A Lost Paradise: Rousseau's Catahoula Inn

Text

Gaston L. Rousseau was born in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, on November 7, 1881. In 1908, Gaston moved to Springfield, Illinois, where he lived for ten years. There, he met Lena Hogan of Illinois. The couple married in New Orleans in 1918. Within two years of marriage, they settled down in St. Martinville, Louisiana.

In 1927, Gaston Rousseau began building the Catahoula Inn in Catahoula, Louisiana. The structure was built on ten-foot-high wooden posts, each pole grounded in cement. The building was large, 120 feet long by 80 feet wide. Situated nine miles northeast of St. Martinville, on the Western shore of Catahoula Lake, Catahoula Inn stood at the gateway to the Atchafalaya Basin. In "The Sportsman's Paradise," the land and water were plentiful with all forms of game. The lake had abundant underwater creatures for fishing excursions, including ducks, squirrels, and other waterfowl for hunting. The Inn was near St. Rita's Chapel. He finished construction in 1928 and had the grand opening on Easter Sunday, April 7, 1928.

The grand opening was a joyous and lively all-day event designed to attract visitors from the surrounding area. The Inn featured a sprawling dance floor that could hold up to 2,500 people. Chairs were neatly arranged around the perimeter, and the band, their instruments gleaming, stood on the stage, filling the air with music. The dance floor overflowed with couples dancing to the lively tune and patrons eating fine Cajun cuisine. The thick humidity lay like a fog, encasing the guests in a hazy nostalgia.

To the right side was the restaurant, which held 40 sanitary onyx tables and 200 chairs to accommodate guests. The dining room could be easily transformed into a banquet room should the occasion arise. Outside was a wrap-around veranda with plenty of chairs and tables to allow guests to enjoy lunch outside, where they could enjoy a beautiful view. After the sun set into the horizon, patrons then enjoyed the electric lighting that illuminated the building, the fun extending well into the night. In the back were the guest rooms and a spacious kitchen.

The Inn was a great success within its first few years. It attracted guests from all over Southern Louisiana and beyond. Despite its initial prosperity, the magnificent vision of Gaston Rousseau faced a tragic end. Rousseau's Catahoula Inn went on sale in 1930. In 1932, Galbert Benoit, the new proprietor, reopened the Inn under the name Catahoula Inn (as opposed to Rousseau's Catahoula Inn). Only two years later, in 1934, a destructive storm caused $500,000 in damage to the area. With half the building collapsed, Catahoula Inn was severely damaged. With costs too high to warrant any potential profit, the structure was instead deconstructed and sold for lumber. Catahoula Inn closed its doors a mere six years after opening, and its memory has slowly been carried away with the current of the Atchafalaya River.