Annual Awards and Dinner Meeting

The annual awards and dinner meeting of the Southwest Louisiana Historical Association will be held on Monday, April 26, 2004, at the Piccadilly Cafeteria on Ryan Street. Dinner will begin at 6:00 p.m. with the meeting following at 7:00 p.m.

The program includes Harry Methvin’s slide presentation and discussion on the DeQuincy turpentine and lumber industry, the announcement of the winners of the Association’s annual awards, and the election and installation of new officers. Please bring a guest and support our Association!

February Meeting Report

Meredith Miller, a local historian, described the early days of Lake Charles for the members of the Association at its February meeting. Mrs. Miller traced the development of the community from the first rude dwelling of Ciprien Duhon on the shores of what is now Lake Charles to the bustling community made nationally famous by the campaigns of J. B. Watkins.

Ciprien Duhon was not alone for long. Martin LeBleu, pioneer of a large clan, soon arrived from Virginia. The LeBleu family sailed from Bordeaux, France in 1775 and settled first in Virginia. Then they pulled up stakes and came to Imperial Calcasieu, moving themselves and their goods in a two-wheeled cart.

Charles Sallier, a native of the Savoy Region, was the next permanent settler. Sallier married Martin LeBleu’s daughter, Catherine. The couple’s first child was the first white child born in the settlement around the lake. This area was also the domain of a small settlement of Attakapas Indians who occupied the northeast corner of the lake. European diseases introduced by the incoming white settlers soon decimated the small tribe and the survivors moved eastward to the Mermentau to join others of their tribe.

The year 1817 marked the arrival of Jacob Ryan, Sr. His son, Jacob Ryan, Jr. later married one of Thomas Bilbo's daughters and became the little settlement's patriarch, serving as sheriff, tax collector, and state legislator over a period of years. Through Ryan's efforts the court house was moved from the little hamlet of Marion down the Calcasieu River to Lake Charles.

In 1829 a military cantonment was established on the lake which was manned until 1832. Then Thomas Bilbo arrived and purchased the property of the cantonment and made the officers quarters his home.

As the settlement grew, enterprising men began to harvest the area's timber. The first sawmills were built, and in 1855 Daniel Goos arrived to give his name to Goosport and to build tug boats and steamboats as well as sawmills.

The area was the site of a number of naval encounters during the War Between the States, but the area was too far from the settled areas of the South to experience much of the hardships of war.

Lake Charles officially became a city in 1869 and by 1870 the city boasted a population of 3,000 and stood as the major metropolis of the area. Growth after that was swift and certain.

Election of Officers for 2004-2006

The Nominating Committee has put together a slate of officers for the new term.

President – Nell Hayes

1^st Vice President – Kitty Walker (programs)

2^nd Vice President – Kathie Bordelon (newsletter)

Secretary – Diane McCarthy

Treasurer – George Ann Benoit

Ex Officio

Gingham Ladies Coordinator – Elaine Cameron

Past President – Robert Benoit

Appointments

Webmaster – Pati Threatt

Communications Chairman – Truman Stacey

Scrapbook Chairman – Phyllis Morgan

Any further nominations will be accepted at the April meeting.

Association Names Winners in Dr. Joe Gray Taylor Louisiana History Essay Contest

The Dr. Joe Gray Taylor Louisiana History Essay Contest winners were chosen from among the middle school students whose entries in the Region V Social Studies Fair concerned some aspect of Louisiana history. Winners were presented with a plaque and savings bonds during the awards ceremony at the end of the day’s competition.

Illya Macovei (St. Margaret’s School, Lake Charles) won first place with her entry Architecture of the Historic District of Lake Charles is Really Cool. Patrick Joseph (Molo Middle School, Lake Charles) received second place honors with his entry The Cost of War: PFC Wilfred Bellard. Lou Ann Johnson (Merryville High School, Merryville) won third place for her entry No Man’s Land and Reverend Devil.

Announcements

Dues are now payable for 2004. Please send your check for $10/individual or $15/couple to George Ann Benoit

The Southwest Louisiana Historical Association relies on its members to contribute ideas for publications and historical markers, speakers for our meetings, and other projects. Please let us know if you have any suggestions.

Notes from the Webmaster

Pati Threatt, the Association’s first Webmaster, keeps our website up-to-date with the latest events and accomplishments of the Association and its members. Go to www.swlahistory.org to view photographs and to read about the historical markers being placed in Cameron on April 20. You can also read all twelve of Truman Stacey’s articles on Notable Men and Women of Louisiana.

Volunteers Needed at McNeese Archives

Project: We have a very large photograph/negative collection. The negatives are 4"x5" in size and are housed in paper envelopes. A description of the negative is written on the paper envelope. Each negative must be cleaned and re-housed in a new envelope that is acid-free and archivally safe. The information on the old envelope has to be rewritten on the new envelope. We have a student worker cleaning the negatives. We need someone to transfer the written information.

Desired Qualifications: Someone familiar with the Lake Charles area, especially over the past 40 years. It helps to decipher the handwriting on the envelopes if names and locations are familiar. This would be an interesting project for someone who has an interest in the history of this area. The Archives staff is available to answer questions, explain the procedures, and provide sources (such as city directories) to verify information.

Dates and times needed: The Archives Office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. We don’t usually close for lunch. Anytime during office hours would be acceptable, as would any day. A parking pass would be issued to the volunteer.

Comments: The McNeese Archives is a growing resource within the community offering assistance in research and preservation. We serve the citizens of Southwest Louisiana by collecting, preserving, and making available historical materials about the area. We would like to have one or two volunteers who are reliable and trustworthy.

Dedication of Historical Marker

The dedication of the historical marker for the Calcasieu River Lighthouse and the Gulf Biologic Station will take place during a ceremony in Cameron on Tuesday, April 20, at 12:00 noon. The markers are located on Davis Road, the road that leads to the jetties. A map is included in this newsletter. After a brief ceremony at the marker site, the Cameron Parish Police Jury will provide lunch at the pavilion near the jetties.

The Historical Association will set up an exhibit at the pavilion that gives more information, including photographs, on both these historic sites. We will also provide a cake for the lunch.

Webmaster: pthreatt@mail.mcneese.edu