Seventy and One is an original 1960's two-story building and is located on a four-acre estate in Louisiana's sugar country. The bed and breakfast and steakhouse are both housed in the main building with swimming pool and fishing pond also on the grounds.
The 4-acre estate is on the original site of the Armelise Plantation (circa 1800s), which was owned by Seventy and One owner, Jimmie Dugas', family. The Armelise Plantation was famous for growing sugar cane. Sugar cane was a founding crop of the state of Louisiana and created the Sugar Baron's of the early 1800's.
Owner, Jimmie Dugas, has always been in the restaurant and guest service businesses. Notable ability in personal interaction, meeting and sharing stories with people and discussing her rich family history have always been passions of hers.

many, many years ago, lived a man named Eloi Francis Xavier Dugas.

Xavier Dugas was a brave and fearless leader who ruled over a small kingdom in the Parish of Assumption, in the State of Louisiana.

Xavier brought stability and the necessities of life to his kingdom with the manufacturing of sugar.

He took for his bride the fairest in the land, Armelise Landry, and together they had seven children.

In 1867, Xavier’s daughter, Camille, was joined in marriage to a civil war lieutenant, Joseph E. LeBlanc.

Shortly thereafter, around 1870, Xavier Dugas ordered the building of a commissary in his kingdom, one he named after his beloved wife. It was called the “Armelise Store.”

Put in charge of this store was his son-in-law, Joseph E. LeBlanc, and his youngest son, Claiborne Dugas. The sons of Xavier became expert sugar makers and combined with the bookkeeping and accounting of Joseph E. LeBlanc, formed a profitable partnership that provided well for the family and all those in his kingdom.

Xavier felt confident enough in his sons and son-in-law to join the Reconstruction Legislature in the late 1870’s. When he left for New Orleans his instructions left his eldest son, Honore in charge of his kingdom.

In 1879 a feud developed between Joseph and Claiborne. Their partnership was finally dissolved. Joseph took over full control of the Armelise Store.

As luck would have it, a neighboring landowner would put up for sale a parcel of land known as Augustin Plantation. Honore Dugas and Joseph LeBlanc would now become a partnership to purchase this plantation.

Honore, with his expert knowledge of sugar making, would take care of the mill. Joseph, with his zest for business and accounting, would preside over the store and the mill accounts. Honore’s youngest brother, Felix, soon took over management of livestock and machinery.

The old Augustin Plantation was renamed. It would now be known as Westfield.

The entire kingdom prospered under the leadership of these three ambitious men.

So in 1904, six hundred shares of stock, valued at $450,000.00 was divided into thirds among Honore Dugas, Felix Dugas and the widow of Joseph LeBlanc, Camille.

So it became custom, in the kingdom of Assumption, in the State of Louisiana, that the families of Dugas’ andLeBlancs’ would contribute to the social and economic growth of their community. And that their company and their heirs would live happily ever after.



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