From Sweetening the Table to Sweetening the Deal

From Sweetening the Table to Sweetening the Deal: A History of the Billeaud Companies By Lana Henry About the Book The story of Billeaud Companies spans two continents, three centuries, and six generations of family leadership. It begins in La Rochelle, France, where a three-and-a-half-year-old boy, Martial Francois Billaud, and his family boarded a ship bound for the United States in the winter of 1839. Billaud grew up to marry Lucile St. Julien, a descendant of Joseph “Beausoleil” Broussard—progenitor of the Cajun people—sire five children, and establish the state’s largest sugar mill in Broussard, Louisiana. Their descendants continue to direct Billeaud Companies today. The journey of both the Billaud/Billeaud family and the businesses they founded includes many struggles: a risky trans-Atlantic crossing, adapting to a foreign land, wars, economic depressions, disease, floods, droughts, freezes, hurricanes, death, internal conflict, debt, and transformation. In its relentless theme of struggle periodically rewarded with great success, the Billeaud story is a classic rags-to-riches tale and one of endurance. Throughout this journey, the Billeaud enterprises have always derived their wealth from the land, from the contributions of those who labor upon it, and from recognizing and developing new opportunities that arise from the ever-evolving landscape. About the Author Lana Henry is a writer and editor specializing in local family and business history, memoir, and oral history. She earned her master’s (1999) and doctorate (2004) in English with a concentration in folklore from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Her previous projects include writing Passing a Century in the Atchafalaya Basin: The St. Martin Land Company, 1905–2005, and managing and editing Dwight Andrus Jr.’s memoirs, Going My Way, published by UL Press. Dr. Henry has extensive experience editing scientific, academic, business, journalistic, general nonfiction, memoir, and other materials. She has taught English and English as a Second Language at the adult, university, high school, and middle school levels in Texas, Louisiana, and the Czech Republic. © 2026 University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press (Louisiana Legacies Series) 978-1-959569-35-0 | Hardcover | 10" x 10" | 452 pages