Unless noted otherwise, the following articles, pictures and advertisements are from the Cameron Pilot archives.
April 17, 1980
Cypress Inn under new management
May 1, 1980
Repairing Rutherford Beach Road became a campaign issue
July 3, 1980
Cypress Inn gets air conditioning!
Unknown, 1981
A 1981 aerial photo of Rutherford Beach. Although the Mermentau Channel was opened in 1971, 7 miles to the east of Rutherford Beach, the river continued to flow between its natural banks for many years, I presume until it closed up naturally. Hackberry Beach was located across the river. By my estimation, it appears that the current pavilion would fall in the center of the river in the photo. Also note the Cypress Inn at the top of the picture, just north of the S-curve.
July 9, 1981
Big dance at the Sea Breeze Inn!
April 15, 1982
July 15, 1982
August 19, 1982
November 25, 1982
December 9, 1982
June 23, 1983
A campaign event at Rutherford Beach!
Unknown, 1984
South of 199 Cameron Drive, looking north. Camps L-R, originally Broussard Brothers, Bailey and originally Jack Rutherford. All were built in the mid 1960s and stood until Hurricane Rita. (From the albums of Connie Hornsby (Bailey), with permission).
Connie relates the story of her and her sisters Linda, Sherry and Barbara helping their dad build the camp:
"He built camp from ground up. He had four daughters. I was a junior in high school. One older sister and two younger sisters. Dad welded a metal frame in place, thus the metal you see on the shoreline today. He hand mixed cement in a wheelbarrow with sand from beach that us girls shoveled and wheelbarrowed to him. That was the downstairs area. Working on weekends he built his castle. He was a Navy man. Loved the water. Mom cooked from BBQ pit as we worked. Us girls worked in our bathing suits. We had the prettiest tans at that time." This would have been 1964-65.
October 4, 1984
Cleaning out the old mouth of the river at Rutherford Beach was considered.
April 18, 1985
May 9, 1985
June 6, 1985
October 24, 1985
June 19, 1986
June 19, 1986
Cameron Outdoors by Loston McEvers
June 26, 1986
June 26, 1986
June 26, 1986
July 12, 1986
August 28, 1986
November 6, 1986
November 13, 1986
From "September Sweep, Louisiana's 1987 Beach Cleanup," a report to the Coastal Management Division, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources
July 16, 1987
The first organized statewide beach sweep, called September Sweep of the Beach
September 23, 1987
October 15, 1987
November 11, 1987
November, 1987
From 138 Calcasieu Drive, looking west. Tessier camp on extreme right, Owner of center camp uncertain. Yellow camp is the Gaspar camp. (From the albums of the late Marlene Tessier, with permission).
February, 1988
Sneaux Man on the Beach! Two lots west of West Avenue looking south. (From the albums of the late Marlene Tessier, with permission).
June 5, 1988
From the Baton Rouge Advocate. Photo and story by Marcelle Tessier. George Wilson was known as the Honorary Mayor of Rutherford Beach by friends and locals. His camp was two lots west of West Avenue, on the beach. (From the albums of the late Marlene Tessier, with permission).
June, 1988
Near West Avenue, looking east. So much beach! (From the albums of the late Marlene Tessier, with permission).
June, 1988
From 138 Calcasieu Drive, looking southwest. (From the albums of the late Marlene Tessier, with permission).
June, 1988
"Two Ways to Get Shrimp" (From the albums of the late Marlene Tessier, with permission).
June 25, 1988
From West Avenue, looking northwest. "Make Your Own Fun" featuring Joe Tessier. "Mayor" George Wilson's camp and state-0f-the-art satellite dish in the background. (From the albums of the late Marlene Tessier, with permission).
July 28, 1988
September 15, 1988
September 22, 1988
September 29, 1988
November 10, 1988
May 25, 1989
June 1, 1989
June 8, 1989
June 8, 1989
June 15, 1989
June 22, 1989
July 4, 1989
"Seaweed Invasion" (From the albums of the late Marlene Tessier, with permission).
August 1, 1989
Landfall near High Island, Texas.
August 3, 1989
August 4, 1989
Calcasieu Drive. Hurricane Chantal came ashore with a significant amount of mud. (From the albums of the late Marlene Tessier, with permission).
August 4, 1989
Top picture from 138 Calcasieu Drive, looking south. Bottom picture is West Avenue underwater, looking south. Griffith camp on the right. (From the albums of the late Marlene Tessier, with permission).
August 19, 1989
Helicopter crash on the beach. Unidentified and uninjured pilot in center of bottom-right photo, "Mayor" George Wilson on the right. (From the albums of the late Marlene Tessier, with permission).
August, 1989
"Mayor" George Wilson and Marcelle Tessier, at the mayor's camp. (From the albums of the late Marlene Tessier, with permission).
August 24, 1989
September 14, 1989
September 14, 1989
September 23, 1989
Governor Buddy Roemer paid a short visit to Rutherford Beach during the Beach Sweep. He arrived and departed by helicopter.
Bottom right photo shows a complete vehicle being removed from the beach. From the article below, "A group of workers at Rutherford Beach unearthed a 1979 Ford Pinto that had been completely covered up in sand and was rusted almost beyond recognition."
(From the albums of the late Marlene Tessier, with permission).
September 28, 1989
September 28, 1989
October 26, 1989
Story continues in The 1990s - Journey Through Rutherford Beach History.
Comments