Wedell-Williams Memorial Aviation Museum

The Louisiana State Museum, Patterson is the official state aviation and cypress sawmill industry museum and houses two very important collections documenting our state's rich history.

The Wedell-Williams Aviation Collection focuses on the legacy of Louisiana aviation pioneers Jimmie Wedell and Harry Williams who formed an air service in Patterson in the 1928. Both men became nationally prominent during what was known as the Golden Age of Aviation. Although both Wedell and Williams perished in plane crashes, their legacy lives on in the memorabilia and planes on display.

This portion of the museum is under renovation and will feature state-of-the-art displays including numerous aircraft, 1930's air race trophies and memorabilia, air racing films, and a children's interactive gallery. This exhibit is scheduled to open in late Fall of 2007.

Currently open for tours is the Patterson Cypress Sawmill Collection that documents the history of the cypress lumber industry in Louisiana. Lumbering became the state's first significant manufacturing industry. As a result, cypress lumber harvested and milled in Louisiana was shipped in mass quantities across the United States. The town of Patterson was once home to the largest cypress sawmill in the world, owned by Frank B. Williams and in 1997 the Louisiana State Legislature designated Patterson as the cypress capitol of Louisiana. The exhibit features a variety of artifacts, photographs, and film that tell the story of this important regional industry.