EVANGELINE PARISH — VILLE PLATTE, La. — For JD Soileau, preserving Cajun history means more than keeping old antiques on a shelf. At 83 years old, he has turned his family property in Evangeline Parish into a living collection of the past, welcoming young people inside to experience it for themselves.
“I like to preserve. The way it was, years back,” Soileau said.
That passion started when Soileau was young and followed his father to auctions.
“I always stayed with my dad and he'd go to auctions. I started going to auctions and buying a few things and also collecting,” Soileau said.
His collection eventually grew to include what he considers his biggest antique yet: an old Cajun house from nearby Chataignier.
Soileau acquired the home more than 30 years ago, removed its roof and had the structure moved to his family property in Ville Platte. He then filled the house with memorabilia, antiques and pieces of Cajun history.
“That’s the biggest piece of antique I ever got,” Soileau said.
The house has since become more than a collection. Soileau welcomes nearby schools, giving students the chance to step inside and interact with the objects and stories he has spent decades preserving.
“They said, Mr. JD, we have more fun over here than when we went to Lafayette. I said, why? ‘You let us touch whatever we wanna touch,’ you know,” Soileau said.
That hands-on approach reflects another important part of Soileau’s life. He began his professional career as a school teacher before eventually taking over his family’s farm. Even after leaving the classroom, he found another way to teach — this time through the history he collected.
“I’m just a real Cajun and I like people and I like collecting antiques,” Soileau said.
Now, the house gives Soileau a way to share that passion with a new generation, giving students a chance to see, touch and learn from pieces of a Cajun way of life that could otherwise disappear.
“I’m glad that I did a little part to keep my heritage going,” Soileau said.
