Assumption Parish was created on 1807 , as an Original Parish and the parish was named in honor of the Assumption Roman Catholic Church, the oldest in the state. The Parish seat is Napoleonville .
Prior to 1750, the French, proceeding south along Bayou Lafourche from where that stream forks with the Mississippi, settled on both sides of "the river of the Chitimacha." They were followed by the Spanish who penetrated as far as Napoleonville which, by the time the exiled Acadians arrived in the 1760's, had become a prosperous little colony. Upon acquisition of the territory by the United States in 1803, English speaking land seekers came and at Napoleonville, named by a soldier who had served under the Little Colonel, they found a thriving market place. Yet another group, the Canary Islanders or Islenos, added to the nationalities entering the area. The Islenos were sent in 1779 and 1780 by Governor Bernardo de GALVEZ to the locality near Plattenville called Valenzuela Post. The post was about at the site of Belle Alliance, where today stands a plantation home bearing the latter name and built in 1846 by Charles KOCK. Nearby are ruins of Belle Alliance Sugarhouse, once one of the most important west of the Mississippi River, and around which a Negro community has grown. South of the parish seat, the area around Labadieville was taken up by French and Spanish, joined by Acadians and a sprinkling of Germans from the Cote des Allemands or German Coast to the east on the Mississippi River. This was during the two decades after 1750. Labadieville takes its name from a pioneer resident, Jean Louis LABADIE.
Descendants of these settlers comprise a very considerable part of Assumption's present population. Upon the cession to Spain in the 1760's the first commandant was Nicolas VERRET. He was succeeded by VILLANEUVA. The story is told that the transfer to the Spanish did not meet the approval of all Assumption men. One, DASPIT ST. AMANT, loudly opposed the new government and his arrest was ordered. ST. AMANT placed a keg of gunpowder in the door of his home and defied officers; the latter retreated on his threat to explode the powder. Friends of ST. AMANT met them during the withdrawal and persuaded the officers that the belligerent citizen should be left strictly alone, which was apparently done.
Following the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the first Lafourche Parish Judge appointed by Governor W. C. C. CLAIBORNE was James MATHER. He ws succeeded by Bela HUBBARD who in turn ws made Parish Judge, and followed by COURVOISIER, Wincelas PICHOT (who was killed in a duel), and lastly Alexander COVILLIER. See Extended History for More information.
PLEASE READ!! 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.
Assumption Parish Clerk of Court has Court Records from 1788 and Land Records from 1788 and Probate Records from 1788 has Marriage Records from 1800 and is located at 4809 LA Highway 1, P ODrawer 249, Napoleonville, LA 70390, (985) 369-6653, (985) 369-2032 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.
Below is a list of online resources for Assumption Parish Court Records. Email us with websites containing Assumption 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, 1838-1861(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.
Click Here to Search Louisiana Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
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: Death records maintained by Arkansas Vital Records start with February 1, 1914 through the present. Arkansas Vital Records does have a limited number of deaths occurring prior to 1914 for Little Rock and Fort Smith dating from 1881. The Arkansas History Commission has a death index of deaths occurring in Arkansas from 1914 through 1949. This is only an alphabetical listing of deaths occurring in Arkansas. The History Commission does not have copies of the death records.
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 and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering below
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.
Below is a list of online resources for Assumption Parish Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Assumption Parish Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - 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.
Click Here to Search Louisiana Voter Lists & Census Records! - 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 Assumption Parish, Louisiana are 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Assumption Parish, Louisiana 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.
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.
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.
Below is a list of online resources for Assumption Parish Census Records. Email us with websites containing Assumption Parish Census Records by clicking the link below:
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 Assumption Parish Maps. Email us with websites containing Assumption Parish Maps by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Louisiana Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.
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 Assumption Parish Military Records. Email us with websites containing Assumption Parish Military Records by clicking the link below:
Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Louisiana (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
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 Assumption Parish courthouse.
Below is a list of online resources for Assumption Parish Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Assumption Parish Tax Records by clicking the link below:
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 Assumption Parish Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Assumption Parish Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Terrebonne Genealogical Society- Our quarterly publication is "Terrebonne Life Lines", each issue has a full name index, total of 300 pages of research information published per year. We cover the old Lafourche Interior area - Assumption, Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes.
Louisiana Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Click Here to Search Louisiana Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. 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.
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 Assumption Parish Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Assumption Parish Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Louisiana obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Louisiana newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Louisiana.
Click Here to Search Louisiana Family Tree Records! - 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 Assumption Parish Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Assumption Parish Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
Louisiana Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Assumption Parish is situated in the serene bayou country in the south-central portion of Louisiana. It is an irregular-shaped parish and is located about 30 miles south from Baton Rouge and 60 miles west of New Orleans. It is bordered on the north by Iberville and Ascension Parishes, on the east by St. James and Lafourche Parishes, on the south by Terrebonne and St. Mary Parishes, and on the west by St. Martin and Iberia Parishes. The southern tip of the parish is about 25 miles and an extreme width of about 18 miles. The total area of the parish is 236,962 acres, of which 21, 654 acres is water.
The soil of the entire parish is alluvial and divided into three classes – sandy loam, mixed soil (a mix of sand and humus), and black land (contains little or no sand). Many thousands of acres are flooded, however, because of their low elevation and lack of adequate outlets. Most of the flooded soils are in woodland. The most valuable land of the parish lies along Bayou Lafourche, extending back some 80 to 100 acres; no better land than this is to be found in the state.
Sugarcane is the main crop. In proportion to this area, Assumption Parish produces more sugar than any other parish in Louisiana. Most of the soils in the parish not subject to flooding have been used in the production of sugarcane. There are many home gardens since the rich loamy soil is well suited for vegetable crops.
The original inhabitants who lived along the banks of our Bayou are said to have been the “Chetimatches Indian Tribe”, “Washas” and “Chawashas”. For the archeologist, there are the mysterious Indian mounds still found in this parish in the interior of Lake Verett. These were said to have been in existence at least 4,000 years ago. These Indian Tribes used the lakes and bayous for hunting and fishing in their hand-made dugout canoes. Villages were located near the bayous and lakes. Houses were constructed round with walls of a mixture of clay and Spanish moss. Roofs were made of layers of palmetto leaves carefully applied to prevent leakage. Within the village were large thatched “temples” that housed the Chief of the Tribe. Sentries were constantly on guard against invaders with their stations as lookout towers that were placed on stilts at outlying positions near the village.
Assumption Parish was the eighth parish created by the state in 1807, five years before Louisiana entered the Union. Its recorded history dates back to 1699, when French explorers under Bienville were the first white men to explore the Bayou Lafourche valley. The three Indian tribes were the only inhabitants of the area at that time and Bienville named the stream running through the center of the valley “the River of the Washas” after reaching the chief Washa village, where Labadieville is now. The French later re-named the stream “Lafourche of the Chitamatchas” for the tribe located where the bayou connects with the Mississippi River.
French and Spanish colonists established the first permanent settlements in the middle of the 18th Century. French Acadians, exiled from Nova Scotia, settled here between 1755 and 1765. Germans eventually joined them from the “German Coast” of the Mississippi River along with a large number of Spanish immigrants about 1778 while Louisiana was under Spanish rule.
Early settlers stayed close to Bayou Lafourche but, after Louisiana achieved statehood, many Anglo-Americans bought large farms and came to the parish with their slaves. One such family, the Pugh’s of North Carolina, arrived in the 1820’s. They acquired 18 plantations and built magnificent homes such as Madewood near Napoleonville, one of the most important historical structures in the parish.
As the land’s use changed from the small, individual plots farmed by the Acadians to large plantations run by the Anglo-Americans, use of the parish’s lifeline – Bayou Lafourche – was likewise altered. Pirogues and flatboats had been used since the first settlements were established in the 1700’s, but in 1812 the first steamboat appeared on the Mississippi River and within a decade others made their way to Bayou Lafourche.
Assumption Parish was the scene of a skirmish during the Civil War in October 1862. A Union army of 3,000 troops was confronted at Georgia Plantation near Labadieville by a smaller Confederate unit. Out-manned and out-maneuvered, the Confederate unit was quickly overcome. Other Union forces later camped in Napoleonville.
Napoleonville has always been the parish seat. In 1832, Louis Monginot bought a quarter-mile square of land along the bayou for $2,000 and subdivided it into town-like markings. Legend has it that Monginot had been a solider under Napoleon Bonaparte and named the community in honor of the “Little General.” However, records suggest that the town was probably named for the Napoleon family, which was instrumental in the community’s early development.
The first courthouse was built in 1818, but it was destroyed by fire, as was the second building. The present courthouse was built in 1895 and features Spanish architecture seldom seen in such structures in south Louisiana.
The Catholic religion of the people of Assumption is interwoven with the history of the parish itself. The focus of the community’s Catholic faith is visible in the beautiful churches in each of the parish towns.
Perhaps the most historic of Assumption’s churches is Christ Episcopal Church in Napoleonville.
