Washington Parish, Louisiana Genealogy
Guide to Washington Parish, Louisiana ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Washington Parish, Louisiana | |||||||||
| Map | |||||||||
 Location in the state of Louisiana, United States Genealogy | |||||||||
 Location of Louisiana in the U.S. | |||||||||
| Facts | |||||||||
| Founded | March 6, 1819 | ||||||||
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| County Seat | Franklinton | ||||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||||
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| Address | Corner of Washington and Main Street Franklinton, LA 70438 | ||||||||
| Website: www.wpgov.org | |||||||||
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Parish Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for George Washington. The County is located in the east central area of the state.[1]
Washington Parish, Louisiana Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1914 | 1897 | 1914 | 1897 | 1897 | 1897 | 1700s |
Parish Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Washington Parish Courthouse
Franklinton, LA 70438
Phone: 985.839.4663
Parish Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1897.[3]
History[edit | edit source]
Parent Parish[edit | edit source]
- 1819--Washington Parish was created 6 March 1819 from St. Tammany Parish.
Parish seat: Franklinton [4]
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]
1854, 1897 Fires burned the courthouse, damaging and destroying records. Records from the 1840-1860 period are completely lost.
For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
- Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle.
- When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog.
- Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.
- List of counties in the United States with Record Loss
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]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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Neighboring Parishes or Counties[edit | edit source]
- Marion County, Mississippi
- Pearl River County, Mississippi
- Pike County, Mississippi
- St. Tammany
- Tangipahoa
- Walthall County, Mississippi
Resources[edit | edit source]
African American[edit | edit source]
- Louisiana African American Griots Project
- Afrigeneas - African Ancestored Genealogy
- African American Cemeteries, listing by county
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
- Index to Washington Parish Bible Records (USGenWeb Archives)
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- Index to Washington Parish Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
- Washington Parish Family Histories and Miscellaneous Records (LAGenWeb)
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
The following web sites may have additional information on Washington Parish cemeteries.
- Interment.net Louisiana cemetery records by Parish.
- African American Cemeteries, listing by county
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1820 | 2,517 | — |
| 1830 | 2,286 | −9.2% |
| 1840 | 2,649 | 15.9% |
| 1850 | 3,408 | 28.7% |
| 1860 | 4,708 | 38.1% |
| 1870 | 3,330 | −29.3% |
| 1880 | 5,190 | 55.9% |
| 1890 | 6,700 | 29.1% |
| 1900 | 9,628 | 43.7% |
| 1910 | 18,886 | 96.2% |
| 1920 | 24,164 | 27.9% |
| 1930 | 29,904 | 23.8% |
| 1940 | 34,443 | 15.2% |
| 1950 | 38,371 | 11.4% |
| 1960 | 44,015 | 14.7% |
| 1970 | 41,987 | −4.6% |
| 1980 | 44,207 | 5.3% |
| 1990 | 43,185 | −2.3% |
| 2000 | 43,926 | 1.7% |
| 2010 | 47,168 | 7.4% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Court[edit | edit source]
- Washington Parish Court Records (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.
- Washington Parish Deed and Conveyance Records (USGenWeb Archives)
- Washington Parish Headrights. This is a list of "headrights" granted to settlers in Washington Parish by an Act of Congress in 1820. Most of them had taken up land prior to 1810, and not later than 1815. (LAGenWeb)
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Washington 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.
- Washington Parish Histories (USGenWeb Archives)
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)
- 1895 Map of Washington Parish (LAGenWeb)
- Land Grant Map of Washington Parish (LAGenWeb)
Military[edit | edit source]
- Washington Parish Military Files (LAGenWeb)
War of 1812[edit | edit source]
- 1883 Pensioners List, Washington Parish, Louisiana (Genealogy Trails)
- Military Land Grants In Washington Parish Louisiana For Soldiers Of The War Of 1812 (USGenWeb Archives)
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
- 1898-1950 Louisiana Confederate Pensions, 1898-1950 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
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
- World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army & Army Air Forces Personnel, Washington Parish, Louisiana (Genealogy Trails)
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- Louisiana Newspaper List, listing by name/parish (USNPL)
- Louisiana Newspaper listing (Newslink)
- Washington Parish Newspaper Records (USGenWeb Archives)
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Washington Parish, Louisiana Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Washington Parish, Louisiana Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- Index to Washington Parish Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)
- Washington Parish Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
Photographs[edit | edit source]
Probate[edit | edit source]
Probate records before 1845 were kept in probate courts. Since 1845, they have been kept by the Washington 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 $
Schools[edit | edit source]
- Washington Parish School Records (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.
- Washington Parish Vital Records (USGenWeb Archives)
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1837-1957 - Louisiana, Parish Marriages, 1837-1957 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1850 Mortality Index, Washington Parish, Louisiana (Genealogy Trails)
- 1850-1875, 1894-1960 Louisiana Deaths, 1850-1875, 1894-1960 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
- 1910-1915 Washington Parish Deaths, 1910-1915 (Genealogy Trails)
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
- 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
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Louisiana Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- Washington Parish (LAGenWeb)
- Washington Parish, Louisiana (USGenWeb Archives)
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Washington Parish, Louisiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- Washington Parish, Louisiana, Genealogy and History (Genealogy Trails)
- Washington Parish LA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Washington Parish, Louisiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Parish,_Louisiana."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Washington 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., Washington 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, "Washington Parish, Louisiana," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Parish%2C_Louisiana, accessed 9 January 2020.