Gerome Durand arrived in St Martin Parish in the early 1800's. The story says he brought a fortune with him from France, but he did gain a fortune on the sugar plantation he established a few miles north of St Martinville.

He also had planted a 3 mile row of oak and pine trees that led to his plantation home. It is also said that he was always thinking of ways to out-do all of his acquaintences, by a greater show of his wealth. After the Civil War, two of his daughters were to be married. Durand promised them a wedding never seen in Louisiana. The story says that he ordered millions of spiders and before the wedding, had them thrown among the trees, and the morning of the wedding, had silver and gold dust sprayed into the webs, making it resemble a fairy tale scene.

The wedding was his last hurrah, the Civil War cost him his slaves, his sugar mill, and even his home was badly damaged. He died shortly after the wedding. So another story goes that he saved
money and it was buried on the property, but never found. The plantation fell into disrepair and the flood of 1927 washed away whatever remained. The only remains are a one mile stretch of oak and pine trees and a historical marker.

At the end of the road is a sugar cane operation.