by Carl A. Brasseaux and Alana A. Carmon
Nestled against
the Sabine River, Calcasieu Parish is where Louisiana literally and
figuratively meets the Lone Star State. Originally occupied by nomadic
Attakapas Indians, the area encompassed by modern Calcasieu Parish was
first settled by pioneers of European ancestry in the 1790's. From the
1790's until 1807, present-day Calcasieu Parish was part of the Opelousas
District.
In
1807, the Opelousas District became St. Landry Parish. Thirty-three
years later, Calcasieu Parish was carved from St. Landry.
For much of its history, Calcasieu Parish was a ranching and logging
area, and these industries have left an indelible imprint upon the
character of the area's inhabitants. In the twentieth century, the area
surrounding Lake Charles became heavily industrialized. The gaming industry
emerged as a prominent feature of the local economic landscape in the
1990's.
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