What’s in a name?
Published 5:14 pm Sunday, June 4, 2017
Many downtown roadways bear names of early pioneers
As Lake Charles celebrates its sesquicentennial, a look at a few of the pioneers whose names grace some of the city’s streets is in order.
A list of streets and namesakes follows.
Ann Street
Named for: Ann Lawrence, wife of Thomas Bilbo.
Barbe Street
Named for: Charvais Barbe, who was employed at Amede Pujo’s trading post store. He married his boss’s daughter, Clara, and had 10 children with her. Barbe High School was named for one of his sons, Judge Alfred M. Barbe.
Bilbo Street
Named for: Thomas Bilbo, the town’s first alderman, who came to Lake Charles in 1832. On property he obtained through a Spanish land grant, he planted a large number of orange trees that eventually yielded 10,000 oranges a year.
Boston Street
Named for: William Oscar Boston, an educator who opened First Ward Colored School in 1907 and served as its principal for decades. When he retired in 1940, the school had grown from 40 to 860 students. The former W.O. Boston High School was also named for him.
Clement Street
Named for: Stephen Henry Clement, his wife, Talisma Lyons Clement and their son, Dr. Elisha Lyons Clement, who was born in 1875.
Dr. Michael DeBakey Dr.
Named for: Dr. Michael E. DeBakey (1908-2008), a renowned heart surgeon and Lake Charles native. After his death in 2008 at age 99, it was decided to rename South Ryan Street for him. DeBakey performed the first coronary bypass and invented the artificial heart.
Ethel Street
Named for: Ethel Burton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C.H. Burton.
Ford Street
Named for: I.B. Ford, a circuit-riding Baptist preacher who often led religious
services here.
Goos Street
Named for: Capt. Daniel Goos, a German immigrant. He moved to Lake Charles in 1855, settling in the northern part of the city, which became known as Goosport. Goos owned a lumber mill. During the Civil War, his home was used as a hospital for both Confederate and Union soldiers.
Helen Street
Named for: Helen Knapp Fay, wife of Oliver J. Fay and daughter of Dr. Seaman A. Knapp.
Henry Street
Named for: Henry H. Touchy.
Hodges Street
Named for: Jim Hodges.
Hodges and fellow pioneer Jacob Ryan owned a store together. Hodges Street was once know as Charles, Broussard, Canal, Blaske, Laura and South Hodges.
Iris Street
Named for: Iris Pithon Peake, daughter of Michael Pithon and wife of George Peake.
Kirby Street
Named for: Samuel Adams Kirby, a Vermont native who owned the Kirby Lumber Co. When a local government was organized here, Kirby became the town attorney.
Kirkman Street
Named for: Dr. William Kirkman, the first physician to perform an appendectomy in Lake Charles. A Kentucky native, Kirkman was a soldier in the Mexican-American War when he was 16. He came to Lake Charles around 1858. He served as a state senator.
Lyons Street
Named for: Dr. Erastus J. Lyons, a Confederate Army surgeon during the Civil War. He was born in the Big Woods community in 1839. He served on the city council and as the parish health officer. According to Lloyd G. Barras, in the book “Lake Charles Street Names and Other Memorabilia of the Lake City,” Lyons often prescribed “hot toddies” for his patients, and drank many himself.
Moss Street
Named for: Dr. Abram H. Moss, a teacher who opened his own school around 1869. He served as a city alderman and as mayor. He owned the Cheap Cash Store. In 1878, he moved to New Orleans to attend Louisiana Medical College where he completed the five-month course to become a physician. He then moved back to Lake Charles to practice medicine.
Pithon Street
Named for: Michael Pithon (1781-1870), one of the earliest Lake Charles settlers. He and wife Denise Sallier had six children. Pithon was a soldier of Napoleon Bonaparte before coming to America. He came to Lake Charles and homesteaded land. One abstract lists 167.20 acres which were homesteaded by Pithon.
Prater Street
Named for: J.N. Prater, co-owner of Loyd-Prater Grocery Co., which was started in 1898. Over time, the business became the largest grocery establishment in Southwest Louisiana. Prater also managed one of the largest retail grocery stores in the city.
Pryce Street
Named for: Pryce family. Lawrence Street was renamed Pryce Street in 2010. Dr. George S. Pryce, a physician and pharmacist, founded Pryce’s Pharmacy here in 1908. His son, Dr. Ulric Pryce, and his grandson, Dr. Frank Young Pryce, continued the business. A centennial celebration of Pryce’s Pharmacy was held in 2008. The Enterprise Boulevard business, has since closed.
Pujo Street
Named for: Amede and Paul Pujo. Around 1835, brothers Amede and Paul Pujo arrived in New Orleans from Tarber, France. Ten years later, they moved to Lake Charles. The brothers operated a merchandise store and also sold lumber. For a time, Paul Pujo served as postmaster. Paul’s son, Arsene P. Pujo, became a congressman.
Reid Street
Named for: David J. Reid, the first of several Reid men to serve as sheriff in the area. After his time as sheriff, Reid became parish judge. In 1863, Reid and two other men established the Weekly Echo newspaper.
Ryan Street
Named for: Jacob Ryan Jr., who is known as the father of Lake Charles. Ryan’s potato and turnip farms once occupied present-day Ryan Street. Ryan was a twin, but his twin brother died at birth. Ryan was a year old when his family moved to the West Calcasieu River area in 1817. He came to Lake Charles around 1832, and became the town’s first sheriff.
Sallier Street
Named for: Charles Anselm Sallier. The city of Lake Charles and the lake itself are also named for him. Sallier married Catherine LeBleu. One unproven tale about Sallier is that he suspected his wife was involved with the pirate Jean Laffite. Sallier shot her and assumed he had killed her. Sallier left her there and was never seen again. Catherine, however, survived the shooting because the bullet hit a brooch she was wearing.
Shattuck Street
Named for: Simeon O. and Benjamin Shattuck, two brothers who came to Lake Charles from Vermont. They owned an area sawmill. Simeon O. was a city alderman and was editor of the Echo newspaper.
Touchey Street
Named for: Victor Touchy. Around 1859, this Frenchman built a house on a strip of land that was an acre deep and six acres long. Like Thomas Bilbo, he grew thousands of orange trees on his property. Around 1879, Touchy and A.C. Pithon purchased the Lake City Saloon.
Watkins Street
Named for: J.B. Watkins, a Kansas businessman who came to Lake Charles around 1882. He purchased lots of land and did much to publicize Lake Charles, distributing thousands of pamphlets promoting the area.
Winterhalter Street
Named for: Charles H. Winterhalter, Lake Charles mayor from 1903 to 1909. The street is spelled Winterhalter, but the mayor’s name is often written as Winterhaler.
Woodruff Street
Named for: Mary Woodruff Knapp, wife of Dr. Herman Knapp.
Sources: “Lake Charles Street Names and Other Memorabilia of the Lake City,” by the late Lloyd G. Barras, a longtime American Press employee. The book was published in 1992. Also, wikipedia.com, city of Lake Charles and American Press Archives.
