Bienville Parish, Louisiana Genealogy
Guide to Bienville Parish, Louisiana ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Bienville Parish, Louisiana | |||||||||
| Map | |||||||||
 Location in the state of Louisiana | |||||||||
 Location of Louisiana in the U.S. | |||||||||
| Facts | |||||||||
| Founded | March 14, 1848 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Seat | Arcadia | ||||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||||
 | |||||||||
| Address | 100 Court House Drive Arcadia, LA 71001 | ||||||||
| Website: clerk.bienvilleparish.org | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Contents
- 1 Parish Information
- 2 Parish Courthouse
- 3 History
- 4 Places / Localities
- 5 Resources
- 6 Societies and Libraries
- 7 Websites
- 8 Thanks to the Bienville Parish Wiki Contributors
- 9 References
Parish Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. The County has Arcadia as its seat and the County was created March 14, 1848. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.[1]
Bienville Parish, Louisiana Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1914 | 1848 | 1914 | 1848 | 1848 | 1848 | 1700s |
Parish Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Bienville Parish Courthouse
300 Courthouse Square
PO Box 746
Arcadia, LA 71001
Phone: 318.263.2123
Parish Clerk has marriage , divorce,
probate and court records from 1848 .[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 | ||
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
Neighboring Parishes or Counties[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
African American[edit | edit source]
- Louisiana African American Griots Project ~ USGenWeb Project
- Afrigeneas - African Ancestored Genealogy
- 1860 - Largest Slaveholders of Bienville Parish, Louisiana (Genealogy Trails)
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
- Index to Bienville Parish Bible Records (USGenWeb Archives)
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- Bienville Parish, Louisiana, Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
- Index to Bienville Parish Biography Records (USGenWeb Archives)
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
The following web sites may have additional information on Bienville Parish cemeteries.
- Interment.net Louisiana cemetery records by Parish.
- African American Cemeteries ~ listing by county
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 5,539 | — |
| 1860 | 11,000 | 98.6% |
| 1870 | 10,636 | −3.3% |
| 1880 | 10,442 | −1.8% |
| 1890 | 14,108 | 35.1% |
| 1900 | 17,588 | 24.7% |
| 1910 | 21,776 | 23.8% |
| 1920 | 20,977 | −3.7% |
| 1930 | 23,789 | 13.4% |
| 1940 | 23,933 | 0.6% |
| 1950 | 19,105 | −20.2% |
| 1960 | 16,726 | −12.5% |
| 1970 | 16,024 | −4.2% |
| 1980 | 16,387 | 2.3% |
| 1990 | 15,979 | −2.5% |
| 2000 | 15,752 | −1.4% |
| 2010 | 14,353 | −8.9% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- 1850 Bienville Parish Census Records (USGenWeb Archives)
- Louisiana Census Images ~ USGenWeb Census Images Project
Church[edit | edit source]
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Louisiana denominations, view the Louisiana Church Records wiki page.
- Bienville Parish Church Records (USGenWeb Archives)
- Louisiana Historical Church Information
- Directory of Churches in Louisiana ~ by city ~ Church Angel
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court[edit | edit source]
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.
- Bienville Parish Land Records (USGenWeb Archives)
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Bienville 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.
- History of Bienville Parish (Genealogy Trails)
- Index to Historical Records of Bienville Parish. Includes school records, family histories, etc. (USGenWeb Archives)
- History of Bienville Parish by Sharon O. Kleinpeter (USGenWeb Project)
Maps[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
- Maps of Louisiana (1805-1990)
- Family Maps of Bienville Parish, Louisiana (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
- USGW Digital Map Collection ~ USGenWeb Project
Military[edit | edit source]
- Louisiana Military History Online
- Some Military Land Grants In Bienville Parish Louisiana For Soldiers Of The Indian Wars (USGenWeb Archives)
War of 1812[edit | edit source]
- Some Military Land Grants In Bienville 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
- 1883 - Pensioners on the Rolls as of January 1, 1883, Bienville Parish, Louisiana (Genealogy Trails)
- 1898-1950 - Louisiana Confederate Pensions, 1898-1950 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
- 1890 - Veteran Census, Bienville Parish, Louisiana (Genealogy Trails)
- Civil War Soldiers, Bienville Parish, Louisiana (Genealogy Trails)
Regiments. Service men in Bienville 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 Bienville Parish, Louisiana Genealogy:
- - 2nd Regiment, Louisiana Cavalry (Confederate), Companies E and F
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
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- Louisiana Newspaper List ~ listing by name/parish ~ USNPL
- Louisiana Newspaper ~ listing ~ Newslink
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Bienville Parish, Louisiana Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Bienville Parish, Louisiana Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
- Index to Bienville Parish News Records (USGenWeb Archives)
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- Index to Obituaries, Bienville Parish, Louisiana (USGenWeb Archives)
- Obituaries and Death Notices, Bienville Parish, Louisiana (Genealogy Trails)
Probate[edit | edit source]
Probate records before 1845 were kept in probate courts. Since 1845, they have been kept by the Bienville 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.
Louisiana Probate Records ~ information on.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1756-1984 - Louisiana Wills and Probate Records 1756-1984 at Ancestry.com Ancestry.com — index and images $
- 1850-1932 - Index to the Bienville Parish, Louisiana, Will Book, 1850-1932 (USGenWeb Project)
- Index to Wills Records, Bienville 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.
- Bienville Parish Vital Records (USGenWeb Archives)
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1837-1957 - Louisiana, Parish Marriages, 1837-1957 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
- 1849-1872 - Bienville Parish Marriage Book A & B; 1849-1872 (USGenWeb Project)
- 1849-1886 - Index to Bienville Parish Marriage Records (Genealogy Trails)
- Bienville Parish Marriage Announcements (Genealogy Trails)
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1850-1875, 1894-1960 - Louisiana Deaths, 1850-1875, 1894-1960 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
- 1850 - 1850 Mortality Census Schedule (Genealogy Trails)
- 1870 - 1870 Mortality Schedule (Genealogy Trails)
- 1880 - 1880 Mortality Schedule (Genealogy Trails)
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
- Bienville Historical Society
Rt 1, Box 9
Bienville 71008-9653
- Mt. Lebon Historical Society
517
Gibsland LA 71028
Telephone: 318-843-1998
See also a List of Louisiana Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies
- 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]
- Bienville Parish, LA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Louisiana Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- Bienville Parish, LAGenWeb Project
- Bienville Parish, Louisiana Archives, USGenWeb Archives Project
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Bienville Parish, Louisiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- Genealogy Trails: Bienville Parish, Louisiana
- Bienville Parish LA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
Thanks to the Bienville Parish Wiki Contributors
[edit | edit source]
Contributors are people who write and edit the pages for FamilySearch Wiki. Thanks to the following contributors for helping to build this page (in alpha order). Anyone is invited to be a contributor. Help grow the wiki and add content to this parish today!
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Bienville, Louisiana," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bienville_Parish,_Louisiana."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Bienville 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., Bienville Parish, Louisiana p. 289 (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Bienville Parish, Louisiana," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bienville_Parish,_Louisiana, accessed 30 December 2019.
