzzled by his disappearance, and Prince shared photos and tried to help however she could.
Evidence later revealed that Carl had been kidnapped and killed by a group that included a former Jones County Juvenile Detention Center employee, who was found guilty of the crime last October. Prince was out to dinner when she got word that Carl was gone.
“I had to leave the restaurant because I started crying too hard,” she recalls. “I remember starting to laugh while I was crying, imagining a stranger asking me if I was alright, and having to tell them, ‘I’m crying because my town rooster was murdered.’
“I knew how ridiculous it sounded, but there I was, crying and laughing like a crazy person outside a restaurant in Florida. I was devastated, and my heart was broken. I loved Carl.”
“(Carl) became such a big personality and character in our lives. I truly felt like I was living in a storybook taking place in the most picturesque small town, and Carl was the main character.”
Thanks to Prince, his memory lives on in her book, available at carltherooster.myshopify.com/, as well as major retailers like barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com. Although her work is technically a children’s book, the author says it’s really for everyone.
“It wasn’t just kids who enjoyed having Carl around,” she says. “People of all ages and backgrounds loved him. I think this is a memory book for anyone who has felt the unique magic of Ocean Springs.”
Prince’s family has fallen in love with the town and are making long-term plans. She recently founded the Ocean Springs Historical Society, and her husband is opening a family medicine practice this summer. The author has other book ideas up her sleeve, but she’s focusing on one thing at a time.
Prince’s kids are now 10, 8 and 6, and the day she received the first copy of her book in the mail was a celebratory moment for her family.
“I am proud to show them that I set a goal and actually achieved it, despite the roadblocks along the way,” she says. “I hope they learn from this experience and always show kindness to animals, know that actions have consequences and recognize that, despite some negativity in the world, they can do a lot of good.”