Бывший знаковый бар и турбаза в Луизиане закрылись после осушения болота

How Alligator Bayou Bar and Swamp Tours became a South Louisiana landmark ASCENSION PARISH, La. (WAFB) - Tens of thousands of people know the Alligator Bayou Bar Café and Swamp Tours. Far fewer know the story behind how it came to be. It starts with Frank Bonifay — a child fishing at Alligator Bayou, when the spot was one of the most popular destinations in the Baton Rouge area. “I was brought here as a child in the 50s, about 1958 I was brought here fishing at alligator bayou. This was one of the hot spots for old Baton Rouge, people would come from all over,” Bonifay said. A business built from the ground up After losing both parents early in life, Bonifay started a roofing business at age 18. The venture grew into a larger enterprise alongside partner Jim Ragland. “Jim Ragland and myself started running reliable enterprises, working for John Hancock, New York Life, Balcor, American Express. Hurricanes hit, and we made lots of money,” Bonifay said. The two eventually used that success to purchase more than 1,000 acres along the Ascension-Iberville parish line. When a proposal emerged to clear-cut the tract, Bonifay pushed back. “There was a proposal for this 1,240 acres to be clear-cut and turned into a dump and I said, ‘no we can’t do that,’” he said. Willie Nelson, 1,400 parking spots and swamp tours Bonifay and Ragland opened the Alligator Bayou Bar Café and Swamp Tours on the property, drawing visitors from across the world. “We had Willie Nelson, the Chicago Stock Exchange, we had parking for 1,400 people,” Bonifay said. The operation also offered educational swamp tours, teaching thousands of children about the bayou ecosystem. A floodgate decision ended it all In 2009, nearby residents began claiming that a closed lock on Alligator Bayou was causing flooding on their property. Parish officials intervened and opened the floodgate. The bayou dried up, and the business followed. “We warned everyone, when you empty the water out, the fish will go and the gators will too,” Bonifay said. What remains Bonifay, who has spent decades advocating for the land, said he hopes its story is not over. “All the children need to learn where they come from and what an asset this land is with the animals,” he said. As previously reported, 320 acres of the property — 53 acres of commercial space along Alligator Bayou Road and 267 acres of swampland — are listed for sale. Bonifay has said he hopes the land is acquired by a nonprofit or the state of Louisiana to continue educating future generations about the ecosystem. Click here to report a typo. Please include the headline. Click here to subscribe to our WAFB 9 News daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox. Watch the latest WAFB news and weather now.