Tensas Parish, Louisiana Genealogy
Guide to Tensas Parish, Louisiana ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Tensas Parish, Louisiana | |||||||||
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 Location in the state of Louisiana, United States Genealogy | |||||||||
 Location of Louisiana in the U.S. | |||||||||
| Facts | |||||||||
| Founded | March 17, 1843 | ||||||||
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| County Seat | St. Joseph | ||||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||||
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| Address | 201 Hancock St. St. Joseph, LA 71366 | ||||||||
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Parish Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for the Taensa people. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.[1]
Tensas Parish, Louisiana Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1914 | 1843 | 1914 | 1843 | 1843 | 1843 | 1700s |
Parish Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Tensas Parish Courthouse
Courthouse Square; PO Box 78;
Saint Joseph, LA 71366
Phone: 318.766.3921
Parish Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1843 .[3]
History[edit | edit source]
Parent Parish[edit | edit source]
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
For animated maps illustrating Louisiana Parish boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Louisiana Parish Boundary Maps" (1805-1990) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
Places / Localities[edit | edit source]
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[5]
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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Neighboring Parishes or Counties[edit | edit source]
- Adams County, Mississippi
- Catahoula
- Claiborne County, Mississippi
- Concordia
- Franklin
- Jefferson County, Mississippi
- Madison
- Warren County, Mississippi
Resources[edit | edit source]
African American[edit | edit source]
- Louisiana African American Griots Project
- Afrigeneas - African Ancestral Genealogy
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
- Family Bible Records of Tensas Parish, Louisiana (USGenWeb Archives)
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- Tensas Parish Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
- Index to Tensas Parish Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
The following web sites may have additional information on Tensas Parish cemeteries.
- Interment.net Louisiana cemetery records by Parish.
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 9,040 | — |
| 1860 | 16,078 | 77.9% |
| 1870 | 12,419 | −22.8% |
| 1880 | 17,815 | 43.4% |
| 1890 | 16,647 | −6.6% |
| 1900 | 19,070 | 14.6% |
| 1910 | 17,060 | −10.5% |
| 1920 | 12,085 | −29.2% |
| 1930 | 15,096 | 24.9% |
| 1940 | 15,940 | 5.6% |
| 1950 | 13,209 | −17.1% |
| 1960 | 11,796 | −10.7% |
| 1970 | 9,732 | −17.5% |
| 1980 | 8,525 | −12.4% |
| 1990 | 7,103 | −16.7% |
| 2000 | 6,618 | −6.8% |
| 2010 | 5,252 | −20.6% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- Louisiana Census Images (USGenWeb Census Images Project)
- 1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Louisiana - Tensas Parish
- Index to Tensas Parish Census Records (USGenWeb Archives)
Church[edit | edit source]
- Louisiana Historical Church Information
- Directory of Churches in Louisiana, by city (Church Angel)
- Tensas Parish LA Church Records (USGenWeb Archives)
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court[edit | edit source]
- Court Records of Tensas Parish LA (USGenWeb Archives)
Land[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Louisiana Land and Property for additional information about early Louisiana land ownership. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse where records are also currently housed.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Tensas Parish, Louisiana Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories see the wiki page section Louisiana Local Histories. Biographical And Historical Memoirs of Louisiana: Embracing an Authentic And Comprehensive Account of the Chief Events In the History of the State, a Special Sketch of Every Parish And a Record of the Lives of Many of the Most Worthy And Illustrious Families And Individuals ... Chicago: The Goodspeed publishing company, 1892. (Tensas Parish is described on pages 203-204 in Volume 2. In addition, a search for "Tensas" in this book will bring up brief biographies of several residents of the parish.)
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this parish - How to Use FS Places
- Maps of Louisiana (1805-1990)
- United States Digital Map Library: Lousiana: Tensas Parish (Note: scroll down to Tensas Parish)
- Johnson's Plantation, Section and Township Map of Tensas Parish, Louisiana..., 1873
- Johnson’s Plantation and Township Map of Tensas Parish, Louisiana, 1878
- Map of the Parish of Tensas, Louisiana, 1860
- Also see 1940 Census Enumeration District Maps above.
Military[edit | edit source]
- Military Records of Tensas Parish, Louisiana (USGenWeb Archives)
- Military History Online: Louisiana
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Online Records
- 1861-1865 - Louisiana Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
- 1861-1865 - Louisiana Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
- 1883 - List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883, Tensas Parish, Louisiana (Genealogy Trails)
- 1898-1950 - Louisiana Confederate Pensions, 1898-1950 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
- 1811 - Enumeration of Ex-Confederate Soldiers and Widows of Deceased Soldiers: Tensas Parish, 1911
Regiments. Service men in Tensas Parish, Louisiana Genealogy served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Tensas Parish, Louisiana Genealogy:
- - 3rd Regiment, Louisiana Cavalry (Harrison's)(Confederate), Company A
- - 4th Field Battery, Louisiana Artillery (Confederate)
World War I[edit | edit source]
- 1917-1920 - Louisiana World War I Service Records, 1917-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
World War II[edit | edit source]
- 1940-1945 - Louisiana First Registration Draft Cards, compiled 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
- Honor List of Dead and Missing Army & Army Air Forces Personnel, Tensas Parish, Louisiana (Genealogy Trails)
- Enlistment Records, Residence County Tensas
- Enlistment Records, Reserve Corps, Residence County Tensas
- Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel from Louisiana., 1946: Tensas Parish
Korean War[edit | edit source]
- Dead and Wounded Army Casualties
- Korean, Vietnam, Gulf, and Terrorism Wars, and Peacetime (1950-2006): Casualties
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- Louisiana Newspaper List, listing by name/parish (USNPL)
The original weekly Tensas Gazette was founded in 1852 in St. Joseph, Louisiana. Since that time it has operated under various owners and names. One of the oldest newspapers in Louisiana, it is still in publication under its original name. The Library of Congress has digitized the issues from 1894 to 1922 which can be browsed or searched at its Chronicling America website.
See the Chronicling America website for a full history of the Tensas Gazette, as well as information on the Waterproof Enterprise which was published in the early 1900s.
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Tensas Parish, Louisiana Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Tensas Parish, Louisiana Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).
Probate[edit | edit source]
Probate records before 1845 were kept in probate courts. Since 1845, they have been kept by the Tensas Parish, Louisiana Genealogy clerk of the district court. Many of the probate records are included in the notarial records with the deeds and mortgages. In some parishes they are known as “succession” records.
See the Wiki page Louisiana Probate Records for more information about probate records in Louisiana.
Content: Probate records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.
Record types: Wills, estates, guardianships, naturalizations, and adoptions.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1756-1984 - Louisiana Wills and Probate Records 1756-1984 at Ancestry — index and images $
- Tensas Parish Wills and Probate Records (Genealogy Trails)
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- Obituaries and Death Notices, Tensas Parish, Louisiana (Genealogy Trails)
- Index to Obituaries, Tensas Parish, Louisiana (USGenWeb Archives)
Taxation[edit | edit source]
Louisiana tax records can be used in place of missing censuses and provide lists of residents during years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years. For more information, see Louisiana Taxation.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents.
Louisiana statewide registration of birth and death records began in 1911. Births and deaths are kept by the Louisiana Vital Records Registry. Marriages were recorded by each parish, and the records are at the parish clerk of court office. See also How to order Louisiana Vital Records or order electronically online.
See Louisiana Vital Records for more information on getting Louisiana records.
- Louisiana Records and Statistics Information ~ where and how to order information.
Births[edit | edit source]
- Tensas Parish Birth Records. Click on Births at left. (USGenWeb Archives)
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1837–1957 - Louisiana, Parish Marriages, 1837-1957 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
- Tensas Parish Marriage Project (USGenWeb Archives)
- Tensas Parish Marriages. Click on Marriages at left. (USGenWeb Archives)
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1850-1875, 1894-1960 - Louisiana Deaths, 1850-1875, 1894-1960 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
- Tensas Parish Data
Website - Louisiana Historical Society
428 Hector Ave
Metairie, La. 70005-4412
Website - Louisiana Historical Association
101 LSU Student Union
LSU Box 25435
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Facebook
Website
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
Museums and Historic Sites[edit | edit source]
- National Register of Historic Places: Lousiana: Tensas
- Winter Quarters State Historic Site, St. Joseph, Louisiana: The only plantation left standing in Tensas Parish after Grant's troops marched through in 1863.
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Louisiana Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- Tensas Parish (LAGenWeb)
- Tensas Parish, Louisiana (USGenWeb Archives)
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Tensas Parish, Louisiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- Tensas Parish, Louisiana, Genealogy and History (Genealogy Trails)
- Tensas Parish LA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Tensas Parish, Louisiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tensas_Parish,_Louisiana."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tensas Parish, Louisiana. Page 289-293 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 267-268.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed., Tensas Parish, Louisiana p 293 (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Tensas Parish, Louisiana," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tensas_Parish,_Louisiana, accessed 7 January 2020.
