Natchitoches Parish was created on 1807 , as an Original Parish and the parish was named in honor of the Natchitoches Native American people . The Parish seat is Natchitoches .
The City of Natchitoches was founded by St. Denis, 1714; the oldest permanent settlement in Louisiana and the entire Louisiana Purchase territory west of the Mississippi. On this site, Fort St. Jean Baptiste was built about 1715.
It is borderd by Bienville Parish (north), Winn Parish (northeast), Grant Parish (east), Rapides Parish (southeast), Vernon Parish (south), Sabine Parish (southwest), De Soto Parish (northwest), Red River Parish (northwest) . Cites, Towns and Communities include Ashland, Campti, Clarence, Goldonna, Marthaville, Melrose, Natchez, Natchitoches, Powhatan, Provencal, Robeline . Unincorporated areas of interest in the parish include Ajax, Allen, Bellwood, Bermuda, Chestnut, Chopin, Clautierville, Creston, Cypress, Cypress Post Office, Derry, Flora, Gailbraith, Gorum, Grand Ecore, Grappes Bluff, Hogewood, Janie, Kile, Kisatchie, Kraft, Lakeview, Lotus, Luella, Marco, Marthaville, Melrose, Mink, Messick, Montrose, Mora, Odra, Readheimer, Shamrock, Skidder, Trichell, Vowels Mill and Wood. The Official County Website is located at ? . 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.
Natchitoches Parish Clerk of Court has Court Records from 1732 and Land Records from 1732 and Probate Records from 1732 has Marriage Records from 1729 and is located at 200 Church Street, Room 104, Natchitoches, LA 71457, P O Box 476, Natchitoches, LA 71458, (318) 352-8152, (318) 352-9321 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 Natchitoches Parish Court Records. Email us with websites containing Natchitoches 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 Natchitoches Parish Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Natchitoches 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 Natchitoches 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 Natchitoches 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 Natchitoches Parish Census Records. Email us with websites containing Natchitoches 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 Natchitoches Parish Maps. Email us with websites containing Natchitoches 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 Natchitoches Parish Military Records. Email us with websites containing Natchitoches 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 Natchitoches Parish courthouse.
Below is a list of online resources for Natchitoches Parish Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Natchitoches 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 Natchitoches Parish Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Natchitoches 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 Natchitoches Parish Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Natchitoches 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 Natchitoches Parish Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Natchitoches 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.
1542: The Natchitoches Indians were a small tribe of the Caddoan linguistic stock who recognized the good quality of the farm lands along the Red River, settled in the area, established villages, raised crops and fished in nearby streams. They were used as guides by the early explorers and helped develop trade between early French Louisiana and Spanish Mexico. The name has been translated as chinquapin or pawpaw eaters.
The recorded history of central Louisiana begins with its exploration by the Spaniard Hernando Desoto in 1542. He is said to have captured and held Indian hostages in the area to gain food for his impoverished band of explorers. Bienville, who established New Orleans and St. Denis were the next European explorers in the area about 1700.
1714: In 1714, Louis Juchereau de St. Denis establishes a post near the site of the present day city of Natchitoches as he is on his way to initiate trade with the Spaniards in Mexico.
1715: The next year, Fort St. Jean Baptiste was built there on the banks of the Red River because that spot was as close as the river came to the Spanish frontier and because there was a log jam, called The Great Raft, obstructing the river beyond that point. During its early years the tiny garrison run by St. Denis lived an impoverished existence but managed to defend itself against a siege by the Natchez Indians in October of 1731. The little settlement was also a border town and the scene many intrigues such as smuggling and overland gold and silver shipments along the Natchez Trace from Mexico. A larger fort was built in the area in 1735 and St. Denis remained as the French commandant until his death in 1744.
1731: During its early years the tiny garrison run by St. Denis lived an impoverished existence but managed to defend itself against a siege by the Natchez Indians in October of 1731. The little settlement was also a border town and the scene many intrigues such as smuggling and overland gold and silver shipments along the Natchez Trace from Mexico. A larger fort was built in the area in 1735 and St. Denis remained as the French commandant until his death in 1744.
1732: After the Natchez Indians in the area burn a French woman nearby St. Denis sends a troop of forty soldiers to wipe out the tribe.
1735: A larger fort was built in the area in 1735 and St. Denis remains as the French commandant until his death in 1744.
1763: Natchitoches becomes a Spanish outpost and gradually became a major trading post and head of navigation on the Red and Old Rivers. The Spanish governors encouraged settlement and pioneers begin to settle in the area and establish plantations, taking grants from the Spanish Crown. El Camino Real, the King's Highway, winding through Natchitoches toward Natchez, brings hides, buffalo and silver from Mexico. Boats coming up the river bring tobacco, medicine, firearms and whiskey. Indians trade salt that is mined on local Bayou saline.
1790: Beau Fort Plantation is built for Louis Barthelemy Rachal and his wife. It is one and a half story cottage with a long front gallery It will be sold to Narcisse Prudhomme in 1834 and to the Clotier family in 1928
1804: Fort Claiborne is established in Natchitoches. Named after William C. C. Claiborne, Governor of territorial Louisiana. It will protect U.S. interests on the present southwestern frontier. Garrisoned almost continuously until establishment of Fort Jesup in 1822.
1805: When the Territory of Orleans is divided into counties most of the present-day Natchitoches Parish is part of Natchitoches Countywhile a is portion is in the Neutral Ground.
1806: After the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, a dispute arose between the United States and Spain over the Western boundary of the United States. In 1806 a „neutral ground¾ treaty was signed setting up a 40-mile strip of land between the Rio Hondo (just west of Natchitoches) and the Sabine River, which was supposed to remain unsettled. In reality, this area (called The Free State of Sabine or No Man's Land) attracted many settlers and harbored a number of infamous outlaws and pirates such as John Murrell and Jean Lafitte. It was also the back door through which slaves were smuggled into the United States after their importation had been forbidden by the government.
1820: The first permanent parish courthouse is built
1820s: When steamboats began to run cotton and other goods between New Orleans and Natchitoches in the 1820s, it was predicted that Natchitoches would grow almost as large as New Orleans. Two events then occurred which changed the course of Natchitoches' development.
1832: In 1832 the Red River cut a new path through a bayou further upstream, leaving Natchitoches isolated and washing out a more direct course toward settlements to the east.
1833: The Great Raft (of logs) is removed from the Red River between 1833 and 1838 by Henry Miller Shreve. Shreveport began to develop as the head of navigation on the Red River. The old riverbed, now called Cane River Lake, did not have enough water for commercial navigation, but provides the scenic beauty and recreational uses for which Natchitoches is known today.
1864: The town continued its strategic and commercial importance. American troops camped at Natchitoches on their way to the Mexican War. Many used it as a stopping point as they moved west to settle Texas and Oklahoma.
In the spring of 1864, after the fall of New Orleans in the Civil War, Shreveport was the capital of Louisiana. Union General BanksË Red River Campaign to capture this city left much ruin and desolation throughout the area. Many plantations along the river, as well as Grande Ecore, the city that replaced Natchitoches as a port, and the town of Campti were all burned during the retreat of the Union forces.
Natchitoches has grown slowly in this century and the economy has diversified to include industrial products such as paper, plywood, and cotton seed oil. Agriculture has grown from just cotton to include soybeans, beef cattle, poultry, pecans, catfish, and alligators and crawfish.
1884: A state normal school now known as Northwestern State University is founded in Natchitoches.
1890: A red brick courthouse that still stands today is built by C. D. Stewart from a design by Favrot and Livaudais of New Orleans. The first contractor absconded with the money, leaving the parish to scramble to raise funds..
1939: The present courthouse is built by J. W. Smith Associates of Monroe, but without a courtroom, which it receives 20 years later in the form of an annex.
