Claiborne Parish was created from Natchitoches Parish by Act No. 42 of the Louisiana General Assembly approved March 13, 1828, from Natchitoches Parish and the parish was named in honor of Governor of Louisiana William C. C. Claiborne. The parish seats have been located in Russellville (1828-1836), Overton (1836-1846, in present day Webster Parish), Athens (1846-1849), now known as Old Athens), and Homer (1849-present). The courthouse at Old Athens along with all parish records were destroyed by fire on November 6, 1849.
The Parish seat is Homer. In 1849, Homer was chosen as
the parish seat and the first
courthouse was in such poor
condition that lawyers and
their clients had to camp out in
the neighboring woods. The
current courthouse was built in
1860.
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. The courthouse at Old Athens along with all parish records were destroyed by fire on November 6, 1849
Claiborne Parish Clerk of Court has Court Records from 1850 and Land Records from 1850 and Probate Records from 1850 has Marriage Records from 1850 and is located at 512 East Main, P O Box 330, Homer, LA 71040, (318) 927-9601, (318) 927-2345 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 Claiborne Parish Court Records. Email us with websites containing Claiborne 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 Claiborne Parish Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Claiborne 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 Claiborne 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 Claiborne 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 Claiborne Parish Census Records. Email us with websites containing Claiborne 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 Claiborne Parish Maps. Email us with websites containing Claiborne 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 Claiborne Parish Military Records. Email us with websites containing Claiborne 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 Claiborne Parish courthouse.
Below is a list of online resources for Claiborne Parish Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Claiborne 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 Claiborne Parish Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Claiborne Parish Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
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 Claiborne Parish Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Claiborne 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 Claiborne Parish Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Claiborne 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.
Claiborne Parish was created from Natchitoches Parish by Act No. 42 of the Louisiana General Assembly approved March 13, 1828, and named in honor of the first American governor of Louisiana, William Charles Cole Claiborne.
Known as the "Banner Parish" of North Louisiana, the original Claiborne Parish extended for approximately 64 miles east of the Red River along the northern border of Louisiana and extended south a distance of approximately 60 miles. From the original parish, the following parishes were formed entirely or in part: Bossier, Jackson, Bienville, Red River, Webster, Lincoln and Claiborne Parishes. The region was originally filled with a host of wild game, including buffalo, deer, and turkey. The tradition of hunting wild game continues to be a favorite sport of many local citizens.
After the parish's first cotton gin was erected in 1824, cotton became the leading agricultural crop, and home to the state's first cotton factory. As recently as 1930 Claiborne Parish had more than 105,000 acres of cotton, which was the largest acreage of any parish in Louisiana. No cotton is grown in the parish at the present time, nor is any likely to be grown in the foreseeable future.
Around 1920, oil was discovered near both Homer and Haynesville with the latter town becoming a boomtown hosting a population of approximately 20,000 persons, which is more than the population of the entire parish today.
The parish seats have been located in Russellville (1828-1836), Overton (1836-1846, in present day Webster Parish), Athens (1846-1849), now known as Old Athens), and Homer (1849-present). The courthouse at Old Athens along with all parish records were destroyed by fire on November 6, 1849.
Homer, the present day parish seat, was named for the Greek poet by the same name. The town was "laid out on a gentle rolling hill in the forest" around a courthouse square in 1850. The courthouse Homer Court Housewas built in the Greek Revival style of architecture and is one of only four pre-civil war courthouses still in use in Louisiana today. The building, completed in 1860, cost $12,304.36. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Anglo-Saxon and African influence, rather than the French who settled the southern part of Louisiana sets the trends in culture, architecture, and traditions. Citizens of Claiborne Parish can take pride in the fact that the stewardship of our cultural traditions is stronger here than in most rural communities within commuting distances of cities and universities.
Russellville - Ghost Town of Claiborne Parish
BY Susan T. Herring Editor, The Guardian-Journal
Images are Needed for this Article
Just over twenty years ago on May 6, 1979, the memorial marker at Russellville was dedicated by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, marking the first official seat of government in Claiborne Parish and the site of the first courthouse and jail.
The marker was unveiled at the ceremony by owners of the land, Emmett Atkins, W.P. Atkins, and Margin Atkins Westbrook. According to Emmett Atkins, the marker still sits at the same site today, although it is no longer accessible. A year or so ago, Atkins, realizing the liability, closed the site.
Hidden by the dense brush, the words of the marker read, "Russellville, La., 1828-1879, First Parish Seat of Claiborne Parish, Site Preserved By The George E. Atkins Family, Research By Mrs. Fannie W. Greene, Historian, Erected By Claiborne Parish Chapter, NSDAR, May 6, 1979.
According to an actual letter written Feb. 14, 1830 by Russell published in Historic Claiborne 1962 with permission from Nettie Mae Brewer of Independence, Virginia (a great niece of Russell), Russell arrived in the area in 1822. Only eighteen families lived in what was then Natchitoches Parish. Russell explained how he used his influence to help carve out a new parish, and have the seat of justice moved from the John Murrell home to his Russellville settlement.
In the same publication, Annie Volentine wrote the first court of justice was housed at Russell's log house, just 100 yards north of the Salem cemetery near Athens. The old oak tree that was used as gallows for hanging criminals still stands. R.L. Kilgore, the first judge, put up court visitors in his home and was later elected to the State Legislature.
In the "Ghost Towns Of Old Claiborne" by John Ardis Cawthon, it says very little information has been preserved concerning Russellville, of the rise and fall of this early settlement, and how it became the area's first ghost town.
It was during the period when Andrew Jackson was President that the Parish of Claiborne purchased 144.45 acres for $180.56 ($1.25 per acre), Certificate No. 496, dated June 15, 1830.
Ten years earlier, Murrell had arrived in the then unsettled land. His only neighbors were a half-Indian, Richard Fields and Isaac Alden. Murrell's home had served as courtroom, church, and post office. Chichester Chaplin was Probate Judge, Isaac McMahan was Sheriff, and Dave McMahan was Clerk of Court. Major James Dyer was elected the first State Representative.
Robert Lee Kilgore and James Lee, cousins to the Murrell's had opened up the first store near Murrell, but moved their business to Russellville in 1828, when it was selected the parish seat, becoming the new town's first merchants.
Claiborne, which had been carved from Natchitoches Parish, included the present parishes of Claiborne, Bossier, Bienville, Webster, and portions of Red River, Jackson and Lincoln. There were only around seventy voters, but the Choctaw Indians were plenty and friendly. It was at this time cotton was introduced and soon became the major crop.
Churches were held at the homes of Newt Drew at Overton, William Gryder at Dyke's mills, Mr. Nelson at Athens, and Peter Franks near Brushy Valley. The first church was built by the Baptists near Flat Lick. James Brinson was the first pastor, and Arthur McFarland of Athens was his successor.
Before this, there were no public roads and people married simply through the services of a minister, since it was so inconvenient to obtain a license before Isaac Alden was appointed Justice of the Peace by the Governor. There were few settlers at the time, living 15 to 20 miles apart, mingled among the Choctaw Indians, and crime was almost nonexistent.
By 1836, however, the parish site was moved to Overton or Minden Lower Landing and back to Old Athens in 1846, when Overton proved to be an unhealthy site. It remained in Athens until 1849, when the old courthouse and all the court records burned. It was at that time the Police Jury moved the parish seat to Homer.
On June 25, 1848, through Act No. 123 of the Legislature of the State of Louisiana, the Claiborne Parish Police Jury was authorized to renounce claim of the property at Russellville, since it had been abandoned for years.
Samuel Russell considered himself a true believer in God, putting his faith in God, not man, and although brief, he made a mark in the history of Claiborne Parish. G.W. Dance wrote in 1888, "We have referred to Russellville in all her pride and prosperity, When the courthouse moved, her glory departed. The village is now an old worn-out field." His words written one hundred eleven years ago still ring true today.
