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Mystery and romance found in out-of -the-way places
i are many beauty tnd interesting places •ound us in this part of ntry just waiting to be red by those who like ff the main roads and ancy’s bidding, on’t have to get in your take a long, tiring and ve trip to find scenic rustic charm or in-mystery - just travel requently used and oads and trails that almost hidden places ilore your own com-your own county and ling areas, ely travel like this iome a highly in-[ adventure.
River and Hancock , Honey Island and St. ly Parish are rich in with many unusual aric spots; also they in nature’s blessing lany streams of d beauty and a great i of many varieties of and semi-tropical
trip of discovery a if years ago, I turned is now Highway 43 nown in history for irs as the Gainesville 3ia road) onto the old ff road at the old lurch at Henleyfield. mile over on this old ted a little travelled ad to my right. (A id is one that has not led or prepared for
heavy travel).
I turned onto this rustic road. After going only a short distance, I came to a ravine. I could hear the water splashing as in a tiny waterfall. I saw across the ravine a high bliiff.
, I got out of my car and walked 1 over and climbed up to this high elevation.
Before my eyes looking to the west from my mountain like view I saw the city of Bogalusa down below me across Pearl River. I have gone back several times over the years. to see this rare scene.
Old Center, first county seat of Hancock County and famous Indian town 200 years ago, deserves more recognition in our local history than has been accorded it by the people of this area.
Old Center is located 11 miles east of Picayune between Catahoula Creek and Playground Branch about one mile east of present Caesar Church.
The site of this old Indian town was on a turtle back-like area gently sloping on the east to Catahoula Creek and on the west to Playground Branch, coming to a V-point where the streams come together.
It is an ideal town location, gently rolling well drained. The first Hancock County Courthouse was established there in 1817 on the hammock-like almost level land to the South.
The Indian habitations were on the wider part of the old town and the playground, famous in its day, still a little further to the north.
A group of Boy Scouts from New Orleans camped on the site of the old courthouse and county seat for many weeks a few summers ago. They surveyed, cleaned up and outlined the Courthouse location, the dungeon and a few of the old homesites.
I have not been there since the Boy Scouts established the exact location, but many years ago, approximately 45 years ago - Mr. J. A. Bilbo, who owned the land there back then, went where the dungeon was and where the old Courthouse stood.
To go there now one has to walk down through an old field, as there is no road into it. A visitor to this old town site cannot help but be impressed with the wisdom with which the Indians selected this site as their headquarters town in this whole area.
The place is now grown up in trees but there still is a distinctive air or feeling that history was made on this spot. Besides being the county seat and center for a big area of South Mississippi, Jackson’s artillery division of his army on the way to New Orleans in the fall of 1814 camped there for several weeks.
The old ovens dug into the firm clay soil to provide food
for Jackson’s soldiers can still be seen.
The Devil’s Backbone, a ravine or gorge located along the Pearl River County -i Marion County line just back i from Pearl River is a phenomenon without parallel anywhere else within 100 . miles of the Gulf Coast so far as I know.
It is just off Highway 43 to the east. While I visited it several times years ago, I do not know its depth or width, but I have stood on the south side at probably the highest point, and looked down up on the tops of large trees.
It is wide, very deep and filled with trees and other * vegetation. I’d guess it to be a mile or more long with a clear, fast running stream along its bottom which flows on into Pearl River. I have visited the place several times and always looked on with wonder and awe at the Devil’s Backgone as it is called.
I think it would be a wonderful place for a state park. It would offer something not found anywhere else in all south Mississippi and Southeast Louisiana. Also, there is a high scenic bluff nearby.
There are other places of great interest in this area: Byrd’s Chapel, the county seat of Pearl County during its short existence; Henleyfield, named for Jeremiah Henley who was a great friend of the
French during their rule of this area, and who fought in the French Foreign Legion on Napoleon’s march to Moscow. Because of his friendship and loyalty to the French he was granted a section of land on Pearl River and another tract embracing where the old Henleyfield church now stands.
The spring of clear cool water that made Henley select his homesite there still flows copiously at the foot of the hill from the old home site.
Other places worth visiting are:	Rotten	Bayou	and
Jordan River, the two most beautiful streams I’ve ever seen; the old community of about seven families who lived on the Hobolochitto Creek east of McNeill, now long since deserted and only signs to show habitations were once there; Mint Head, east of McNeil, the location of the Copeland Gang’s mint where they made the bogus money 'they spent on trips to as far away as Texas and Indiana, 'always out running their pursuers when they were found out; old Gainesville on the high bluff of Pearl River in Hancock County and now part of the big NASA reservation, one time the biggest and most important town over a wide area with many businesses there at least three hotels, two different newspapers, county seat of Hancock County for many years. The first
telegraph lines in this area ran through there.
Other interesting locations are the estate of Theodore G. Bilbo, U.S. Senator and twice Governor of Mississippi;
’ Honey Island between the two rivers, back in the old days ' haven for pirates, murderers, law breakers, during the ci war, refuge for ma. families. There are many more , space does not allow me to detail.
Just recently, I drove over old Highway 11 through Honey Island. The swamp land timber has so encroached on this formerly much travelled highway until now the greenery of the trees form a miles long bower that almost completely shades the old road. I have seen nothing else like it.
Yes, along the streams and the roads, in the rolling woodlands and the stock farms with thousands of cat* on them there is everywhe-beauty and scenic grandeur.
No, you don’t have to get into your car and take a long tiresome and expensive trip to find rustic beauty, recreation, restful places, quiet solitude, you can find this and more right here near home.
As for me, no foreign land, or much advertised tour has the allure the attraction of this section here embracing Pearl River and Hancock Counties, Honey Island and St. Tammany Parish.