In 1898, five miles of sidewalk were laid. As the town evolved into an agricultural hub, surrounded by rice and cattle, rice sold for $2.25 a barrel in 1911 and labor was $1.00 per day, dawn to dusk! In 1910, on Easter morning, six blocks of the thriving downtown area were destroyed by fire. Thirty businesses were burned to the ground! Welsh had no fire department or water supply at that time. Thankfully, the Southern Pacific Railroad sent men 22 miles from Lake Charles to help extinguish the fire. The fire destroyed much property that day but failed to diminish the strong character of the town’s citizens, they immediately began rebuilding.