Honey Island, Texas
Encyclopedia
Honey Island is an unincorporated community
in Hardin County, Texas
, United States
. The Kountze Independent School District
serves area students. It is part of the Beaumont
–Port Arthur
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
, this site was known to attract Jayhawkers due to the area's numerous beehives. In addition to using the honey as food source, they would often stash honey in hidden pots that local sympathizers would exchange for supplies. This activity would eventually lead to the Kaiser Burnout
by the confederates in the nearby cane fields.
In 1901 the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway
reached the site, and by 1907 a post office was established. The local sawmill
was sold several times until it fell into ownership of the Kirby Lumber Company owned by John Henry Kirby
. The mill closed during the Great Depression
, but would open to run again until its final closure in 1955.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Hardin County, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Kountze Independent School District
Kountze Independent School District
Kountze Independent School District is a public school district based in Kountze, Texas .In addition to Kountze, the district serves the unincorporated community of Honey Island....
serves area students. It is part of the Beaumont
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
–Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Texas
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 57,755 people, 21,839 households, and 14,675 families residing in the city. The population density was 696.5 people per square mile . There were 24,713 housing units at an average density of 298.0 per square mile...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area
The Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Area is defined by the United States Census Bureau as a three-county region in Southeast Texas, east of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The area is also known as the Golden Triangle...
.
Historical development
During the time of the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, this site was known to attract Jayhawkers due to the area's numerous beehives. In addition to using the honey as food source, they would often stash honey in hidden pots that local sympathizers would exchange for supplies. This activity would eventually lead to the Kaiser Burnout
Kaiser Burnout
The Kaiser Burnout was a fire set by Confederate Captain James Kaiser during the American Civil War in the Big Thicket area of Southeast Texas.- Historical background :...
by the confederates in the nearby cane fields.
In 1901 the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway
Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway
The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway was a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in eastern Texas and to Purcell, Oklahoma.- Nineteenth Century :...
reached the site, and by 1907 a post office was established. The local sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
was sold several times until it fell into ownership of the Kirby Lumber Company owned by John Henry Kirby
John Henry Kirby
John Henry Kirby was a businessman whose ventures made him arguably the largest lumber manufacturer in Texas and the Southern United States. In addition to serving two terms in the Texas Legislature, he would also establish the Kirby Petroleum Company...
. The mill closed during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, but would open to run again until its final closure in 1955.