St. John the Baptist 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 Saint John the Baptist . The Parish seat is Edgard .
It is borderd by Tangipohoa Parish (north), Lake Pontchartrain (northeast), St. Charles Parish (southeast), Lafuorche Parish (south), St. James Parish (west), Ascension Parish (northwest), Livingston Parish (northwest) . Cites, Towns and Communities include Edgard, Garyville, LaPlace, Reserve, Wallace . Unincorporated areas of interest in the parish include Angelina, Belle Point, Columbia, Cornland, Dutch Bayou, Edgard, Frenier, Galva, Gypsie, Johnson, Lions, Lucy, Marathon, Montegut, Mt. Airy, Tigerville and Wallace.
The Official County Website is located at http://www.sjbparish.com/ . 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.
Saint John the Baptist Parish Clerk of Court has Court Records from 1700's and Land Records from 1700's and Probate Records from 1700's has Marriage Records from 1772 and is located at 2393 Hwy. 18 (River Road), River Road @ East Third Street, P O Box 280, Edgard, LA 70049, (985) 497-3331. 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 St. John the Baptist Parish Court Records. Email us with websites containing St. John the Baptist 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 St. John the Baptist Parish Vital Records. Email us with websites containing St. John the Baptist 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 St. John the Baptist 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 St. John the Baptist 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 St. John the Baptist Parish Census Records. Email us with websites containing St. John the Baptist 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 St. John the Baptist Parish Maps. Email us with websites containing St. John the Baptist 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 St. John the Baptist Parish Military Records. Email us with websites containing St. John the Baptist 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 St. John the Baptist Parish courthouse.
Below is a list of online resources for St. John the Baptist Parish Tax Records. Email us with websites containing St. John the Baptist 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 St. John the Baptist Parish Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing St. John the Baptist 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 St. John the Baptist Parish Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing St. John the Baptist 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 St. John the Baptist Parish Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing St. John the Baptist 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.
St. John the Baptist Parish was the second permanent settlement in Louisiana and established in the early 1720's by a group of Germans, hence becoming known as "La Cote des Allemands" or "The German Coast". Led by Karl Frederic D'Arensbourg, a settlement was created on the west bank of the Mississippi River in the area now known as Lucy which was originally named Karistein. Some families also began farming land on the east bank, in what is now Garyville and Reserve.
D'Arensbourg's grandson, Jacques Villere , was born at Lucy and became the second governor of the state of Louisiana. He was the first Creole (Louisiana born) person of pure European descent to hold that office.
The area remained under the French regime until 1768, when France delivered Louisiana to the Spanish. At this time the Acadians or "Cajuns" began arriving in South Louisiana after being exiled from Nova Scotia. The first Acadian settlement was established at what is now called Wallace. The French and German cultures mixed, with French becoming the dominant language. German names were given French translations. Heidel became Haydel, Ruber became Oubre, Treagor - Tregre and so on...
In these early years, transportation was by boat, some on the Mississippi River, which was treacherous, but mainly on the many bayous and lakes. Few roads existed. Observation posts were built along the river, and manned by women, who kept lookout for the few Native Americans that previously lived here.
St. John, with its fertile land being about 9 foot above sea level, proved to be excellent farmland. Germans settlers grew crops that often fed early New Orleans, which would have otherwise fallen victim to famine when supply ships failed to arrive from Europe. Early St. John settlers would paddle their small boats filled with produce to sell at "The French Market" along the New Orleans riverfront.
These early settlers were devout Catholics. The Church was the centerpoint of most activities in these frail communities. Weddings, christenings and funerals were usually attended by the entire community.
In 1807 the territory of Orleans was divided into twelve counties. The county of the German Coast was one of these. Later this was divided into nineteen parishes. St. John was one of those parishes. It received its name from the religious parish of St. John the Baptist. The parish seat was established in the village of Lucy. The building which served as the first courthouse is still standing. In 1848 the parish seat was moved to Edgard.
The Jesuit fathers were the first religious order to settle in the area. The parish contains several ancient cemeteries. One of them, located in Reserve, is the burial place of Caroline Desionde, wife of Civil War General Beauregard. Her sister is buried with her husband, John Slidell, in the Edgard cemetery. This cemetery has been in existence since the first church was built. The church was constructed of handmade cypress lumber in the year 1722. In 1918 when their second church burned down the people of Edgard contributed $90,000 in one day to build another. This beautiful, twin-spired red brick church still stands today. It became apparent that a church was needed for the people on the east bank, so in 1869 a wooden church was built. St. Pierre was established. Later in 1897, the beautiful St. Peter Church was constructed, only to be destroyed by Hurricane Betsy in 1965.
In 1860 there were two newspapers in the parish, La Jeune Americiane and Le Meschachebe. Charles Lasseigne founded a weekly newspaper, La Ruche Louisianaise, serving as its editor. In 1889 he acquired Le Meschachebe ' which was then printed mostly in French. In 1912, Mr. Lasseigne's son Wallace became the founder of L'Observateur, a weekly paper, which is still serving the parish today.
From 1751 when sugar was introduced by the Jesuit Fathers, it took precedence over other industries. In 1758 Joseph Dubreuil was the first man to erect a sugarhouse. In 1860 Leon Godchaux, owner of Reserve Plantation and other properties, conceived the idea of centralization in processing. In 1917 a refinery was added to the factory. Godchaux Sugars remains a landmark, even while ownership has changed.
During the era before the Civil War several beautiful homes were built in St. John. At Wallace, there is Evergreen, built about 1820. Evergreen, with its "flying staircases," has been the locale for many movies. The stately San Francisco of Steamboat Gothic fame, built in 1853, is located at Lions. The Reserve Plantation House on the sugar refinery grounds was built around 1820. President Taft, while making a trip down the river in October 1909, stopped there to speak from a platform in front of the house.
As the families of the settlement grew, a need for education grew also. Sometimes a plantation owner would hire a teacher and invite the neighborhood children to attend classes. Private schools taught in the French language were established around 1869. The first high schools at Edgard and Reserve were built in 1909. Children attended the schools by horse drawn busses or by commuter train. Today the parish has fourteen public schools, one private school and three parochial schools.
Eight communities comprise the whole of St. John Parish. On the west bank of the river lies the sprawling towns of Lucy, Edgard and Wallace. This area is primarily agricultural. Rows and rows of sugar cane cover the fields. The east bank has LaPlace, Reserve, Lions, Garyville and Mt. Airy, each a thriving, bustling community. Industries follow along the river, including a chemical plant, sugar refinery, grain elevators and an oil refinery.
The people of St. John have retained many old customs. Country fairs are held frequently to raise funds for worthy causes. On Christmas Eve the river road is lined with visitors who have come to view the bon fires that dot the levees on both sides of the river. At one time a bridal shower was a collection of useful gifts from each household for the bride to set up housekeeping . Showers given to the bride of today generally involve every friend, relative and acquaintance.
