Pass Christian, Mississippi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pass Christian, Mississippi
City
City of Pass Christian
Pass Christian Harbor
Flag
Nickname(s):  The Pass
Location within Harrison County and Mississippi
Pass Christian, Mississippi Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Harrison
Chartered (town)	1848
Government
• Type	Mayor-Council
Area
• Total	15.26 sq mi (39.53 km2)
• Land	8.24 sq mi (21.33 km2)
• Water	7.03 sq mi (18.20 km2)
Elevation	13 ft (4 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	5,686
• Density	690.38/sq mi (266.57/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP code	39571
Area code(s)	228
FIPS code	28-55400
GNIS feature ID	0675482

Pass Christian, often called The Pass, is a city located in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the larger Gulfport–Biloxi area. In 2020, about 5,686 people lived there.

Discovering Pass Christian's Past

Early History of the Area

No one knows exactly when the first Native Americans arrived on the Gulf Coast. However, ancient tools and items found suggest people lived here thousands of years ago.

Many Indian mounds were once found across southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast. Sadly, many of these mounds were destroyed over time. An old map from 1768 shows a large mound near Market Street. Other mounds were found at Bayou Portage and the Shelly Plantation. These mounds often contained arrowheads, pottery, and human skeletons. Many of these items are now in private collections.

Near the border of Pass Christian and Long Beach, there was once a Native American village. The people living there were known as "The Pitcher Point Indians." While no ruins remain, many arrowheads and pottery pieces have been found on the beach in this area.

French Explorers Arrive

French-Canadian explorers first discovered Pass Christian in 1699. This was soon after the first French colony was set up in Biloxi. In June 1699, the French explored the channel near the Pass Christian peninsula. They named it "Passe aux Huîtres" because they found so many oysters there. The name "Pass Christian" comes from a nearby deepwater channel. This channel was named after Nicholas Christian L'Adnier, who lived on Cat Island starting in 1746.

The Widow Asmard's Land

By 1781, a woman named Julia de la Brosse, also known as Widow Asmard, owned the entire Pass Christian peninsula. When she passed away in 1799, she gave 800 arpents of land to Charles Asmar. This land included all of downtown Pass Christian. Charles Asmar, a free person of color, then left the property to his family. Pass Christian officially became a town in 1848.

A Popular Resort Before the Civil War

Before the American Civil War, Pass Christian was a very popular resort town. Wealthy families from New Orleans loved to build their beach and summer homes here. They built many grand mansions along the shoreline. Scenic Drive, where these homes stood, was once a famous historic area.

The Southern Yacht Club was started in 1849. It was the first yacht club in the South and the second in the United States. It began in Pass Christian before moving to New Orleans in 1857. The first sailing race on the Gulf Coast happened in the Mississippi Sound on July 21, 1849. The Pass Christian Regatta Club organized this event, and twelve boats took part.

Facing Powerful Hurricanes

Pass Christian has been hit by two of the strongest hurricanes ever to strike the United States: Hurricane Camille in 1969 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Both storms caused almost complete destruction of the city.

Hurricane Camille's Impact

On August 17, 1969, Hurricane Camille hit Pass Christian. The Richelieu Apartments were destroyed, and eight people who stayed there during the storm lost their lives. A hurricane warning was issued for the Mississippi Coast. People were told to leave, but some residents of the Richelieu apartments did not. A TV movie called Hurricane shows a fictional hurricane party and includes real footage of Camille.

Hurricane Katrina's Devastation

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused massive damage to Pass Christian. Out of about 8,000 homes, only 500 were not damaged or destroyed. Many historic mansions along Scenic Drive were severely damaged or completely wiped out. This included "Union Quarters," a beautiful Greek Revival mansion built in 1855.

The local public library was totally destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Thirteen police officers took shelter in the library after their police station became unsafe. The library was just north of City Hall but at a lower level. When the water rose, police cars in the parking lot began to float. One car crashed into the library's south doors, causing them to break open. Water from the Gulf of Mexico rushed into the building.

The officers were trapped inside the concrete building as it filled with water. They tried to shoot the glass out of the north side of the building, but the strong laminated glass stopped the bullets. The water rushing in was too powerful to swim against. Police Chief John Dubbisson managed to open the rear doors and grab a railing. Everyone inside the library made it out and rode out the rest of the storm on the roof.

The storm surge from Hurricane Katrina in Pass Christian was about 8.5 meters (27.8 feet) high. This is the highest recorded storm surge in the U.S. The surge flattened Pass Christian up to half a mile inland. Highway 90 along the beach was damaged. The bridge over the Bay of St. Louis was completely destroyed. A new bridge was partially opened in May 2007, and a ferry service helped people cross in the meantime.

The local water supply became unsafe due to sewage contamination. By late September 2005, access to parts of the city was limited as crews searched for victims and cleared debris. By early 2007, rebuilding was happening, but many empty homes and buildings remained. Many residents lived in FEMA trailers, and volunteers were still needed to help rebuild.

Geography and Location

Pass Christian covers about 15.3 square miles (39.5 square kilometers). About 8.4 square miles (21.3 square kilometers) is land, and 6.9 square miles (18.2 square kilometers) is water.

The city is located on the Mississippi Sound. It sits on a peninsula, meaning it has water on three sides. The Gulf of Mexico is to the south, the Bay of St. Louis to the west, and a long stretch of bayou to the north.

The area north of the bayou, called DeLisle, shares a zip code with Pass Christian. However, DeLisle is not part of the city. DeLisle used to be known as Wolf Town.

Pass Christian Harbor

The city's harbor was officially created in 1956. In 1958, a concrete wall, 11 feet high and 350 feet long, was built in the sound to protect the harbor.

People and Population

In 2020, there were 5,686 people living in Pass Christian. There were 2,163 households and 1,574 families.

Economy and Industries

Manufacturing in the Area

The Chemours DeLisle Plant is located near Pass Christian. This plant is the second largest producer of titanium dioxide in the world. It has been operating since 1979. Some people in the community have worried that chemicals released from the plant might affect the water and air. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina's storm surge flooded large parts of the plant.

Seafood Processing

The seafood industry in this region has faced big challenges. Large numbers of fish have died off. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, along with toxic mud stirred up by Hurricane Katrina, and lots of fresh water diverted into the Bonnet Carre Spillway in Louisiana, have hurt seafood production.

Oyster beds offshore were especially damaged. Reports showed that 50% to 65% of oysters died in some areas. In other areas, the death rate was even higher, at 90% to 95%. Research from The Nature Conservancy shows that about 13 years ago, Mississippi harvested nearly 500,000 sacks of oysters each year.

Places to Visit

Middlegate Japanese Gardens

Between 1923 and 1929, Rudolf Hecht and Lynne Watkins Hecht created the Middlegate Japanese Gardens. These gardens were at their summer home in Pass Christian. The Hechts built them to remember their trips to Japan. The gardens are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They have always been private gardens. Hurricane Katrina severely damaged the gardens in 2005. The Smithsonian Institution has included the gardens on its website.

Sherman Castle

James M. Sherman started building Sherman Castle in 1921. This building was made of concrete blocks and steel. It had a plaque that said, "God is my Sculptor."

Dixie White House

Beaulieu was a historic home built in 1854. President Woodrow Wilson stayed there one winter. The home was badly damaged by Hurricane Camille in 1969 and later torn down.

Education in Pass Christian

The Pass Christian School District manages the schools in the city. It also covers the areas around and north of DeLisle. The district has one early childhood center, two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.

Pass Christian High School was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2005. Pass Christian Middle School received this honor in 2012, and DeLisle Elementary in 2013.

St. Paul's Roman Catholic elementary and middle school was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. It then joined with the Long Beach parochial school to form St. Vincent de Paul School. Coast Episcopal High School is another private high school in Pass Christian.

Famous People from Pass Christian

• Bidwell Adam, Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi (1928–1932)
• Bryan Austin, a country music artist
• Phelan Beale, original owner of Grey Gardens
• Clyde F. Bel, Jr., a businessman and state representative from New Orleans
• Edward Price Bell, a journalist from Chicago
• Carolyn Crawford, a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
• Scottie Cuevas, a former member of the Mississippi State Senate
• Deborah Jeanne Dawkins, a former member of the Mississippi State Senate
• Walter Gordon, a World War II veteran featured in Band of Brothers
• Lawrence Guyot, a civil rights activist
• Captain John Handy, a jazz musician
• John Henderson, a U.S. Senator from 1839 to 1845
• Doyle Overton Hickey, a U.S. Army officer who retired to Pass Christian
• Jimmy Johnson, cartoonist who created Arlo and Janis
• Jeanette Kimball, a jazz pianist
• Gene Lang (American football), a former NFL runningback
• Margaret Loesch, a television executive and producer
• Cory McGee, a professional middle distance runner and 2020 Olympian
• Tig Notaro, a stand-up comic, raised in Pass Christian until kindergarten
• Oliver Randolph, an African American lawyer and politician
• Robin Roberts, an anchor for ABC News' Good Morning America
• Jesmyn Ward, a novelist and winner of the National Book Award for Fiction
• Larry Yarborough, a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives

Images for kids

• 

  Children working as oyster shuckers at Pass Packing Company, 1911. Photo by Lewis Hine.

See also

In Spanish: Pass Christian para niños