Louisiana Harold B Lee Library

Summary

Louisiana
Research Outline
Table of Contents
Records Of The Family History Library
Family History Library Catalog
Archives And Libraries
Bible Records
Biography
Cemeteries
Census
Church Records
Court Records
Directories
Emigration And Immigration
Gazetteers
Genealogy
History
Land And Property
Maps
Military Records
Naturalization And Citizenship
Newspapers
Notarial Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
Vital Records
Voting Registers
For Further Reading
Comments And Suggestions
This outline describes major sources of information about families from Louisiana. As
you read this outline, study the United States Research Outline (30972), which will help
you understand terminology and the contents and uses of genealogical records

RECORDS OF THE FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY
The Family History Library has many of the records described in this outline. The
library's major holdings of Louisiana records include census, cemetery, land, probate, and
vital records. The library has a large collection of notarial records and naturalization
papers from the Parish of Orleans and passenger lists of New Orleans. It is continually
acquiring additional records

Some of the sources described in this outline list the Family History Library's book,
microfilm, and microfiche numbers. These are preceded by FHL, the abbreviation for
Family History Library. These numbers may be used to locate materials in the library and
to order microfilm and microfiche at Family History Centers

FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY CATALOG
The library's records are listed in the Family History Library Catalog found at the library
and at each Family History Center. To find a record, look in the "Locality Search" of the
catalog for:
• The place where your ancestors lived, such as:
UNITED STATES - CENSUSLOUISIANA - COURT RECORDSLOUISIANA,
ORLEANS - VITAL RECORDSLOUISIANA, ORLEANS, NEW ORLEANS -
CEMETERIES
• The record type you want, such as:
UNITED STATES - CENSUSLOUISIANA - COURT RECORDSLOUISIANA,
ORLEANS - VITAL RECORDSLOUISIANA, ORLEANS, NEW ORLEANS -
CEMETERIES
ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES
The following archives, libraries, and societies have collections or services helpful for
genealogical research

• Division of Archives, Records Management, and History
3851 Essen Lane
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
Telephone: 504-922-1207
Fax: 504-922-0002
• National Archives—Southwest Region (Fort Worth)
501 West Felix Street
Building 1, Dock 1
Fort Worth, TX 76115-0216
Telephone: 817-831-5620
Fax: 817-334-5621
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 6216
Fort Worth, TX 76115-0216
• Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Society
P.O. Box 82060
Baton Rouge, LA 70884-2068
Telephone: 504-766-3018
• Louisiana State Library
701 North 4th Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Telephone: 225-342-4923
Fax: 225-219-4804
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 131
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0131
• Louisiana Historical Association
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
929 Camp Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Telephone: 337-482-6350
Fax: 337-482-6028
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 42808
Lafayette, LA 70504
• Historic New Orleans Collection
William Research Center
533 Royal St

New Orleans, LA 70130
Telephone: 504-598-7171
Fax: 504-598-7166
• Louisiana State Museum
Louisiana Historical Center Library
400 Esplanade Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70176-2448
Telephone: 504-568-8214
Fax: 504-568-4995
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 2448
New Orleans, LA 70176
• Hill Memorial Library
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803-3300
Telephone: 225-578-6568
Fax: 225-578-9425
• Howard Tilton Library
Manuscripts & Rare Books Department
Tulane University
7001 Freret Street
New Orleans, LA 70118
Telephone: 504-865-5685
Fax: 504-865-5761
• New Orleans Public Library
219 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70140-1016
Telephone: 504-596-2560
An inventory of the records in this important collection is Collin B. Hamer, Jr.,
Genealogical Materials in the New Orleans Public Library (New Orleans: Friends of the
New Orleans Public Library, 1984; FHL book 976.3 D23h 1984)

• Orleans Parish Notarial Archives
Civil Courts Building
421 Loyola AvenueRoom B-4
New Orleans, LA 70112
Telephone: 504-568-8578
Fax: 504-568-8599
A helpful guide to Louisiana libraries is Resources in Louisiana Libraries: Public,
Academic, Special and in Media Centers (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State Library, 1971;
FHL book 976.3 A3re; film 896543; fiche 6019941)

To learn more about the history and record-keeping systems of Louisiana parishes, use
any of the 22 inventories of the parish archives produced by the Historical Records
Survey about 1940. The library has most of these inventories

BIBLE RECORDS
The Louisiana Genealogical Records Committee of the Daughters of the American
Revolution (DAR) has collected many Bible records. They can be found at the DAR
Library in Washington, D.C. Over 25 volumes of these and similar compilations are
available on microfilm at the Family History Library. An example is Be It Known and
Remembered: Bible Records, 5 vols. (Baton Rouge, La: Louisiana Genealogical &
Historical Society, 1960-67, 1992; FHL book 976.3 V29L; vols. 1-2 on film 844970 and
vols. 3-4 on film 844935; vols. 1-4 on fiche 6051103)

BIOGRAPHY
Extensive collections of biographical material are at the Louisiana State Library, The
Louisiana State University Library, and the New Orleans Public Library. The New
Orleans Public Library has an extensive card index of biographical sketches in books and
newspapers published before 1972. The Louisiana Historical Association has published a
Dictionary of Louisiana Biography (New Orleans: Louisiana Historical Association,
1988, 2 vols; FHL book 976.3D3dl). Also search local histories, historical atlases, and
similar materials for biographical information

The Family History Library has several biographical and “Who's Who” sources on FHL
film 1000054 items 1-2, including Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Louisiana, 2
vols. (Chicago: Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1892)

CEMETERIES
Twenty-two volumes of Louisiana tombstone inscriptions were collected by members of
the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and deposited with the DAR Library
in Washington, D.C. These were microfilmed in 1970 and are available at the Family
History Library (FHL films 854861-63 and 855248-50). Another DAR collection
containing tombstone inscriptions is described in the “Genealogy” section of this outline

The Family History Library also has 210 microfilms of New Orleans cemetery records

These are listed in the catalog under LOUISIANA, ORLEANS, NEW ORLEANS -
CEMETERIES

CENSUS
Federal
Federal census records are found at the Family History Library, the National Archives,
and other federal and state archives. The United States Research Outline provides more
detailed information regarding these records

The Family History Library has the United States federal censuses of Louisiana for 1810,
1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920. The 1890 census was
destroyed, but there is a Union veterans schedule and a published index to it that is
available at the Family History Library. The population schedule for the Ascension
Parish 1890 census is at the Division of Archives, Records Management, and History,
and an index has been published and is at the Family History Library

Statewide indexes are available for the 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, and 1870
censuses in book and microfiche format. Soundex (phonetic) indexes are available on
microfilm for part of the 1880 and all of the 1900, 1910 and 1920 censuses

Mortality schedules exist for 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880, and all are indexed. The
schedules and indexes are available at the Family History Library and the National
Archives

Colonial and State
In addition to the federal censuses, various military and local censuses were taken
between 1699 and 1805. A special census of New Orleans was taken in 1805. The
information in these censuses varies greatly. Several give the names and ages of all
residents. Most of these censuses have been published and are available at the Family
History Library. Two particularly helpful publications are:
Maduell,Charles R.,Jr. The Census Tables for the French Colony of Louisiana from 1699
Through 1732. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1972. (FHL book 976.3 X2pm.)
Robichaux, Alberte J., Jr. Louisiana Census and Militia Lists 1770-1789. 2 vols. Harvey,
La.: A. J. Robichaux, 1973 and 1974. (FHL book 976.3 X2pr fiche 6088510-511,vols. 1-
2.)
CHURCH RECORDS
Before statehood in 1812 the Roman Catholic Church was dominant in Louisiana. Few
Protestant churches flourished. From 1812 to 1900, the largest religious groups in
Louisiana were the Roman Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Lutheran
churches

The earliest church records were Roman Catholic marriage records that began in 1720
and baptism records that began in 1729. Most records are kept at the local churches. The
Family History Library has a small collection of Louisiana church records, including
Roman Catholic and Baptist sources. Also see the 45 volumes of civil and church records
from southern and southwestern Louisiana published by Donald J. Hebert (see the “Vital
Records” section of this outline)

Guides to help you locate Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish records are:
Hebert, Donald J. A Guide to Church Records in Louisiana, 1720-1975. Eunice, La.: D. J

Hebert, 1975. (FHL book 976.3 K23h fiche 6051420 or 6010583.)
Guide to Vital Statistics Records of Church Archives in Louisiana. New Orleans:
Louisiana State Board of Health, 1942. (FHL book 976.3 V2w; film 1305374 items 2-3;
fiche 6051101.)
You can also write to the following addresses to learn where their records are located:
Roman Catholic
• Archdiocese of New Orleans Archives
7887 Walmsley Ave

New Orleans, LA 70125-3496
Telephone: 504-861-9521
Fax: 504-866-2906
This archdiocese includes the parishes of Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St

John the Baptist, St. Tammany, Plaquemines, and Washington

• Diocese of Shreveport
3500 Fairfield Avenue
AShreveport, LA 71104
Telephone: 318-868-4441
Fax: 318-868-4605
• Diocese of Alexandria
4400 Coliseum Blvd

Alexandria, LA 71303
Telephone: 318-445-2401
Fax: 318-448-6121
• Diocese of Baton Rouge Archives
1800 South Acadian Thruway
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Telephone: 225-387-0561 ext. 226
Fax: 225-242-0299
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 2028
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-2028
This diocese has collected all parish registers in its area and indexed them

Baptist
Historical Commission
Southern Baptist Convention
901 Commerce Street 400
Nashville, TN 37203-3630
Telephone: 615-244-0344
Fax: 615-782-4821
Methodist
Centenary College of Louisiana
Magale Library, Cline Room
Shreveport, LA 71134-1188
Telephone: 318-869-5170
Fax: 318-869-5004
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 41188
Shreveport, LA 71134-1188
Lutheran
University of New Orleans
Earl K. Long Library—Archives and Manuscripts Division
Lake Front
New Orleans, LA 70148
Telephone: 504-280-6544
Fax: 504-286-7277
COURT RECORDS
Major Louisiana courts that kept records of genealogical value were as follows:
1679-1769 Conseil Superieur, or the French Superior Council, had
jurisdiction over land and court matters. The Family History
Library has copies of Conseil Superieur records. The
originals are at the Louisiana Historical Center

1769-1803 Spanish cabildo was the Spanish government for the
province of Louisiana from 1769 to 1803 and presided over
court and land matters. The Family History Library has
Cabildo records on microfilm. The originals are at the
Louisiana Historical Center

1800s-present District courts are districtwide courts with jurisdiction over
probate, divorce, equity, criminal, and civil cases. The
Family History Library has some district court records. For
example, from Orleans Parish the library has minutes (1838-
80), judicial records (1880-1921), and successions (1846-80)

1800s-present Parish courts have parishwide jurisdiction over criminal and
minor civil cases. Most parish courts were abolished in 1846

The Family History Library has some parish court records,
including Orleans Parish minutes, 1808-46

1800s-present The Supreme court is a statewide court located in New
Orleans, which has records of appeals from inferior courts. It
was originally created in 1804 as the Superior Court

Supreme Court records are at the Division of Archives,
Records Management, and History

Other Louisiana court records are available from the various parish courthouses. The
University of New Orleans Archives also has some court records. Notarial records were
kept by the Louisiana courts during some periods. (See the “Notarial Records” section of
this outline.)
You may also want to use English Language Summaries of the Records of the French
Superior Council and the Judicial Records of the Spanish Cabildo, 1714-1800 (N.p.:
Works Project Administration, N.d.; FHL films 1292537-38 and 1292541-43 for the
French Superior Council; films 1292539-40 for the Spanish Cabildo)

DIRECTORIES
Directories of heads of households were published for major cities. For example, the
Family History Library has city directories of New Orleans for:
•1805-11, 1822-24, 1832-61 • FHL fiche 6044250-80
•1861-1935 • FHL film 1377153-
•1874-1900 • FHL film 1000770-76
•1917 • FHL book 976.335/N1 E4p
•1945, 1965 • FHL book Q 976.335/N1 E4p
The New Orleans Public Library has New Orleans city directories for most years since
1805

EMIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION
Immigrants
Pre-statehood settlers of Louisiana generally came from eastern Canada, France,
Germany, the West Indies, Spain, and Africa. During the Revolutionary War many other
immigrants arrived from the Atlantic states. When the territory was formed, large
numbers of Americans from southern Ohio moved to this new acquisition

The Irish were the largest immigrant group in Louisiana during the nineteenth century

They settled mainly during the 1840s and 1850s. Large numbers of Germans arrived in
two waves, one just after 1810 and the second between 1840 and 1860. Small numbers of
Scandinavians came in the 1820s. Some Mexicans settled here in the 1830s. Later
immigrant groups included Italians, Hungarians, and Slavs

Records and histories of ethnic groups in Louisiana, including Acadians (“Cajuns”),
Blacks, Canary Islanders, Chinese, Creoles, French, Germans, and Yugoslavs, are listed
in the catalog under LOUISIANA - MINORITIES

Passenger Lists
The major port of entry to Louisiana has been New Orleans. Lists of some of the colonial
passengers have been published and are at the Family History Library. The Family
History Library and the National Archives also have microfilms of:
• Original passenger lists for New Orleans (1820-1921)
• Indexes (1820-50, 1853-1952)
• Quarterly summaries of passenger lists for New Orleans (1820-75)
The National Archives also has:
• Passenger lists for New Orleans (1903-45)
• Five of the six volumes of Passenger Lists . . . Port of New Orleans. These are
typescripts of lists from some years between 1813 and 1867. Each volume
contains an index

Further information on immigration sources is in the United States Research Outline

GAZETTEERS
Two helpful guides to Louisiana place-names are:
Gibson, Dennis A., ed. Index to Louisiana Place Names Mentioned in the War of the
Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies

Lafayette: University of Southwestern Louisiana, 1975. (FHL book 976.3 E5i.)
Hansen, Harry, ed. Louisiana: A Guide to the State. New York: Hastings House, 1971

(FHL book 976.3 E6h.) This is a revised edition of a 1941 WPA publication

GENEALOGY
Most archives, historical societies, and genealogical societies have special collections and
indexes of genealogical value. These must usually be searched in person

An important manuscript collection of compiled genealogies is the Daughters of the
American Revolution (DAR) Collection. This collection consists of transcripts of Bible,
cemetery, church, marriage, death, obituary, and will records. It was microfilmed in 1971
at the DAR Library in Washington, D.C., and is available on 23 microfilms at the Family
History Library. The volumes are generally arranged by county, and many have
individual indexes

Some major published genealogical collections for Louisiana include:
Arthur, Stanley, and George de Kernion. Old Families of Louisiana. New Orleans:
Harmanson, 1931. (FHL film 1425655 item 5.)
West, Robert C. An Atlas of Louisiana Surnames of French and Spanish Origin. Baton
Rouge: Geoscience Pub., L.S.U. 1986. (FHL book 976.3 D4w; fiche 6088326.)
Whittington, Hattie, and Gladys Sandefur. Louisiana Ahnentafels, Ancestor Charts and
Family Group Sheets. Natchitoches, La.: Natchitoches Genealogical and Historical
Association, 1982. (FHL book 976.3 D2s.)
HISTORY
The following important events in the history of Louisiana affected political boundaries,
record keeping, and family movements

1714 The first settlement was established at Natchitoches

1717-1722 Forced immigration from France brought a few thousand
settlers. A few thousand more, attracted by free land, came
from German-speaking areas of Europe. The importation of
African slaves began

1718 New Orleans was founded

1755-1785 After they had been expelled from Nova Scotia, 5,000 French-
speaking Acadians settled in Louisiana

1763 France ceded Louisiana to Spain

1769 Spain took control of Louisiana and began new record-keeping
procedures

1803 The Louisiana area was purchased by the United States from
France. Although France owned Louisiana between 1800 and
1803, it was still administered by Spain until just before the
United States took possession

1804 The territory was divided, using the 33rd parallel as the
boundary. The northern portion became the District of
Louisiana, and the southern portion became the Territory of
Orleans

1805-1807 The Territory of Orleans was divided into counties, but the
functions of the counties were soon taken over by smaller civil
divisions called parishes, which followed the boundaries of the
old Spanish ecclesiastical parishes

1810 Spanish West Florida between the Mississippi and Pearl
Rivers, including Baton Rouge, was occupied by the United
States and became part of the Territory of Orleans

1812 The Territory of Orleans became the state of Louisiana

1861 Louisiana seceded from the Union. It was readmitted in 1868

Two sources for studying the history of Louisiana are:
Davis, Edwin Adams. Louisiana: A Narrative History. 2d ed. Baton Rouge: Claitor's
Book Store, 1965. (FHL book 976.3 H2d.)
Fortier, Alcee. A History of Louisiana. 4 vols. New York: Manzi, Joyant, and Co., 1903

(FHL film 1036330 items 1-4.)
LAND AND PROPERTY
The French and the Spanish kept the earliest land records of Louisiana, and the
documents are in their languages. Since most of these records were filed with notarial
records, refer to the section on “Notarial Records” in this outline

The Family History Library has microfilm copies and indexes of the records kept by the
French Conseil Superieur and the Spanish cabildo

When Louisiana was ceded to the United States, the landowners registered private claims
to verify their ownership. Most of these claims have genealogical value and have been
published. Useful indexes to pre-1837 claims in the American State Papers (on microfilm
at the Family History Library), are:
McMullin, Phillip W., ed. Grassroots of America, Salt Lake City: Gendex Corp., 1972

(FHL book 973 R2ag index; fiche 6051323.)

Genealogical Materials in the New Orleans Public Library (New Orleans: Friends of the New Orleans Public Library, 1984; FHL book 976.3 D23h 1984). • Orleans Parish Notarial Archives …

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the history of the lee library?

That building was renamed to the Harold B. Lee Library in 1974. The library was significantly expanded in the 1990s, providing new individual and group study rooms and a special vault area for the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Library.

What is the largest library in the united states?

The 665,000-square-foot (61,800 m 2) Harold B. Lee Library is one of the largest libraries in the western United States and contains 98 miles (158 km) of shelving. Lee's teachings as an apostle were the 2002 course of study in the LDS Church's Sunday Relief Society and Melchizedek priesthood classes.

What is the history of the byu library?

The Harold B. Lee Library (HBLL) is the main academic library of Brigham Young University (BYU) located in Provo, Utah. The library started as a small collection of books in the president's office in 1876 before moving in 1891. The Heber J. Grant Library building was completed in 1925, and in 1961 the library moved to the J. Reuben Clark Library.

Who is harold lee?

Jump to navigation Jump to search. Harold Bingham Lee (March 28, 1899 – December 26, 1973) was an American religious leader and educator who served as the 11th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from July 1972 until his death in December 1973.