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Hancock County and Unincorporated Communities
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Dan Ellis - Historiographer, 225 Fairway Dr., Pass Christian, MS, (601) 452-3138 The Kiln
The Kiln, locally called the Kill, is located to the northwest of Diamondhead and just ten miles north of Waveland. It derived its name because of the many, large kilns built there by the early French inhabitants. Noel Jourdan, for which the Jourdan River is named, had been awarded a Spanish land grant which included the area of Diamondhead. He made his home along the River at what was called Hickory Point. Another early pioneer was Jean Baptiste Nicaise, who along with his bride, moved from DeLisle in 1745. Another French settler was Captain Samuel Favre who had left Mobile for the Kiln in 1859. He built a successful sawmill and operated a general store next to it. His home is recognized as the oldest in the area.
After the Civil War, Francois Haas, from New Orleans, built a sawmill on the nearby Bayou Talla. The mill became known as the Herlihy & Haas, which was sold during the early 1900s to W. W. Carre & Co. The mill became part of the largest sawmill complex in the South, only to burn down a few years later. There were more than 200 mill houses operating in the area; resulting in the construction of a railroad in order to haul out lumber and to accommodate the growing passenger traffic. This was followed by the building of a fifty-room hotel and a company hospital. The Kiln also produced naval stores such as tar, which was shipped by schooner to New Orleans and used for caulking ships.
At one time, the area had been a hiding place for pirates, so during the process of new construction and renovations, legends came alive about pirate treasures. It was not unusual for dwellers to awaken to find their yards had been dug up during the night.
When the Great Depression occurred, the town lost its sawmill, its hotel, its hospital and its railroad. Many folks left, leaving those who remained, to eke out a living by distilling illegal whiskey. This was more commonly called White Lightning or Jourdan River Dew which was 180 proof. Before long, the Kiln became known as the Moonshine Capital of the World. The Bay and its surrounding waters, in particular the Jourdan River, were waterways well known to A1 Capone and his gang as they ran their ex-Coast Guard cutter up the waters bringing illegal whiskey and rum from Cuba. This wet booty was unloaded at Hickory Point and trucked overland to Chicago.
"During the Prohibition ... the Kiln . . . was known for its quality of whiskey as far north as Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is said that one boat alone brought 1,000 sacks of sugar a week here for the manufacture of (whiskey at) the famous kiln (called) Shinny." 1 The Town has settled into a quiet area; conducive to dairy farming, vegetable farming and a growing residential community.
Jourdan River Shores
Jourdan River Shores is a family residential development along the Jourdan River off Highway 603. Most of the residences are raised on pilings by way of flood water restrictions and are laid out along natural and
1 "Hometown Mississippi", James F. Brieger, p. 157