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Iberville Parish History and Information
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Iberville Parish Facts

Iberville Parish
Iberville Parish was created on 1807 , from Assumption and Ascension Parishes and the parish was named in honor of an explorer named Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, the brother of Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville . The Parish seat is Plaquemine .

It is borderd by Point Coupee Parish (northwest), West Baton Rouge Parish (north), East Baton Rouge Parish (northeast), Ascension Parish (east), Assumption Parish (southeast), Iberia Parish (south), St. Martin Parish (west) . Cites, Towns and Communities include Grosse Tete, Maringouin, Plaquemine, Rosedale, St. Gabriel, White Castle . Unincorporated areas of interest in the parish include Allemania, Augusta, Bayou Goula, Bayou Paul, Bayou Sorrel, Bruly Lacroix, Bruns, Carville, Catherine, Choctaw, Crescent, Goldridge, Grand River, Indian Village, Laurel Ridge, Lone Star,McWilliams, Musson, Myrtle Grove, Pecan Spur, Pigeon, St. Gabriel, Samstown, Soniat, Sunshine Post Offie, Texas Spur and Willow Glen. The Official County Website is located at http://www.ibervilleparish.com/ .

Iberville was “discovered” by French explorer Pierre LeMoyne, Sieur d’Iberville in 1699, but its rich delta soil and many waterways had been discovered by Indian tribes long before Iberville ever set foot here. While it was initially an agricultural area, Iberville has changed through the centuries to accommodate the changing times.  The parish has always had  plenty of sugarcane and soybean fields, but through the years the hardwood timber industry, river commerce and now industrial development have been essential to a thriving parish economy.

From the 1800s until the mid-1900s, Louisiana produced more sugar than any other state in the nation, and Iberville, as the state’s leading sugarcane producer, drew the name “Sweet Iberville.” By the late 1800s Bayou Plaquemine, running through the heart of Iberville, became the most common route from the Mississippi River into the interior of Louisiana, and this water traffic brought a boom in the parish’s timber and sawmill industries and a variety of commercial establishments catering to travelers. It also resulted in the construction of the historic Plaquemine Lock.

With the agricultural, timber, sawmill, and water commerce industries powering the economy, Iberville prospered into the 1960s, when the Lock was finally closed, replaced by a bigger structure closer to Baton Rouge. But by this time the chemical industry had realized the many advantages that Iberville offered with its access to the Mississippi River, interstate travel, electrical power and hard-working people. Today, the chemical and agriculture industries power the economy, and exist in harmony with the tourism industry.

The parish now has six municipalities - Plaquemine, the largest city and capital of the parish, St. Gabriel, White Castle, Rosedale, Grosse Tete and Maringouin. It is experiencing an economic burst, with several chemical and industrial plants announcing new plant start-ups and expansions  totaling well over $1 billion. A parish rich in history, Iberville is also a parish moving into a new and dynamic chapter of its long life. See Extended History for More information.

 

There are free downloadable and printable forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms, U.K. Census Extraction Forms, Research Calendar, Ancestral Chart, Research Extract, Correspondence Record , Family Group Sheet , Source Summary Form.

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Iberville Parish Court Records
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.

   Iberville Parish Clerk of Court has Court Records from 1807 and Land Records from 1770 and Probate Records from 1807 has Marriage Records from 1770 and is located at 58050 Meriam Street, Plaquemine, LA 70764, P O Box 423, Plaquemine, LA 70765, (225) 687-5160, (225) 687-5260 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.

There are a few online databases for Court, Land and Probate Records which include:Louisiana Marriages, 1718-1925, Louisiana Marriages to 1850, Louisiana Marriage Records, 1851-1900, New Orleans, Louisiana Marriage Records Index, 1831-1925, Louisiana Land Records. 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.


Search Online Click Here to Search Louisiana Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

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

  • Iberville Parish, Louisiana Court Books at Amazon.com

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Iberville Parish Vital Records
Search Online 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.

Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. Birth, Marriage, Divorce & Death Certificates Signed. Sealed. Delivered. Often in as few as three business days!

   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 ELECTRONICALLY
  • 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 ELECTRONICALLY
    • Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
  • 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 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.
Order On-Line:  To obtain a certified copy of a vital record by on-line purchase with a credit card, please link to VitalChek.

There are a few online marriage databases which include:Louisiana Statewide Death Index, 1900-1949, New Orleans, Louisiana Birth Records Index, 1790-1899, New Orleans, Louisiana Marriage Records Index, 1831-1925, New Orleans, Louisiana Death Records Index, 1804-1949 and New Orleans Deaths, 1840-1970

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

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Iberville Parish Census Records
Search Online 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 Iberville 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 Iberville 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.

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 Iberville Parish Census Records. Email us with websites containing Iberville Parish Census Records by clicking the link below:

  • Iberville Parish, Louisiana Census Books at Amazon.com

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Iberville Parish Maps & Atlases

   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 Iberville Parish Maps. Email us with websites containing Iberville Parish Maps by clicking the link below:

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Iberville Parish Military Records
Search Online 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 Iberville Parish Military Records. Email us with websites containing Iberville Parish Military Records by clicking the link below:

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Iberville Parish 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 Iberville Parish courthouse.

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

  • Iberville Parish, Louisiana Tax Books at Amazon.com

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Iberville Parish 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 Iberville Parish Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Iberville Parish Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

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Iberville Parish Church & Cemeteries
Search Online 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.

   There are many churches and cemeteries in Iberville Parish. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Iberville 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 Iberville Parish Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Iberville Parish Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Search Online 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 Iberville Parish Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Iberville Parish Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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County History

1699
Bayougoula Indians inhabited what is now Iberville Parish when the first European explorers passed through this frontier area on the Mississippi River. In 1699, the French Canadian LeMoyne brothers, Pierre, Sieur dËIberville, and Jean Baptiste, Sieur de Bienville met these Indians on their first trip up the Mississippi River and were surprised to find evidence that LaSalle and Tonti had been there over a decade before. The explorers named the area District of Iberville.

1700
Father Paul DuRu, a Jesuit missionary, established the first church in Louisiana in 1700 near the Bayougoula village and labored to convert the Indians.

When the Europeans began to settle in the area, the Chitimachas were the most prominent Indians in the parish. They held a large part of the parish on the west bank of the Mississippi and had villages at Plaquemine, Indian Village, Belle River, and the largest at Donaldsonville.

1766
In 1762, France lost all her holdings in the New World including Louisiana, which was given to Spain to keep it from falling into British hands. Spain did not formally take possession of the colony until 1766, at which time they began to dispatch colonists, mainly Canary Islanders, throughout the lower Mississippi Valley. They also welcomed the exiled Acadians by providing them with land, farming implements, guns, livestock, food, and some other necessities. By 1767, several Acadian settlements had been established along the coast south of St. Gabriel.

1769
A 1769 census of the district showed 376 occupants. The early settlements of the Duvernay Concession at Bayou Goula in the 1720s and the Acadians at St. Gabriel on the east bank of the Mississippi River in 1767, established Iberville Parish as one of the oldest parishes in Louisiana. St. Gabriel d'Iberville was the largest colony in the district and one of the first three Acadian settlements in Louisiana. The Plaquemine area, however was not established until much later. At the time of the arrival of the Acadians at St. Gabriel, the only inhabitants of the west bank were the Indians, who called the bayou along which they lived "Piakimines." As the settlements in the Attakapas and Opelousas regions grew in importance, attention began to shift from the eastern half of Iberville Parish to that part west of the Mississippi. Travellers in Louisiana began to notice in the late 1700s and early 1800s that Bayou Plaquemine afforded a possible route to the fertile districts in lower Louisiana.

1805
When the Territory of Orleans is divided into counties the present-day Iberville Parish is part of Pointe Coupee County and Iberville County

1807
William C. C. Claiborne was inaugurated as the first governor of the Territory of Orleans, and in 1805, the Legislative Council divided the territory into twelve counties. In 1807, the second session of the Legislative Council formed nineteen parishes, including Iberville, but did not abolish the original twelve counties. Point Pleasant became the seat of government in 1807 and remained such until 1835 when it was moved to Plaquemine. The county system eventually died out, leaving only the parishes. Several acts of the Louisiana Legislature have been passed redefining the boundaries between Iberville and its neighboring parishes.

1827
In 1827, the settlements on Bayou Grosse Tete and Bayou Maringouin are taken from West Baton Rouge Parish and placed in Iberville because the Iberville Parish Courthouse was more easily accessible to the residents. The next year, a provision was made allowing the settlements to be returned to West Baton Rouge if that parish would build a road leading from the settlements to the West Baton Rouge Courthouse. The road was built, but the settlements remained in Iberville. The act of 1859 permanently settled the dispute between the two parishes by fixing these settlements in Iberville.

1837
In 1837, the boundary between the parishes of Iberville and Ascension was surveyed and in 1841, the first act was passed by the legislature establishing that boundary. Finally, the western boundary between Iberville and St. Martin Parishes was drawn in 1847.

1847
Finally, the western boundary between Iberville and St. Martin Parishes was drawn in 1847.

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