Story and photos by Scott Kendall (unless otherwise indicated)
LA River Parishes, Home to Historic Plantations
Louisiana River Parishes is the stretch of land along the Mississippi River just northwest of New Orleans. With a long history of large plantations worked by slaves producing indigo, rice, and sugar cane, the area is a fascinating look at the life and times of early Louisiana life. The beauty of the river, the gigantic oak trees, the wildlife, and the old historic homes is striking.
What will stick in the minds and souls of most people who visit this area will be the atrocious, unforgettable and unforgivable practice of slavery. The success of the plantations was only possible through the inhumane incarceration of thousands of slaves in the work camps known as plantations.
A Reminder of Slavery’s Dark History
The institution of slavery is one of those horrific chapters in the annals of humankind. Like the Holocaust, it is beyond human understanding that some people have been so demented, so unfeeling, so selfish, so barbaric, that they enslaved their brothers and sisters to do their bidding. The world is a better place today, but many people are still enslaved to this day in some parts of the world. We should not rest until justice comes to them all.
These plantations and the stories they tell are stark reminders of the injustices experienced by thousands of slaves in Louisiana as well as millions of other slaves throughout world history. It is my hope that memorials like these plantations and museums in the Louisiana Parishes will serve as a reminder of the harsh realities of the past. By better understanding our past, we can move forward and treat all individuals with the love, respect, and care that each one deserves.
Oak Alley Plantation in Vacherie
Oak Alley Plantation is one of the most photographed plantations in the world. With 300 year old oak trees lining the walkway up to the beautiful main house, the well-maintained gardens and landscaping greet visitors with open arms. A guided tour through the big house, a short video, and the self-guided tour around the grounds offer an excellent insight into this magnificent plantation.
Like most plantations in the area, this sugar cane farm relied on enslaved men, women, and children to operate. The self guided exhibits give visitors a good look into the lives of the slaves as they worked long hours, lived in often squalid conditions, and were often beaten and degraded during their servitude.
St. Joseph Plantation
St. Joseph Plantation, along with its sister plantation Felicity, is another place in Vacherie with a long history along the banks of the Mississippi. Still owned and operated by descendants of the Waguespack and Simon families, tours are often led by one of the family members. A tour of the Big House and the grounds will give you an insightful look into the intriguing story of the plantation, the families, and the slave labor that built it.
Several movies and television series have been filmed at St. Joseph and Felicity. Currently, the Oprah Winfrey series Queen Sugar is filmed at the plantation. Other popular movies and series partially filmed here include Twelve Years A Slave, Skeleton Key, Mudbound, and the NCIS New Orleans series.
Whitney Plantation
Whitney Plantation near Wallace is the only museum in Louisiana with an exclusive focus on the lives of enslaved people. In our six tours of plantations in the Louisiana Parishes, I would say the Whitney Plantation gave the most complete, most insightful look at, and most realistic view into, the lives of thousands of slaves who worked the plantations along the Mississippi River.
The slaves shipped to Louisiana were mostly from three major regions of the coast of Africa: Senegambia, the Bight of Benin, and West-Central Africa. During Colonial times most of the slave force came from Senegambia. Indigo, rice, and sugar were important crops worked by slaves over the years.
Code Noir, or Black Code
The Code Noir was a decree defining treatment of slaves in the French colonial empire. Among other things, this decree, passed in 1685:
restricted the activities of free people of color
mandated the conversion of all enslaved people throughout the empire to Roman Catholicism
defined the punishments meted out to slaves
ordered the expulsion of all Jews from France’s colonies
Article 32 of the 1724 Code Noir (from the Whitney Plantation website)
The runaway slave, who shall continue to be so for one month from the day of his being denounced to the officers of justice, shall have his ears cut off, and shall be branded with the fleur de lys on the shoulder; and on a second offense of the same nature, persisted in during one month from the day of his being denounced, he will be hamstrung, and be marked with the fleur de lys on the other shoulder. On the third offense, he shall suffer death.
Marronnage remained a permanent issue in Louisiana and on the German Coast, from the beginnings of slavery through the Civil War. During the decade preceding this conflict, the local press regularly published advertisements of runaway slaves.
1811 Slave Revolt
In 1811 several hundred slaves from plantations along the lower Mississippi River planned an insurrection to free the slaves, but failed. The number of deaths during and after the insurrection reveal a horrific loss of life. About thirty insurgents were killed in the action and another forty-five were condemned to death and executed by January 1811.
From Whitney Plantation website
“The heads of the executed will be cut and planted on poles at the place where each convict will have undergone the “right punishment due to his crimes, in order to frighten by a terrifying example all malefactors who would attempt any such rebellion in the future.”
The Field of Angels and Children of Whitney
The Field of Angels is a memorial dedicated to 2,200 enslaved children who died in St. John the Baptist Parish between the 1820s and the 1860s. Disease, harsh living conditions, and accidents all contributed to a high death rate among the young children of slaves working on the plantations.
The Children of Whitney is a series of sculptures by artist Woodrow Nash. Children in the church, hanging out on the front porch, and other young ones are depicted throughout the grounds.
Laura Plantation
In 1804, Guillaume Duparc bought property in present day Vacherie and began construction of his impressive manor house. He originally named it l’Habitation Duparc, but it was renamed Laura Plantation years later. At one time the plantation consisted of approximately 12,000 acres, making it one of the largest on the river. The Big House is painted in a color combination of ochre, red, green, mauve and gray.
Like many plantations of the day, Laura Plantation harvested crops of indigo, rice, pecans, and sugar cane. Slave labor was used to produce these crops throughout the 1800’s. At the time of the Civil War, there were 69 primitive cabins and about 186 slaves working the farm.
Destrehan Plantation
Destrehan Plantation is one of the older Plantation homes still standing in the Louisiana River Parishes. Built in 1790 by Charles Paquet, an enslaved mulatto and master builder, in the French Colonial Style. Robin DeLogny paid Charles Paquet in rice, corn, livestock, 100 piastes of money, and a male slave named Leveiller.
Tours of the grounds are led by costumed guides who expertly bring the plantation to life. Narratives and exhibits of slaves working in the indigo and sugar cane fields, daily life in the swamps, and the Slave Revolt of 1811 are among the many stories told here at Destrehan Plantation.
San Francisco Plantation
One of the most dramatic before and after examples I have ever seen are shown in the restoration photos of the old San Francisco Plantation. Built in the 1850’s in Garyville, the home had fallen into disrepair and was sold to the Marathon Oil company in the 1970’s. Massive restoration and millions of dollars resulted in the masterpiece we see today. In fact, the San Francisco Plantation is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
San Francisco Plantation has an intriguing history as a series of owners faced personal and financial challenges through the years. For example, the family of the buider of the plantation big house, Edmond Bozonier Marmillion, was plagued by death in the family and money problems. His wife, Antoinette, died from tuberculosis, as did six of her eight children in a period over 20 years.
Today, San Francisco Plantation stands as a vivid example of the history and grandness of the plantation era, as well as a stark reminder of the lives of the slaves who suffered through so much during its time as a working plantation.
Cajun Pride Swamp Tour
Cajun Pride Swamp Tours gives visitors an inside look at the swamps of the Mississippi River delta. During the hour and a half long swamp tour, we encountered lots of alligators (about 30 or so!), turtles, raccoons, a variety of birds, and a creepy voodoo witch living in the backwoods of the swamp. We even got to hold Michael, the cutest little gator you ever did see!
During our relaxing and entertaining time on the bayou, our knowledgeable guide gave us a fun and educational narrative to add to Mother Nature’s display. About 30 minutes from New Orleans, Cajun Pride Swamp Tours is a privately owned wildlife refuge that will give you a peaceful, honest, entertaining look at wildlife in the swamp. They even provide shuttle service with pickup available from most New Orleans, Metairie and Kenner hotels.
Where to Eat in Louisiana River Parishes
Frenier Landing in LaPlace on Lake Ponchartrain
Ten minutes from the Fairfiled Inn is the wonderful Frenier Landing Restaurant on Lake Ponchartrain in southern Louisiana. With indoor and outdoor seating, diners are treated with views of Lake Ponchartrain, the large brackish (combination of fresh and salt water) estuary covering about 630 square miles. Frenier Landing offers a wide selection of seafood, steak, salads, and other menu items sure to please every member of your party.
My meal of blackened redfish with a flavorful sauce, squash, and mashed potatoes was delicious. My wife was equally pleased with her fresh wedge salad. For dessert, we took the advice of our waitress and shared the Key Lime Pie. We are so glad we did – just the right combination of smooth tartness and sweetness, a tasty graham cracker crust, and fresh whipped cream!
Bec’s at the Lake
Just across from Frenier’s Landing is the casual Bec’s at the Lake Restaurant. This local favorite has a nice selection of seafood, steak, burgers, salads, and desserts, and is a great place to relax with family and friends. With a large outdoor porch overlooking Lake Ponchartrain, live music, and a friendly staff, the Becnels’ vision of a place where “friends bring friends and strangers become friends” is a reality.
With all the great menu selections, my wife and I both eyed the same dish – the Stuffed Fish Maurepas. This delectable specialty of Bec’s is an 8 ounce fillet of fish filled with seafood stuffing, grilled OR fried, topped with their Mason Sauce, finished off with 4 fried OR grilled shrimp, with seared green beans & twice-baked potatoes. It was too good to pass up.
My wife had her fish and shrimp grilled, while I ordered grilled fish with fried shrimp. They were both delicious, and we barely had room for Bec’s famous Apple Praline Cobbler and Ice Cream. Throughout our meal, we listened to live music and thoroughly enjoyed the great food and drink and smiling staff members at Bec’s – what a great time!
Petra Restaurant in Downtown LaPlace
My wife and I love our seafood, and we certainly had our fill of great seafood in Louisiana River Parish restaurants. In addition to great creole seafood, we also discovered some other fantastic restaurants in LaPlace and the surrounding area, like the wonderful Petra Restaurant in downtown.
Petra is a traditional Italian restaurant, and while it also has an extensive menu of seafood dishes, I opted for the classic Chicken Marsala for my meal. Huge portions of tender chicken breasts with a savory brown wine and mushroom sauce, a medley of fresh veggies, and tender pasta was outstanding. My wife enjoyed her Greek Salad, and managed to snitch a few bites of Marsala, which she also loved.
For the first 50 years of my life, I insisted I did not like bread pudding. Lately, however, I have changed my mind about this traditional dessert. I have had several tasty renditions over the last few years, and the Petra White Chocolate Bread Pudding is among the best.
Wayne Jacob’s Smokehouse in LaPlace
Since 1950, Wayne Jacob’s Smokehouse has been an institution in LaPlace, the self proclaimed “Andouille Capitol of the World.” Start with the delicious Chicken and Andouille Gumbo, Boudin Balls, or the Red Beans. Try one of the lunch plates of smoked chicken, babyback ribs, brisket, fried shrimp, thin sliced fried catfish, and stufffed crab. For even more variety Wayne Jacobs has some great Poboys and Daily Specials.
The restaurant still smokes their meats out back in specially built smoke houses. The current owner, Jared, says they take their time, because you can’t hurry good smoked meats. I have to agree with the sign on the wall that says “C’EST SI BON.” It is good.
Nobile’s Restaurant in Lutcher
Nobile’s Restaurant has long served some of the best food in Lutcher. Established in 1895, Nobile’s has been serving authentic River Road Cuisine in a historic place for well over a century.
I was fortunate to get to Nobile’s just before their closing time of 2 pm. The friendly staff greeted us with smiles and promptly brought out a tasty chicken and sausage gumbo and the daily special. The special was the perfect comfort lunch – a tender breaded pork chop with homemade cheesy macaroni and southern green beans.
We couldn’t leave without trying one – or two – of their specialty desserts. I loved the Baba, a yellow cake with a custard and a delicious coconut meringue topping, as well as the tasty brownie and ice cream. We definitely did not go away hungry!
The Seafood Pot in New Sarpy
The Seafood Pot in New Sarpy may be the best place in Louisiana to eat the traditional boiled seafood made famous by this area. The Seafood Sampler brought to me by the friendly staff was a bountiful sampling of the best of boiled seafood. Crabs, shrimp, sausage, potatoes and corn were piled on my platter – I wondered how I would ever finish it all (I didn’t, but I made my best effort). And the whole platter was only $15.99! So good.
Not to be outdone, my wife ordered the crabcakes with crab au grautin over pasta. My seafood platter was oh, so good, but I confess that I had to sample Julie’s dish. It was sooooo good. You can’t go wrong with either of these great dishes. Oh, and be sure to add a White Russian Daquiri to your order – the perfect finish to a fantastic lunch at the Seafood Pot!
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in LaPlace
The Fairfield Inn & Suites in LaPlace is the perfect place to stay when visiting the Louisiana River Parishes. Conveniently located near (but not on) Interstate 10, the modern new hotel by Marriott made a great starting and stopping point each day. The New Orleans Airport is less than an hour away, and the plantations, the swamp tour, and all of the restaurants we went to are less than 30 minutes from the Fairfield Inn.
Our room was extremely clean and the bed so comfortable we slept well all three nights we were there. Parking and wi-fi are free at the Fairfield. There was also a free breakfast every morning, including fresh coffee and juices, breakfast sandwiches, yogurt, muffins and other treats. I’ll be sure to choose the Fairfield Inn & Suites when I’m looking for the best place to stay in LaPlace.
Maps of Plantations, Restaurants, and Fairfield Inn
Thank You, Louisiana River Parishes
We want to thank the wonderful folks at Louisiana River Parishes as well as the fantastic restaurants, hotel, swamp tour, and plantation tours for hosting us on this memorable visit. Be sure to drop by the Louisiana River Parishes Visitors Center at 671 Belle Terre Blvd, LaPlace, LA for a friendly greeting and great information about the area.
