The Lake Charles History You’ve Been Driving Past for Years

KNGT | Lake Charles, LA — Every day when I leave the Gator 99.5 radio station in Lake Charles, I pass by this little cemetery near Exit 29 on I-10, right there at North Lakeshore Drive. You know the one I'm talking about? It's got that big statue of Jesus standing over it. I've passed that place more times than I can count, but I never really knew the history behind it. Well, I started doing a little digging, and come to find out, that little cemetery holds a HUGE piece of Lake Charles history, including the man they call the "Father of Lake Charles!" And here's something else that caught my attention. His last name was Ryan. Wait a minute. Is THAT where Ryan Street got its name?

That Little Cemetery Has Been There a LONG Time

It's called Bilbo Cemetery, and it's sitting right there along North Lakeshore Drive near Interstate 10.Bilbo Cemetery is considered the oldest cemetery in Lake Charles. Its history goes back to the 1800s, long before anybody was worried about traffic backing up on the I-10 bridge. The historical marker at the cemetery says it was established on April 8, 1840, when Margaret Bilbo was buried there. But here's where things get even more interesting.

Scotty - TSM

Before it became a cemetery, that land was home to a Native American village and later a U.S. Army military post called Cantonment Atkinson, which operated from 1829 to 1832. Think about that for a second. People were living on that land before Lake Charles looked anything like the city we know today.

The Father of Lake Charles Is Buried Right There

One of the most famous people buried at Bilbo Cemetery is John Jacob Ryan Jr., who lived from 1816 to 1899. He's known as the "Father of Lake Charles." That's a pretty big title for somebody resting in a little cemetery that thousands of people drive past every single day. And it got me thinking about Ryan Street. You know, that road we've all driven down a million times. The one that runs right through downtown Lake Charles.

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Well, it turns out, YES! Ryan Street was named after Jacob Ryan Jr. Ryan once had potato and turnip farms on land that would become Ryan Street. He also served as the town's first sheriff and helped bring the parish courthouse to Lake Charles. So the next time you're driving down Ryan Street, remember that the man behind that name is buried just a short drive away.

Scotty - TSM

Now, let's talk about that giant statue of Jesus. You can't miss it. The Millennium Statue of Jesus Christ stands 23 feet tall, with a 15-foot bronze statue sitting on an 8-foot base.
It was created by Janie Stine LaCroix, who happens to be a descendant of Jacob Ryan Jr. How cool is that? A descendant of one of the city's founders created a statue that now stands over his final resting place.

According to a historic cemetery guide from Visit Lake Charles, there are more than 200 burials at Bilbo Cemetery, although many of the graves no longer have markers. The website Atlas Obscura also features the cemetery, describing its old crypts, historic graves, and the statue that catches the attention of drivers passing by. Some of those buried there were veterans, along with families who helped settle this part of Southwest Louisiana. Atlas Obscura also describes the cemetery as being on the National Register of Historic Places, although I haven't been able to confirm a separate listing for Bilbo Cemetery in the official records.

There's something about old cemeteries that has always interested me. Every headstone has a story. Every name belonged to somebody who had a family, a job, and a life right here where we live today. And some of those folks helped build the very town we call home.

Over the years, volunteers have worked to clean up and preserve Bilbo Cemetery. From repairing fences to cleaning up the grounds and improving the walkways, people have put time into making sure this little piece of Lake Charles history isn't forgotten. That's the kind of thing I love seeing in our community. Because once that history is gone, we ain't getting it back.

I guess what gets me is how many times I've passed that little cemetery without knowing what was actually there. Tomorrow when I leave the radio station and head toward I-10, I can promise you I'm gonna look at it a little differently. Now I've got a question for y'all. Have you ever stopped and walked through Bilbo Cemetery, or are you like me and have driven past it a thousand times without knowing its history?