History

HISTORY OF SULPHUR

In 1867, an experienced geologist, Professor Eugene W. Hilgard conducted a survey for the Louisiana Petroleum and Coal Oil Company of the state's oil and mineral resources. Using hundreds of soil borings he concluded that the prospects for petroleum were poor, but its sulfur possibilities were great.

In 1870, the Calcasieu Sulphur Mining Company was organized specifically to lease the sulfur rights in the area and work the deposit. Besides the interest in the Sulphur area for the sulfur deposits, the impetus to create the City of Sulphur was provided by the construction of the Louisiana Western Railroad in the 1870's.  

Following the completion of the railroad, many Northerners and Mid-westerners immigrated south as a result of the advertising campaign by the railroad and the Calcasieu Sulphur Mining Company promising fertile unlimited lands in the area.  In the 1880's, a homestead of 100 acres of land could be had for $14.

In 1876, Eli Perkins established the first business house in what is now Sulphur, Louisiana.  He also built the first store building.  

The town of Sulphur was laid out in 1878 by an engineer named Thomas Kleinpeter. This area was originally called "Kleinpeter's Square."  In 1884, Sulphur Methodists purchased Kleinpeter's Square and the first church in Sulphur was built in the area in 1884 by John Thomas Henning and two other men.  Today this area's approximate location would be behind the Care Help store (formerly Burton's Hardware) on North Huntington.

In 1885, John Thomas Henning, who married Eli Perkin's daughter built the first home in the area.

Throughout the 1870's and 1880's the company originally named "Calcasieu Sulphur Mining" changed hands and names as attempt after attempt to dig a shaft into the Sulphur Mines failed.  The deposits were buried beneath several hundred feet of muck and treacherous quicksand filled with deadly hydrogen sulfide gas. Many men lost their lives in their attempt to sink conventional shafts into this "buried treasure."

The last attempt to drill such a shaft was made by the American Sulphur Company in 1890, which resulted in the deaths of five men.  Shortly thereafter, Dr. Herman Frasch, a German chemist, who was already well-known for his work with Sulfur, came up with an idea of how sulfur could be mined. In October 20, 1890, he took out three patents for the process and interested two associates, Frank Rockefeller and F.B. Squires in the sulfur mining process.

Dr. Frasch then contacted the owners of the American Sulphur Company and proposed a fifty-fifty deal; his process and their land.  The new company was named "Union Sulphur Company."

The process, which involved pumping superheated water down into the sulfur, thereby melting it and then pumping it to the surface was proven successful on Christmas Eve of 1894, when the first molten sulfur was brought to the surface.

The next few decades brought periods of tremendous growth for the area. The Brimstone Railroad was constructed to get the sulfur to market, the First Baptist Church was organized in 1906, the first Catholic Church was built in 1907 and the average population of the Sulphur Mines area was 5,000 making it a town unto itself. This fifty-acre tract of land was then known as the "richest fifty acres in the world."

Herman Frasch realized that he would need many workers, which he brought from Germany, Canada and the northern states. The area was known for its friendliness, hospitality and beauty.  Frasch built rows of cottages for the families, a three-story boarding house for the single miners, a pavilion for Sunday get-togethers, a school and much more.

The first brick school was built in 1910 after the Sulphur Mines School and the Sulphur school were combined. The school was erected with a large donation from Herman Frasch and was named, Frasch.  This school was located on the south side of the present-day Frasch School.  the first principal was F.K. Whites, who remained such until 1917 when he became the superintendent of Calcasieu Parish Schools.

The Union Sulphur Company ceased sulfur mining in 1924. In 1925, when the last of the pine, sustaining the large timber industry, was cut, the citizens of Calcasieu Parish turned their efforts toward the task of creating a new sources of commerce. The deep water channel to the Gulf of Mexico was commenced, which gave rise to the industrial growth along the Calcasieu River.  

In the late 1920's the Union Sulphur Company converted from sulfur to oil production and most of the labor force of Sulphur was employed in the oil patch, which was booming compared to most industries during the depression.

In addition to the construction of the Mathieson Alkalie Works (Olin) plant in the mid 1930's, another factor that helped divert financial disaster for Sulphur residents was the takeover of the local bank by W.T. Burton.  In liquidating the old bank, Burton managed to return to depositors seventy-five cents for every dollar they lost, while other banks were able to return only ten cents on the dollar. Eventually, thanks to Mr. Burton, depositors received nearly all of their deposits back.

In the 1940's the Petrochemical industry in the United States experience unprecedented growth due to the need for fuel and other products to assist with the war effort.  Because Calcasieu parish was so well situated with rail, road and port access, the growth in our area was tremendous providing jobs and a solid tax base for citizens of Sulphur.  The Maplewood area, now part of the City, was originally established in 1943 to house the many workers and their families needed to build the Cities Service Refinery (now Citgo)..

For more information on the history of Sulphur, please visit the following website created by students at WW Lewis Junior High School:  http://www.cpsb.org/lewis/Sulphur/index.htm


History of Sulphur Government:

Became a Village on April 17, 1914 - D.S. Perkins was the appointed mayor
Became a Town on June 16, 1914
First municipal election held on September 12, 1916
      Mayor - George W. Root
      Alderman - William Johnson, W.T. Henning, C.E. Burleson, Louis Smith, and
      F.W. Breeden
      Town Marshall - Eulice Picard
Became a City on January 11, 1952