Ouachita Parish, Louisiana Genealogical Records Information

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Ouachita Parish History and Information

Ouachita Parish Facts

Ouachita Parish was created on March 31, 1807. It is one of the 19 parishes, which were created by dividing the Territory of New Orleans. The parish was named in honor of the Ouachita Native American people . The Parish seat is Monroe . See History of the Courthouse for more info.

It is borderd by Union Parish (north), Morehouse Parish (northeast), Richland Parish (east), Caldwell Parish (south), Jackson Parish (southwest), Lincoln Parish (west) . Cites, Towns and Communities include Brownsville-Bawcomville, Claiborne, Monroe, Richwood, Swartz, West Monroe . Unincorporated areas of interest in the parish include Anabel, Bawcomville, Breard, Bosco, Brownville, Cadeville, Carlton, Calhoun, Chiniere, Cobb, Cypress, Deloach, Dicard, Erco, Eureka, Fairbanks, Fondale, Forksville, Fowler, Frizzel Spur, Frost Town, Guthrie, Guyton, Hancock, Indian Village, Lamkin, Lapine, Logtown, Luna, Magenta, McLain, Milhaven, Okaloosa, Perryville, Pine Grove, Pleasant Valley, Rilla, Shops, Sterlington Station, Steven, Summit, Swartz, Tama, Watts, Wham and Wilds.
The Official County Website is located at http://www.oppj.org/ . See Extended History for More information.

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Ouachita Parish Court Records

See Also Louisiana Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate 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. In April of 1864, Yankee gunboats partially destroyed the second courthouse. In 1882 the third courthouse was destroyed by fire..

Ouachita Parish Clerk of Court has Court Records from 1807 and Land Records from 1807 and Probate Records from 1807 has Marriage Records from 1807 and is located at 300 Saint John Street, Monroe, LA 71201, P O Box 1862, Monroe, LA 71210, (318) 327-1444, (318) 327-1462 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.

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 Ouachita Parish Court Records. Email us with websites containing Ouachita Parish Court Records by clicking the link below:

Ouachita Parish, Louisiana Court Books at Amazon.com

Ouachita Parish Vital Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

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

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

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Ouachita Parish Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Louisiana Genealogical Addresses

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

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

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Local Louisiana Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
Louisiana State Archives , 3851 Essen Lane, PO Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125; (225) 922-2012
Louisiana Historical Society, 5801 St. Charles Ave, New Orleans, Louisiana 70115; 504/866-3049, [EMAIL]
Louisiana Genealogical & Historical Society, P.O. Box 82060, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70884-2060-60
National Archives and Records Admin, 501 W Felix Str, Building 1, P.O. 6216, Fort Worth, Texas 76115-3405; archives@ftworth.nara.gov, Fax: 817-334-5511
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.
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Ouachita Parish Church & Cemeteries

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 Ouachita Parish. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Ouachita 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 Ouachita Parish Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Ouachita Parish Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

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

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County History

Ouachita Parish was established March 31, 1807. It is one of the 19 parishes, which were created by dividing the Territory of New Orleans. The original Ouachita Parish was subsequently divided into the parishes of Morehouse, Union, Caldwell, Franklin, Tensas, Madison, East and West Carroll with the present Ouachita Parish remaining.

The parish is named after the Ouachita Indians who held the area when it was first discovered and explored. There is disagreement as to the meaning of the word "Ouachita." Its Choctaw meaning is "Big Hunting Ground," but it also means, "silver water." Years before the "Louisiana Purchase" the present site of Monroe was a more or less established point of contact on the banks of the Ouachita River for the fur traders and Indians of the region. It was a half-defined gateway into the land of adventure and mystery that lay beyond the great lone wilderness.

The Ouachita River was first explored by Hernando de Soto in 1542, and later by the French. In March and April 1700 "Father of Louisiana", Jean Baptist LeMoyne, the Sieur de Bienville came on a fact finding tour for his brother Iberville. He visited a Ouachita Village where the present day town of Columbia is Located.

There were five huts and 70 men to record. A French trading post called: Prairie de Canots was established on the "Washita," but there were no permanent settlements until after the close of the French and Indian War in 1763, when Louisiana was ceded to Spain. This was near where the present day Monroe is located/Prairie de Canots (Prairie of the Canoes) was named this probably because it was a landing place for the Indians of the region who came to trade with the hunters and trappers.

Spain sent Don Juan Filhiol as commandant of the post, and he built the Post of Ouachita around 1780 to protect the settlers against the Indians. He later renamed it to Fort Miro. This fort was on the site of the present Monroe. He was commandant until 1800.

In 1805 the newly established town was plotted, recorded and by act of the territorial government, Fort Miro was designated as the seat of justice of "Ouachita County". The Filhiol plantation on the east bank of the river was divided into blocks each 300 feet square. The eastern boundary was the present Jackson Street, The original plantation of Joseph de la Baume, which had by this time been disposed of by the owner, and similarly divided, and from those two grants a major poition of the present cities of Monroe and West Monroe evolved. Fort Miro was built on the banks of the Ouachita River in what is now downtown Monroe and is where the parish courthouse now stands. Filhiol is considered the father of modern Monroe. In his day, he worked hard to establish a town on his land grant.

On September 5,1816,Filhiol signed the deed, which gave over the lots to the parish government. On that date, Monroe had its true birth.The town name was changed from Fort Miro to Monroe in 1819 in honor of the United States President James Monroe. Primitive as it was, it evolved into twin cities of industrial and commercial importance. West Monroe actually became a city in 1880. Combining the two former towns of Trenton and Cotton Port, each of which began at separate times and locations, formed the city of West Monroe. Monroe and West Monroe are often referred to as the twin cities.

History of the Courthouse

Ouachita Parish court records from the days of Fort Miro give an interesting look into the history of the court system in Ouachita Parish.

In the early days, the courts of justice met at various locations throughout the parish to serve the general convenience. Of course at that time, Ouachita Parish covered the entire northeast corner of Louisiana. This area has since been divided into the parishes of Ouachita, Madison, Tensas, East Carroll, West Carroll, Morehouse, Union, Caldwell and Franklin.

The first courthouse in Ouachita Parish was built in 1816 on a plot of land, donated by Don Juan Fihoil, which is the present courthouse square. The courthouse was a two-story structure of mixed hewn logs and frame with the ground floor used for a jail and the second floor as a courtroom. Also in 1816, a building that was used as the Clerk of Court's Office was constructed. It was a small, one room stucco building. It was constructed on the southeast corner of the plot of land. This building, which is still standing, is considered to be the oldest in Ouachita Parish.

In 1819, a steamboat, named the "James Monroe", traveled down the Ouachita River. The residents then changed the name of Fort Miro to Monroe.

The first legal hanging in Ouachita Parish was in October of 1822. A man named Russell Brooks was convicted of murdering the man who stole his horse, so he was hung from the branch of an oak tree on the courthouse lawn.

The second courthouse was built in 1860. It was constructed of wood frame and stucco. In April of 1864, Yankee gunboats partially destroyed the courthouse as is evidenced by a note to his superiors from a Northern officer "We burned the courthouse, railroad depot and bridge at Monroe."

The third Ouachita Parish courthouse, a red brick two-story building with plantation style galleries, was completed on Nov. 8, 1883. East Baton Rouge contractors Hannan & Voss built the structure at a cost of $25,000.

In 1924, Ouachita Parish residents approved a bond issue for approximately $500,000 to build a new and modern courthouse on the same original site. The new courthouse, built of reinforced concrete, Indiana limestone and a granite base, was completed in 1926. It had a copper roof and marble corridors, stairways and wainscoting. The new courthouse included three stories with a basement and one extra floor that was used for the jail. The jail included a gallows room, which ended public hangings.

For almost forty years, the courthouse provided adequate space for the parish government and courts, but with the growth of the parish due to the industrial expansion in the area, more room was needed. After much debate and consideration the police jury voted to award the contract to remodel the Ouachita Parish courthouse to Jesse F. Heard & Sons, Inc. The $1,567,000 remodeling project began in the fall of 1966 and was completed in the spring of 1969. The central part of the courthouse as well as the marble stairways and halls remained much the same, with the major changes being in the two extensions at each end of the building where complete renovation and enlargement of the facility was completed.

The current and most recent renovation to the historic Ouachita Parish Courthouse was brought about by the growth of the justice system in the area and the need for additional courtrooms and office space for both court and parish governmental functions.

The old Ouachita Parish jail, on the fourth floor of the courthouse, was gutted and that space was reconfigured and built out as new courtrooms and offices for the nine 4th Judicial District Court judges and the administrative staff of the court. The original third floor courtrooms also received a refurbishing and updating with modern communications facilities and increased security.

Local architect Bill Land, whose father designed the 1960's renovation, was responsible for the redesign and update planning of the facility to fill the needs of today and the foreseeable future.

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