These stories of how the first settlers came to Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana are from searching old family diaries, letters, census & church records, newspapers, and even a bit of gossip. Many missing links were found, as these families came from so many different national backgrounds. Personal stories are told of how this hardy pioneer stock transformed an uninhabited land of bold prairies and rugged cypress swamps into mud-daubed huts, farms, and eventually the cities we know today.