Information
Landmark: Mossville Heritage MuseumCity: Peoria
Country: USA Illinois
Continent: North America
Mossville Heritage Museum, Peoria, USA Illinois, North America
Overview
The Mossville Heritage Museum isn’t a typical building with quiet halls and glass cases-it’s a living effort to preserve the stories and history of Mossville’s African American community in Louisiana.The Mossville History Project leads the charge, working to preserve and share the story of Mossville-a rare, historically rich settlement where old cypress trees still cast long shadows.Mossville, a small community near Lake Charles in southwestern Louisiana, was founded in the late 1700s by formerly enslaved people and free people of color, its roots reaching back to days when dirt roads wound through pine and cypress.It grew into one of the nation’s oldest African American communities, its roots running deep like the oak trees lining its streets, and its traditions rich with music, stories, and shared history.Over the centuries, Mossville grew into a tight-knit community, where families handed down stories by lamplight, kept traditions alive, and carried a shared history of resilience through generations, even in the face of systemic hardship.Starting in the mid-20th century, the petrochemical industry swept into Mossville, replacing stretches of pine forest with smokestacks and sprawling plants.Big players like Sasol and several industrial plants set up shop nearby, filling the air with smoke and the water with waste, sparking health problems and deep social upheaval.Over the years, many people in Mossville took voluntary buyouts to move away, and little by little, the town’s houses, porches, and voices faded until the community was nearly gone.Still, some residents refused to leave, clinging to the town’s history and the legacy woven into every weathered brick.Mossville’s fight against environmental and social hardships has come to stand for the broader battles marginalized communities face for environmental justice, much like the smell of smoke that hangs in the air long after the fire’s out.When the community faced displacement, the Mossville History Project came to life as a joint effort-historians, former residents, and researchers working alongside the Imperial Calcasieu Museum and Louisiana State University to keep its history alive like the scent of pine after rain.At the heart of the preservation effort is a vibrant exhibit tucked inside the Imperial Calcasieu Museum’s Annex Gallery in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where sunlight spills across carefully preserved artifacts.The exhibit brings together a vivid mix of Mossville residents’ treasures-worn leather gloves, chipped mugs, and well-used tools among them.Photos capturing Mossville’s everyday moments-kids racing down dusty streets, neighbors gathered for celebrations, and the hum of community events.More than 60 former residents have shared their stories, recalling childhood laughter under the oak trees and reflecting on how industry changed life in Mossville.Old documents and worn maps that chart the community’s shifting streets and evolving social ties.Partnering with the T to build the Oral History Collection.Working with the Harry Williams Center for Oral History at Louisiana State University, the project collected over 90 hours of vivid audio interviews-voices crackling slightly as they recalled the past.These oral histories open a rare window into Mossville’s beginnings, from the first families who built homes along the dusty main road to the town’s earliest struggles and triumphs.Local traditions, school days, Sunday church bells, and the everyday rhythm of social life.The impact of environmental damage and the spread of industry, from polluted rivers to smoking factory stacks.Stories of grit and belonging, like neighbors rebuilding a storm-damaged porch together.Released in 2019 and directed by Alexander Glustrom, *Mossville: When Great Trees Fall* is a powerful documentary that captures how industrial pollution seeps into daily life, from poisoned tap water to the fading voices of a tight-knit community.The film tells Stacey Ryan’s story-one of the few who stayed in Mossville-capturing the town’s fight for clean air, justice, and a place that still feels like home.The film’s appeared at festivals across the country, drawing national eyes to Mossville’s story-like a spotlight cutting through a darkened theater.Stop by the Imperial Calcasieu Museum’s Annex Gallery in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where sunlight spills across the polished floor.We’re open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays until 3, welcoming visitors to explore an exhibit that brings Mossville’s culture, history, and fight for environmental justice to life-right down to the faded photographs on the wall.The Mossville Heritage Museum, through its History Project and exhibit, plays a vital role in keeping alive the legacy of one of Louisiana’s oldest African American communities, preserving stories that still echo in the creak of a wooden porch.It stands as proof of the community’s grit and vibrant culture, as well as the hurdles minority neighborhoods face beside the hum of heavy machinery.This work also shines a light on environmental justice and historical preservation, urging us to record marginalized stories-like a faded photograph in a dusty attic-before they’re lost for good.
