Long before Denham Springs became the city it is today, this shaded stretch of land was defined by water rising naturally from the earth.

Inside Le Chien Brewery, amid the low hum of conversation and the clink of glasses, Chapter Twenty Mobile Bookstore hosted its very first monthly book club, and it felt less like a meeting and more like the beginning of a tradition.

There’s a certain kind of glow that settles over Denham Springs on a Tuesday night, and if you follow it long enough, you’ll end up at Le Chien Brewing Company—the beating heart of one of the …