"The Whitney Plantation, originally known as Habitation Haydel, is located less than an hour from New Orleans, on the historic River Road in Wallace, Louisiana. Ambroise Heidel (1702-ca.1770), the founder of this plantation, emigrated from Germany to Louisiana with his mother and siblings in 1721. He became a modest farmer on the east bank with, at one time, a single pig for livestock. In 1752 Ambroise bought the original land tract of this plantation and became a wealthy owner engaged in the business of indigo. Jean Jacques Haydel Sr. (Heidel’s younger child) transitioned the plantation from Indigo to sugar in the early 1800's before passing it to future generations. After the Civil War (1867) the plantation was sold to Bradish Johnson of New York, who named the property after his grandson Harry Whitney."