Pass Christian, Mississippi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pass Christian (pronounced in French, as "pass chris-chee-Ann") is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States, along the Gulf of Mexico. It is part of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 6,579 at the 2000 census.
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[edit] Geography
Pass Christian is located at (30.324463, -89.247214)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 39.6 km² (15.3 mi²). 21.8 km² (8.4 mi²) of it is land and 17.8 km² (6.9 mi²) of it (44.97%) is water.
[edit] History
Pass Christian was named for a nearby deepwater pass, which in turn was named for Nicholas Christian L'Adnier who lived on nearby Cat Island beginning in 1746. (Another nearby pass, Pass Marianne, was named for L'Adnier's wife Marianne Paquet.)[1]
The town was a famous resort prior to the American Civil War and the site where the first yacht club of the South (and second in the US) was established in 1849. The town was a favorite location for the beach and summer homes of the wealthy of New Orleans. The row of historic mansions along the town's shoreline, especially Scenic Drive, was one of the country's notable historic districts. Tarpon Hole, offshore of Pass Christian in the Mississippi Sound, was the location where a world record Black Sea Bass was caught by Captain John T. McDonald.
Pass Christian was in the path of two of the most intense hurricanes ever to hit the United States--Hurricane Camille in 1969 and Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005. Both hurricanes caused the near total destruction of the city.
[edit] Hurricane Katrina
On August 29, 2005, Pass Christian was almost completely destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Of the approximately 8,000 homes in Pass Christian, all but 500 were damaged or destroyed. In spite of the fact that the beachfront Scenic Drive follows the crest of a small bluff, affording it some elevation, most of the historic mansions along the road were severely damaged, and many also were destroyed.
Hurricane Katrina damaged over 40 Mississippi libraries, totally destroying the Pass Christian Public Library, requiring a complete rebuild.[1] The city's police department had taken refuge in the library during the storm, but as the water rose, its weight prevented them from opening the heavy glass doors, requiring the doors to be shattered by the repeated use of firearms so that the department members could escape to the roof.
The storm surge from Hurricane Katrina that hit Pass Christian was estimated at 30-37 feet, leveling Pass Christian up to half a mile inland from the shore; estimation of highest storm surges was complicated because high-water markers were also destroyed. Highway 90 along the beach was damaged, and the bridge over the Bay of St. Louis was thrown completely apart, having since been temporarily replaced by a ferry service. Sewage contamination rendered the local water supply unusable, as some samples tested positive for more than 250 bacteria and parasites. By late September 2005, access was restricted south of the railroad tracks (about 4 blocks inland) without proper credentials, as crews continued to search for victims and clear debris. In early 2007, although rebuilding was underway in much of the city, a large portion of empty, deserted homes and other structures remain. Many residents were still living in FEMA trailers, and out-of-state volunteers were still needed for the rebuilding effort.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 6,579 people, 2,687 households, and 1,797 families residing in the city. The population density was 301.7/km² (781.2/mi²). There were 3,351 housing units at an average density of 153.7/km² (397.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 65.91% White, 28.17% African American, 0.62% Native American, 3.48% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.75% of the population.
There were 2,687 households out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 86.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,743, and the median income for a family was $46,232. Males had a median income of $35,352 versus $22,195 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,008. About 8.2% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Education
The City of Pass Christian is served by the Pass Christian School District.
[edit] Other information
- The ZIP code of Pass Christian is 39571.
- The word "Christian" in the name "Pass Christian" is pronounced "kris-chee-ANN," with a heavy accent on the last syllable.
- The city is mentioned in the John Mellencamp song "Cuttin' Heads," from his 2001 album of the same name. Mellencamp pronounces the name incorrectly.
- The city is the hometown of ABC News' Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts, who returned home to provide emotional coverage of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
- The city's chief of police is John Dubuisson
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Hurricane Katrina Related Damages to Public Libraries in Mississippi" (September 2005), Mississippi Library Commission, web:ALA-Katrina.
[edit] External links
- http://www.ci.pass-christian.ms.us/ - Official Page
- One family's story of the destruction Katrina brought
- Rebuild the Pass.org with information on how to volunteer in Pass Christian for Post-Katrina rebuilding.
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
