Honey Island is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

in Hardin County,

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, United States. It is part of the Beaumont– Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Kountze Independent School District provides public schools for area students. Though not usually an island, it is located on elevated land between the

Cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs from the ''Cupressus'' genus of the '' Cupressaceae'' family, typically found in temperate climates and subtropical regions of Asia, Europe, and North America. The word ''cypress'' ...

and Flat Cypress creeks, which rise in heavy rain, thereby temporarily isolating the area as an island.

Historical development

During the time of the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, this site was known to attract

Jayhawkers Jayhawker and red leg are terms that came to prominence in Kansas Territory during the Bleeding Kansas period of the 1850s; they were adopted by militant bands affiliated with the free-state cause during the American Civil War. These gangs were ...

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 The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway (GC&SF) was chartered in Texas in 1873 to build a railroad from Galveston, Texas, to Santa Fe, New Mexico. By 1886, it had built from Galveston to a junction in Temple, Texas, which was founded by the co ...

reached the site, and by 1907 a post office was established. The local

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...

was sold several times until it came into ownership of the Kirby Lumber Company, owned by John Henry Kirby. The mill closed during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, but it reopened, to run until its final closing in 1955.

Population

According to the 1950 census, the community had 1,250 inhabitants. By the 1990 census, its population was reported to have declined to 400. As of the 2000 census, its population had remained essentially stable at 401.

References

Unincorporated communities in Hardin County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Texas Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area {{HardinCountyTX-geo-stub