Editing Lake Arthur, Louisiana (section)

==History==
<ref>Lake Charles American Press 20Oct1991 Pg 20 by Nola Mae Ross</ref><ref>Lafayette Daily Advertiser, 28Oct1997 by Jim Bradshaw</ref> The lake and the abundant wildlife near Lake Arthur made the place an early camping ground for [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]], most likely [[Atakapas]], although there were also [[Comanche|Comanche Indians]] in the area at times during the era just before European settlement. Before Lake Arthur, first settled was a little village that was south and across the lake called Lakeside and also the area called Shell Beach.

Acadian families moved to the area in the late 1700s. They called the lake le petit lac Mentau. "Mentau" was the name of an Atakapas Indian chief who had lived in the area. One of those early Acadians was Arthur LeBlanc, and travelers passing through the country began to refer to the lake as le lac d'Arthur, and through time, it evolved into the present name, Lake Arthur.
 
"In '''1811''' Atanas Hebert came to Lake Arthur to settle. That marks a date we can follow with accuracy."<ref>Calvin Dale Smith and Allen Fitzgerald.  History of Lake Arthur (Baton Rouge, 1960?)</ref> The first store was operated by D. D. Hebert.

'''1840''' The first sawmill was established in the area. Cypress timber drew most of the early people.
 
'''1854''' Gustave Laurents owned and operated a store.  Early settlers were noble Creoles from New Orleans. Jean Revlon built a large residence in 1854. Today it is known as MacDonell plantation. The deLaunays, Deschamps and Gaithes, all who were in the French Revolution came from New Orleans.

At first, they grew corn and other crops, but found that rice was the crop to grow.<br>  
'''1876''' The first rice mill was built by Gustave Laurents and D. Derouen.<br>
'''1887''' Anatole Gauthier and C. St Germain brought in the first rice thresher and portable steam boiler.<br> 
'''1890''' The first rice irrigation pumping plant was built on Bayou Lacassine. All of this turned Lake Arthur into successful rice country.

One of the largest families in the area was [[Joseph Broussard|Broussard]]. It is almost impossible to pinpoint which one arrived first. T.E. Theogene Broussard was a druggist in Lake Arthur.

'''1878''' The first post office was opened with D. Derouen as postmaster. Mail was received once a month from Leesburg (Cameron), and once in a while by horseback from Lake Charles.

'''1889''' Construction of The Live Oak Hotel was well on its way by 1888. Construction was completed in February 1889.  One of its guests was [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], who came to Lake Arthur to hunt before he was stricken by polio. The Live Oak was maintained and operated as a private hotel until 1922, when it was sold to the Lake Arthur Hunting Club. It was torn down in 1934.
 
Boat captains were an important part of early settlers lives. The lake is about one mile wide and nine miles long and connects with the [[Mermentau River]], a waterway to the [[Gulf of Mexico]].<br>
'''1886''' D. E. Sweet bought the "Louisa Storm" and "Olive" which made trips to Grand Chenier for 17 years. This was that only means of travel between Lake Arthur and [[Cameron Parish, Louisiana|Cameron Parish]].

A lumber boom began not long after the town was laid out, with two sawmills. Lumber barons were Aaron Streater and Pete Reimers.<br> 
'''1890''' Lee Fox built the first sawmill within the Lake Arthur corporate limits; it was destroyed by fire in 1905, as was the Brewer, Reynolds and Streater Mill that had been built on the lake front in 1900. Besides the mills, lumber covering several acres went up in smoke. More than 5 million feet of cypress lumber was lost.

'''1890''' The Lake Arthur Town Lot and Land Co. planned the original town. This company was composed of Samuel Marquet, E. L. Lee, W. E. Chapin, and H. C. Kellog. These men were all from the state of  [[Iowa]]. Later, Samuel Marquet bought all the interest in the town site.
 
'''1903''' A petition signed by a majority of the land holders was submitted to the governor asking that Lake Arthur be incorporated as a village. Names on the petition for incorporation were Dr. V. A. Miller, E. S. Streater, F. A. Smith, J. H. Jeppeson, George S. Wheeler, A. D. Spooner, Nick Arend, H. E. Sergrist, John L. Walter, A. G. Streater, F. R Gibbs, P. T. Reimers, John Lovell, L. N. Toups, M. Broussard, J. F. Ney, W.H. Ney, J. F. Kestner, George Bailey, and T. E. Broussard. Lake Arthur was incorporated in 1904, and Dr. Miller was chosen as its first mayor.
 
'''1904''' [[Southern Pacific Railroad]] came from [[Lake Charles, Louisiana|Lake Charles]].

'''1922''' Lake Arthur was made an independent parish by [[Bishop (Catholic Church)|Bishop]] Jules B. Jeanmard of [[Lafayette, Louisiana|Lafayette]]. Rev. W. E. Allen was the first pastor of Our Lady of the Lake Parish. He retired in 1935, and Rev. L. E deMonsabert was made pastor.

Today Lake Arthur citizens are a mixture of [[Acadians]] and French, and [[English American|Anglo-Americans]] who arrived from the state of [[Iowa]] during the 1890s.