Images of America:  Imperial Calcasieu by Robert Benoit

The photographs included in Imperial Calcasieu depict the early railroads, the development of sulphur mining, transporting of lumber along the Calcasieu River, the rich oil fields, and the rice industry that developed on the coastal prairies of Western Louisiana.  This volume also recalls several memorable events, such as the hurricane of 1918 and the Great Lake Charles Fire of 1910.  The pioneer settlers and community leaders who shaped the identity of Imperial Calcasieu are celebrated within these pages, and both their triumphs and setbacks will continue to teach and inspire future generations.

Author Robert Benoit, president of the SWLAHA, culled images from the McNeese State University Archives, the Maude Reid Scrapbooks, the Imperial Calcasieu Museum, and private collections to compile this engaging tribute to a historic area.  Readers will delight in a look at days gone by, and in the optimism and hope of Southwest Louisiana's early settlers.

To order a copy of Imperial Calcasieu, please send a check or money order for $20.00 ($18.00 for book and $2.00 shipping and handling) to:

Southwest Louisiana Historical Association                                                                         

George Ann Benoit, Treasurer

4201 Alma Lane

Lake Charles, LA  70605

Please make checks payable to the Southwest Louisiana Historical Association.

Copyright 2003 Southwest Louisiana Historical Association

Webmaster:  pthreatt@mail.mcneese.edu