1895-1896 Lake Charles City Directory

A missing piece of Lake Charles history has come home. A copy of the first Directory of the City of Lake Charles, published in 1895, has recently been added to the genealogical collection of the Calcasieu Parish Public Library.

John Sellers, a genealogical speaker who visited our library in 2005, had done extensive research on Louisiana records, and knew about the copy located in the Sutro Library of San Francisco, California. The staff at the SWLA Genealogical & Historical Library and the library's Collection Development Department had tried to purchase a copy since 2005 but was unsuccessful. The information was relayed to Michael Sawyer, Director of the Calcasieu Parish Public Library, who has contacts with the California State Library.

Mr. Sawyer sent an inquiry to the Sutro Library in January, 2010, and because the book had been improperly shelved, “a lengthy search was necessary,” to locate it, according to Martha Whittaker, Senior Librarian of Sutro Library.

Ms. Whittaker empathized with Lake Charles genealogists who lost court house records in the 1910 fire, naming the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire as a similar problem for them.
Since none of the Sutro Library’s city directories can be checked out, photocopied or scanned by patrons, Calcasieu contracted with BMI Imaging, the one firm approved to take items off-site for reproduction to microfilm and CD-ROM copies.

The 1895-1896 Lake Charles City Directory is now available to the public on this website as well as a photocopy version at the SWLA Genealogical & Historical Library located at 411 Pujo Street in Lake Charles, Louisiana. A microfilm copy will be available.

The book opens with a letter to the public from Frank W. Smith, “Publisher for Directories for Louisiana Towns,” followed by a history of Lake Charles before 1895. The book contains many ads for local businesses at that time, and pictures of prominent buildings that stood in downtown Lake Charles before the fire. There are complete listings for all professions working in Lake Charles at the time. It is interesting that no street numbers are given in the directory.

There are many interesting aspects of the directory, one of great irony being the Fire Department listing on page 47. R. J. Gunn was the Chief. The Fire Alarm Signals are listed as follows:
•    Ward 1 – One long whistle
•    Ward 2 – Two long whistles
•    Ward 3 – Three long whistles
•    Ward 4 – Four long whistles
•    Bel-Bunker Saw-Mill – Five long whistles
•    Bradley-Ramsay – Six long whistles
•    South Ryan Street – Seven long whistles.
Close your eyes and imagine the sound of those whistles on April 23, 1910!