This text was obtained via automated optical character recognition.
It has not been edited and may therefore contain several errors.

---

HISTORY OF KILN COMMUNITY by
Norton Haas Charter President of Hancock County Historical Society and Native of Kiln
NOTE: In the beginning I would like to make it clear this article on Kiln is based upon tradition, discussion with people, my own knowledge and while not documented, is acceptable in my opinion.
1 am pleased to acknowledge information and pictures from the following; -James Stevens, Jeanne Williams, Jack Lott, Hazel Selph, Judge Selph, Dan Frederick, Lillie Hart for Pierre, Sr Loraine, Birdie Mae Ladner, George Curet and Sam Favre.
The first settlers in the Kiln Community located on Jourdan River were Jean Baptiste Nicaize (Necaise) and Family. It is likely they moved from Wolf River Area (De Lisle) to Kiln and acquired the J. B. Necaise Claim under a Spanish Grant around year 1800 or before. There is record of a marriage May 11, 1745, Jean Baptiste Nicaize (Necaise) to Marie Catherine Miot (Meaut) in the Wolf River Area. It was also noted the father of J. B. Necaise was a native of Paris France. A daughter was born to this union on December 22, 1749 in the Wolf River Area and named Marie Jeanne.
The Community established on Jourdan River became known as Kiln because of the tar Kilns used in the manufacture of tar and shipped by schooner to New Orleans for use in the caulking of ships and known as Naval Stores pro-duct s .itetdiBCjagpiaa^maBrfMiPhadnBKyKMqp«CTwi^MCT<fWBiKincxiwcoaB^n«KlimtlmBx
HHribcBo±ckaa3<i^iiieMuQrdBarw^Tnatr6a^xx^k»ygTMiaityr1trqgipcfaxgaB»txH3arttxxrfxMatKx
Jourdan River received its name from Noel Jourdan, an early settler on the river under a Spanish Land Grant at the present site of Diamondhead. He later served as delegate to the Mississippi Constitutional Convention of 1817 and first representative in the Legislature from Hancock County.
The first census of Kiln was taken in 1840 by John McCaughan, Enumerator who before that time was U. S. Custom Collector for the Town of Shieldsborough (later Bay St. Louis). After that he became the first Postmaster of Biloxi.