Sawing Logs Traditional Cache

Welcome to the Atchafalaya Basin Geotrail, a series of twenty-four (24) geocaches that have been placed in and around the Atchafalaya Basin to highlight important features and to help tell the story about how water has influenced the region.  Although the story is about water, you don't need a boat to claim these geocaches! For more information please visit our related webpage above. 

The Wedell-Williams Aviation and Cypress Sawmill Museum in Patterson, Louisiana, may seem like a mix of two distinctly different themes, but there is a historical connection between the aviation and cypress lumbering industries in Louisiana.  The cypress lumbering industry was a particularly important part of the Atchafalaya Basin’s history, because practically all of the lumbering occurred within its boundaries.  During the so-called great lumber boom from 1880-1925, it is estimated that approximately 1 million acres of virgin timber were clear cut in the Atchafalaya Basin.  It was a one-time boom of wealth that supported an extravagant hobby for a fortunate few: building and racing airplanes. The cypress lumbering industry significantly changed the landscape of the Atchafalaya Basin.  Baldcypress trees (Taxodium distichum) are relatives of the giant sequoias of the west coast. They can live over a thousand years and typically grow to be 3 - 6 feet in diameter and 100 - 120 feet tall; however, few of the baldcypress trees in today’s Atchafalaya Basin pre-date the lumber boom. The Cypress Sawmill Collection documents a lot of what is known about the life and times of the early cypress lumbering industry in Louisiana.  It recounts both the sawmill companies and their workers.  The museum features a variety of historical photographs, film, and other artifacts – including actual cypress boats, huge cypress planks, raw timber, and even a steam engine.  And don’t forget to check out the airplanes…