Chatawa, Mississippi | |
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  Chatawa, Mississippi  Chatawa, Mississippi | |
| Coordinates:31°03′38″N90°28′20″W / 31.06056°N 90.47222°W /31.06056; -90.47222 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Mississippi |
| County | Pike |
| Elevation | 253 ft (77 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 39632 |
| Area codes | 601 & 769 |
| GNIS feature ID | 691764[1] |
Chatawa is anunincorporated community inPike County,Mississippi, United States.[1] ItsZIP code is 39632.[2]
Chatawa is located on theTangipahoa River and the formerIllinois Central Railroad.[3] The community derives its name from theChoctaw language, and it's purported to mean either "to be swollen" or "hunting ground".[4] The area around Chatawa was originally occupied by theChoctaw. In 1810, the Carter family settled in Chatawa.[3] Prior to theCivil War, many aristocratic families fromNew Orleans ownedsummer homes in Chatawa. A number of these homes were owned by officials of the Illinois Central Railroad.[5] Many early members of the community used theartesian well in Chatawa, which is still flowing in the present day.[6] The Stevens Lumber Company and LeBlanc Lumber Company operatedlumber mills in Chatawa in the early 1900s.[3]
Redemptorist priests bought property in Chatawa to establish a seminary and preparatory college. In 1879, the property was sold to Mother Caroline Friess, the founder ofSchool Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) of North America. From 1884 to 1975, St. Mary's Institute, later known as St. Mary of the Pines, operated on the location as a boarding school. The facility was then used as a retreat center and retirement home for SSND sisters.[7] In 2021, Fr. Mark Beard began operating the property as Our Lady of Hope Retreat Center.[8]
In 1941,Maureen O'Hara married Will Price at the Chapel of St. Teresa at St. Mary's Institute in Chatawa.[3][9]
Kramer's Lodge in Chatawa was originally built as a resort by X. A. Kramer, the former mayor ofMcComb. Exotic birds and animals, including bears and monkeys, were caged around the property andHuey P. Long regularly visited the resort.[6][3]
The Chatawa Monster is acryptid that is said to inhabit the swamps around Chatawa.[6] The monster is reportedly responsible for strange claw marks on trees and unexplained missing chickens, and it is said to resembleBigfoot.[3][6] Tradition holds that the Chatawa Monster escaped from a wrecked circus train near the Tangipahoa River. Other sources claim the monster was an escaped monkey from the local Kramer's Lodge or a story created by older students at the nearby St. Mary's Institute.[6]
Municipalities and communities ofPike County, Mississippi,United States | ||
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