Acadia Parish History and Information

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Acadia Parish

Acadia Parish was created on 1887 , from St. Landry Parish and the parish was named in honor of the Acadians, descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia. The Parish seat is Crowley .

It is borderd by Evangeline Parish (north), St. Landry Parish (northeast), Lafayette Parish (east), Vermillion Parish (south), Jefferson Davis Parish (west) . Cites, Towns and Communities include Church Point, Crowley, Duson, Estherwood, Eunice, Iota, Mermentau, Morse, Rayne. The Official County Website is located at ? . See Extended History for More information.

  • Acadia Parish, Louisiana History Books at Amazon.com
  • Search Historical Newspapers from Louisiana (1805 - 1985) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 125 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in more than 500,000 issues of over 2,500 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
  • Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.
  • Stories, Memories & Histories - Stories and histories compiled by others researching a person or area can be an amazing source of information about your ancestors. Not only do they generally contain dates and places of vital events like birth, marriage, and death, but they often relate stories and memories that help you really get to know the character of your ancestors.
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Parish Court Records

See Also Louisiana Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Search Louisiana Historical Records - Databases include Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records; Birth, Marriage & Death Records; Voter Lists & Census Records; Immigration & Emigration Records; Obituary Records; Military Records; Family Tree Records; Pictures; Stories, Memories & Histories; Directories & Member Lists and much more....

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

Acadia Parish Clerk of Court has Court Records from 1886, Land Records from 1886, Probate Records from 1886 and Marriage Records from 1886 and is located at 500 N. Parkerson Ave., Courthouse Circle, Crowley, LA 70526; P O Box 922, Crowley, LA 70526; (337) 788-8881, (337) 788-1048 Fax.

The Clerk of Court for each parish in Louisiana performs the functions of more than one office. As the Recorder, the office of the Clerk of Court receives, files, records and indexes all mortgages, conveyances and all other instruments recorded in the Public Records for the Parish. The Clerk’s Office receives and files all pleadings, such as petitions, answers, motions and other filings in Civil and Probate matters, as well as indictments, bills of information and other filings in Criminal matters. The Clerk’s Office also handles special Juvenile matters and Criminal Neglect cases. Another function of the Clerk’s Office is the issuance of Marriage Licenses and recording their returns after the marriages are performed.

You may also search the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which does cover Louisiana and does cover surrounding states. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.

Below is a list of online resources for Acadia Parish Court Records. Email us with websites containing Acadia Parish Court Records by clicking the link below:

  • Records of the U.S. Circuit Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, New Orleans Division: Petitions, 1838-1861icon(The National Archives): NARA P2233. Naturalization records in this publication include petitions and oaths for new citizens in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1838 to 1861. Included here are petitions for naturalization and oaths by petitioners and two witnesses. Occasionally, declarations of intention filed in other courts are included. Each document contains the name and residence of the petitioner, country of birth, city and date of arrival, and names of the witnesses
  • Acadia Parish, Louisiana Court Books at Amazon.com
  • Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
  • Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.
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Parish Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Louisiana

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

Vital Records Registry Office of Public Health, 325 Loyola Avenue, P.O. Box 60630. New Orleans, LA 70160; Tel: 504-568-5150 504- 568-5152 (automated) is the repository for all Louisiana Birth Certificates less than 101 years old and all Louisiana Death Certificates less than 51 years old. Existing records of births which occurred in Louisiana more than 100 years ago or deaths which occurred more than 50 years ago are maintained by the Louisiana State Archives. They have the following records:

  • Birth Certificates: State office has had records since July 1914. Birth records for city of New Orleans are available from 1892. Death records are available since 1942. Older birth, death, and marriage records are available through the Louisiana State Archives, P.O. Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804.
    • Cost: The cost of a birth record is $15.00. Fees must be remitted by personal check, money order or Credi/Debit Card Online for the exact amount at the time the order is placed. No credit cards are accepted except online. If the record is not on file, one fee is retained to cover the expense of the search. Please do not send cash in the mail
    • Processing Time: 4-6 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order Online Below
  • Death Certificates: Under Louisiana law, death records are strictly confidential until 50 years after the year of death. Death records older than 50 years are available at the Louisiana State Archives.
    • Cost: The cost of a death record is $7.00. Fees must be remitted by personal check, money order or Credi/Debit Card Online for the exact amount at the time the order is placed. No credit cards are accepted except online. If the record is not on file, one fee is retained to cover the expense of the search. Please do not send cash in the mail
    • Processing Time: 4-6 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order Online Below
  • Marriage Certificates: Orleans Parish records only from Vital Records Registry or the Louisiana State Archives. For other parishes, certified copies are available from the Clerk of the Court in the parish where the license was issued
  • Divorce Certificates: Divorce records are available from Clerk of Court in parish where divorce was granted. Fees vary. Call Civil District Court, (504) 592-9100
  • Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.

Order By Mail: SUBMIT APPLICATION, COPY OF STATE OR FEDERAL PHOTO ID AND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO: Vital Records Registry, P.O. Box 60630, New Orleans, LA 70160. Please do not send cash in the mail. IF NO RECORD IS FOUND, YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED AND FEES WILL BE RETAINED FOR THE SEARCH PER R.S. 40:40. See LOUISIANA VITAL RECORDS REGISTRY OFFICE OF PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HOSPITALS SERVICE FEES for current cost of all documents.

Below is a list of online resources for Acadia Parish Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Acadia Parish Vital Records by clicking the link below:

  • VitalChek Express Certificate Service - Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. VitalChek is the fast and convenient way to order certified government-issued vital records online. They make it easy for you to purchase the documents to which you are legally entitled. Beware of other online services that do not have relationships directly with the agencies that store your vital records. VitalChek's order process usually takes less than 10 minutes --And you can select express courier service for even faster delivery when time is running out.
  • Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREEicon - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
  • Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Louisiana newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased
  • Louisiana Marriages, 1718-1925: This database is an index to over 570,000 individuals who were married in Louisiana between 1734 and 1935. This index was compiled from courthouse marriage licenses from various Louisiana parishes. Please note that not every parish is included in this index
  • Louisiana Marriages to 1850: This database of Louisiana marriages to 1850 contains over 29,000 names. Each entry includes groom, bride, marriage date, county, and state. Every name is indexed so you can search for one name, or two names that are linked
  • Louisiana Marriage Records, 1851-1900: Although official vital records registration began for Louisiana in 1914, many parishes kept records long before that date. This update adds the records for Bienville, Caldwell, Jackson, and Ouachita parishes to those of Bossier, Lincoln, and Sabine for the years 1851 through 1900. Each entry lists, at a minimum, spouses' names and the date of the marriage
  • Louisiana Statewide Death Index, 1900-1949: This database is a statewide death index for Louisiana between the years 1900-1949
  • New Orleans, Louisiana Birth Records Index, 1790-1899: This database is an index to birth records for New Orleans (which is coextensive with Orleans Parish) between the years 1790-1899
  • New Orleans, Louisiana Marriage Records Index, 1831-1925: This database is an index to marriage records for New Orleans (which is coextensive with Orleans Parish) between the years 1831-1925
  • New Orleans, Louisiana Death Records Index, 1804-1949: This database is an index to death records for New Orleans (which is coextensive with Orleans Parish) between the years 1804-1949
  • New Orleans Deaths, 1840-1970: Taken from small local newspapers, some published over a century ago, this database lists deaths for over 2700 residents of the area between 1840 and 1970
  • Acadia Parish, Louisiana Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
  • Birth, Marriage & Death - Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.
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Parish Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Louisiana

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

Parishwide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Acadia Parish, Louisiana are 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930.

Statewide Records that exist for Louisiana are 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. After the 1803 purchase of Louisiana it became an American possession; therefore, the first federal census report taken for the state was 1810.

Caution should be used particularly with the AIS indexes for Louisiana. Many of the French and Spanish names were transcribed wrong and numerous omissions exist. Many of these population schedules have been published. See Louisiana Census Records. Volume I: Avoyelles and St. Landry Parishes, 1810 and 1820 & Louisiana Census Records. Volume II: Iberville, Natchitoches, Pointe Coupee, and Rapides Parishes, 1810 and 1820 by Robert Bruce L. Ardoin & The Census Tables for the French Colony of Louisiana from 1699 Through 1732 by Charles R. Maduell, Jr. These books are on 1 Family Archive CD

As early as 1860 the federal government began attempts to identify Native Americans. In 1900 and 1910 it created a special Indian schedule. The first page was the same as the population census only it had “Indian Population” as its heading. The second page provided for such important information as: tribal affiliation, the tribe of each parent, the person's Indian blood quantum, and—if not full blooded —their precise racial mixture. These schedules will be found at the end of the ward or district in which the Native American resided.

There are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Union Veterans Schedules were conducted in 1890.

Below is a list of online resources for Acadia Parish Census Records. Email us with websites containing Acadia Parish Census Records by clicking the link below:

  • Acadia Parish, Louisiana Census Books at Amazon.com
  • Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.
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Parish Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Louisiana and other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for Louisiana showing all the parish boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in parish boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps

You can view rotating animated maps for Louisiana showing all the parish boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in parish boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps.

Below is a list of online resources for Acadia Parish Maps. Email us with websites containing Acadia Parish Maps by clicking the link below:

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Parish Military Records

See Also Military Records in Louisiana

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Acadia Parish Military Records. Email us with websites containing Acadia Parish Military Records by clicking the link below:

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Parish Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Tax records are a valuable but little-used source. Almost everything was taxed: household and personal goods, livestock, slaves, and property. Tax lists can be used as a substitute census, to create complete neighborhoods for a neighborhood study, establish relationships, locate land, and so on. Unfortunately, most of these lists no longer exist in Louisiana, but those that are extant are usually found in the tax assessor's office in the Acadia Parish courthouse.

Below is a list of online resources for Acadia Parish Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Acadia Parish Tax Records by clicking the link below:

  • Acadia Parish, Louisiana Tax Books at Amazon.com
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Parish Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Louisiana Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Acadia Parish Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Acadia Parish Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

  • POINTE DE L’EGLISE Genealogical & Historical Society ,  P.O. Box 160, Church Point, LA 70525
  • Louisiana State Archives , 3851 Essen Lane, PO Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125; (225) 922-2012
  • Louisiana Historical Society, 5801 St. Charles Ave, New Orleans, Louisiana 70115; 504/866-3049, [EMAIL]
  • Louisiana Genealogical & Historical Society, P.O. Box 82060, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70884-2060-60
  • National Archives and Records Admin,501 W Felix Str, Building 1, P.O. 6216, Fort Worth, Texas 76115-3405; archives@ftworth.nara.gov, Fax: 817-334-5511
  • Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
  • Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.
  • Louisiana Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com
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Parish Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Louisiana

Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Acadia Parish. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Acadia Parish Tombstone Transcription Project.

Most Catholic church registers are still in the local parish church. Many of them have been translated and published.

The recording of cemetery inscriptions in Louisiana has long been a project of the DAR and numerous genealogical societies. Genealogical publications continually print these inscriptions in their issues.

Below is a list of online resources for Acadia Parish Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Acadia Parish Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Acadia Parish Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Acadia Parish Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Extended History

 

The first settlement of what is now Acadia Parish was made by the exiled Acadians who were induced by the Spanish Government to come to this area with gifts of large tracts of land, cattle, and agricultural implements. Life was simple, their homes were constructed of mud mixed with moss, their food was plain, and there was little trade. They engaged in stock raising, and later raised corn and cotton.

Acadia Parish was part of St. Landry Parish. In those days of poor transportation, people found it a real hardship to travel by horseback, canoe, or priogue to distant Opelousas, the parish seat. In 1886, the Rayne newspaper, The Rayne Signal, proposed a division of the old parish with the creation of a new one. The proposal was soon supported by many prominent men throughout the area, and in an election, the people voted in its favor, almost two to one. Thus was born Acadia Parish on October 2, 1886. The name Acadia was suggested by a priest from Rayne, Father Anthoioz.

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