Harvey Canal and Harvey Castle: A Louisiana Legacy is a richly told epic that spans 300 years and seven generations of one remarkable Louisiana family. It tells the true story of how a hand-dug ditch became the beating heart of Gulf Coast commerce—and how a family legacy endured across centuries of change. Beginning in 1722 with a royal treasurer sent by King Louis XIV, this sweeping narrative follows the Destrehan and Harvey families through wars, revolutions, floods, and booms. At its center is the Harvey Canal—a private waterway that remains in family hands to this day—and the now-lost Harvey Castle, a Gothic Revival landmark built as both home and headquarters. Author James A. Villarrubia, Jr., a direct descendant and current partner in the Harvey Canal Limited Partnership, brings to life a deeply personal yet universally American story—of vision, adaptation, sacrifice, and legacy. You’ll meet sugar pioneers, canal builders, Civil War survivors, and determined matriarchs like Louise Destrehan Harvey, who climbed ladders at 75 to finish the lock her husband dreamed of building. You’ll see how enslaved people, free men of color, immigrant laborers, and enterprising dreamers helped shape one of the most important inland waterways in America. For over 300 years and across seven generations, this is a story of how one family built not just infrastructure—but identity, industry, and enduring purpose.