Harbor Factories and Oyster Reefs
Pass Christian possesses some of the finest oyster reefs in the world. One is located just offshore, extending two and a half miles in length. For hundreds of years these reefs have afforded a source of supply to the whole coastal region. One of the earliest seafood plants was owned and operated by Dunbar-Dukate and Company. The plant was located at the present site of the Pass Christian Yacht Club. The plant was originally built in 1902 and was destroyed by the 1947 hurricane.
Workers arrived by truck or box car and were housed in special cottages owned by the factory. There was a large apartment building on Market Avenue which the locals called the "White Elephant", and was reported to house as many as 30 families. Additionally, there were the Row Houses consisting of rows of duplexes built one after the other.
The "Green Row" on Dunbar Street had 16 duplexes, and the "Red Row" on Woodman Avenue had 19 duplexes. These houses were eventually abandoned when in 1956 mechanical oyster shuckers were installed, thereby eliminating the need for so many employees.
The Pass Christian group of producing oyster beds consists of nine reefs, comprising an area of about twenty square miles. This
group of reefs is most significant to the state of Mississippi.