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 1790s. From the 1790s 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 1990s.