Old Jetties in Big Lake

[swglenn]

Back in the day, before the ship channel and highway 27, the only way to get to Cameron was by boat. The steamship ferries, Borealis Rex for one, would transfer people and goods from Lake Charles to Cameron. They built the jetties to reduce silting and to protect the boats as they made their turn to get into the old part of the river in front of what is now T-Boy McCall's place, where the Russian trawlers sit. When the new jetties were built they took a lot of the rocks from the old jetties. There was an article in the American Press years ago recounting a trip on the ferry. They talked about how clear the water was, you could see the grass on the bottom and tarpon rolling in the water. After the ship channel was built the salt water came in and killed off the grass and muddied everything up.