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| Louisiana Societies and Archives |
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It is wise to acquaint yourself with any repository which you might visit by writing to the appropriate archive or library in advance. Every repository has published materials that introduce its collections and research policy. State archives and historical agencies also have Internet sites that provide the same information. Some even have downloadable databases for some or parts of their collections.
- State of Louisiana Division of Archives, Records Management, and History
3851 Essen Lane, P.O. Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804; (504) 922-1200
- Vital Records Registry, PO Box 60630, New Orleans, LA 70160;
(504) 568-5172,
Fax: (504) 568-5391, [EMAIL]
- State Library of Louisiana, 701 North 4th Str, Baton Rouge, LA 70802; (225) 342-4923, Fax: (225) 219-4804
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 131, Baton Rouge, LA 70821
- Louisiana Archives and Manuscripts Association , PO Box 51213, New Orleans, LA 70151
- National Archives and Records Admin, 501 W Felix Str, Building 1, P.O. 6216, Fort Worth, Texas 76115-3405,
817-334-5515, E-mail: archives@ftworth.nara.gov, Fax: 817-334-5511
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"Genealogists are generally positive and energetic, and most are ready to share their findings or research experience with anyone they can help. There are hundreds of genealogical societies at the grass-roots level. Knowledge of the genealogical community will place you in the midst of much activity, increase your productivity, and alert you to the importance of research standards and etiquette."
Sandra Hargreaves Luebking,
Editor of FGS Forum,
Co-editor of The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy
Because family history research relies greatly upon records found at the county level, many local societies represent counties. Organizations also form around shared interests. Ethnic or religious origins account for many groups, such as the Polish Genealogical Society of America and P.O.I.N.T. (Pursuing Our Italian Names Together). Societies also form around common locales of origin for members’ ancestors; hence, the Palatines to America and Germans from Russia societies. To locate these and other societies, consult Juliana Szucs Smith’s The Ancestry Family Historian's Address Book (2nd Edition) . It lists addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and Internet addresses of thousands of organizations throughout the United States.
For almost every state there is a state genealogical society, a state genealogical council, or both. In addition to their own work, state-level groups sometimes help coordinate the efforts of local societies within the state. Their publications, newsletters and quarterlies, supplement those produced by the local societies.
- Louisiana Genealogical & Historical Society, P.O. Box 82060,
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70884-2060-60
- The Southwest Louisiana Genealogical Society, Inc., PO Box 5652, Lake Charles, LA 70606-5652, [EMAIL]
- Central Louisiana Genealogical Society, P. O. Box 12206; Alexandria, LA 71315-2206
- Louisiana Historical Society, 5801 St. Charles Ave, New Orleans, Louisiana 70115; 504/866-3049, [EMAIL]
- Louisiana Society of Daughters of the American Revolution
- National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution,
- Louisiana Society of Sons of the American Revolution,
- National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, 1000 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203; (502) 589-1776
- Ark-La-Tex Genealogical Association
- Cajun Clickers Genealogy SIG -Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Genealogical Research Society of New Orleans
- The Sons & Daughters of the Province and Republic of West Florida 1763 - 1810
- Society Hill: Louisiana Genealogy
- The German-Acadian Coast Historical & Genealogical Society
- St. Augustine Historical Society - Creole Heritage Preservation
- The Vermilion Genealogical Society
- West Bank Genealogy Society
- Louisiana Family History Centers
- New Orleans Public Library
- City Archives and Louisiana Division Special Collections
- NUCMC Listing of Archives and Manuscript Repositories in Louisiana
- Repositories of Primary Sources: Louisiana
- Shreve Memorial Library Microform and Microfilm Holdings
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Search The PERiodical Source Index
Many periodicals and quarterlies have been printed through the years, for example: The Louisiana Genealogical Register (compiled and published by the state genealogical society), The New Orleans Genesis, the Natchitoches Genealogist, and others.
Several statewide, regional, and local genealogical publications are available for Kentucky. Most can be found at either the Kentucky Historical Society, the University of Arkansas Library, the Filson Club Library, regional libraries, or the FHL. Some local libraries maintain copies pertaining to their area. Many genealogical publications are maintained in the Arkansas Genealogical Society's collection housed at the Arkansas Department for Libraries and Archives.
Statewide or regional publications include the following:
[ see specific county page for individual county list ]
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Search Historical Newspapers
The earliest known Louisiana newspaper was Le Moniteur, published in New Orleans, but only a few issues still exist. Numerous guides have been compiled to Louisiana newspapers.
While records of birth, marriage, and death are the most commonly sought and the most consistently helpful records, only the genealogist’s imagination and resourcefulness limit newspapers’ usefulness in supplying clues about historical events, local history, probate court and legal notices, real estate transactions, political biographies, announcements, notices of new and terminated partnerships, business advertisements, and notices for settling debts.
Newspapers can provide at least a partial substitute for nonexistent civil records. For example, a person’s obituary may have appeared in a newspaper even when civil death records for that person do not exist. And newspapers are an important source of marriage records, particularly in those states where civil recording of marriages was essentially nonexistent until the twentieth century.
Unlike official records, newspapers are not limited to a particular geographical area. They often include reports of the weddings of local citizens (even those that occurred in a neighboring county or another state), and they sometimes report visits of geographically distant relatives or the visits of former local residents. They often published death notices of individuals who had left the area long before but who still had local family or friends as well. In each case the newspaper account can identify the date and place of an event, thus opening the possibility of turning up additional documentation in other sources.
The first step in searching a newspaper is to identify those which served the area of interest and which have survived. The three most necessary tools are bibliographies (What was published?), inventories of library and depository holdings (Where is it?), and indexes (How do I find what I want in it?).
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