Celebrate The 150th Anniversary Of Lake Charles

The City of Lake Charles (1867 - 2017) is celebrating it's sesquicentennial this month and there are several events planned for the big day.  Save the date, Saturday April 22, 2017 Lake Charles will be 150-years old!  The schedule of events is as follows:

3 p.m. - Time Capsule Opening at the Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center, in downtown Lake Charles at 1001 Ryan Street.

4:30 p.m. - Parade Downtown Ryan Street. The route begins on Mill Street, turns on Ryan Street and ends on the corner of Ryan and 7th Streets.

5:30 p.m. - Family Concert at the outdoor Arcade Amphitheatre, on the Civic Center Grounds, located at 900 Lakeshore Drive.

This weekend marks the 150th anniversary of the sawmill community of Charlestown (1861 - 1867), being renamed and incorporated to Lake Charles.  This city's past, is rich in culture and tradition.  It also has the makings of a blockbuster movie, or New York Times Best Seller.  The lives of some of the first settlers had a lot to do with the name change, and played a huge role in shaping the cities interesting history.

Today the descendants of Charles Sallier and Catherine LeBleu are still here, maintaining their family legacies.  Stop by Lebleu’s Landing restaurant, at 202 Henning Drive in Sulphur.  There you can eat delicious Cajun cuisine, and learn more about how the Lebleu family made their mark on the area.  Plus find out how they befriended the legendary pirate Jean Lafitte.  Admire the 375-year-old Sallier Oak, which stands on the former homestead of Charles Sallier(the city's namesake.)  The site is now home to the Imperial Calcasieu Museum, where the history of the Sallier family is on display.

McNeese State University has comprised a really cool timeline of events surrounding our the cities biggest moments.  Click here to check it out

This weekend come out and join sesquicentennial celebration and 150th anniversary of our great city.  This event is free and open to the public.  See you there!   Learn more about the Lake City by downloading the free Lake Charles Historic Tour, and the Lake Charles Events apps.

If you have something you'd like to share about the history of Lake Charles, do so! Residents are invited to share memories, pics and stories online as well.  Just tag your special entries with the official hashtags, #LakeCharles150 and #VisitLakeCharles.