Richland Parish, Louisiana Genealogy
Guide to Richland Parish, Louisiana ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Richland Parish, Louisiana | |||||||||
| Map | |||||||||
 Location in the state of Louisiana | |||||||||
 Location of Louisiana in the U.S. | |||||||||
| Facts | |||||||||
| Founded | September 29, 1868 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Seat | Rayville | ||||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||||
 | |||||||||
| Address | 708 Julia St. Rayville, La. 71269 | ||||||||
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Contents
- 1 Parish Information
- 2 Parish Courthouse
- 3 History
- 4 Places / Localities
- 5 Resources
- 6 Societies and Libraries
- 7 Websites
- 8 References
Parish Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for the Rich fertile land. The County has Rayville as its seat and the County was created September 29, 1868. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.[1]
Richland Parish, Louisiana Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1914 | 1869 | 1914 | 1869 | 1869 | 1869 | 1700s |
Parish Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Richland Parish Courthouse
108 Courthouse Square; PO Box 119;
Rayvillle, LA 71269
Phone: 318.728.4171
Parish Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1869.[3]
History[edit | edit source]
Richland parish was organized by an act of the state legislature in 1868, out of Ouachita, Franklin, Carroll and Morehouse parishes.
Rayville was at once selected as the parish seat of justice, and a California plank house was immediately erected to serve for court purposes. This frame building was used for several years, until a substantial two-story brick building was completed. A strong, two-story brick jail also occupied a site beside the courthouse in courthouse square.
The parish has an area of 578 square miles, nearly all of which is susceptible of cultivation, and the remainder is covered with a thick growth of valuable timber, comprising many varieties of oak, hickory, ash, cypress, red gum and many others.
Rayville, Delhi, and Mangham are its only incorporated towns. Delhi and Rayville were incorporated under the act of the statelegislature of 1882.
When Rayville was selected as the site for the seat of justice it was "in the timber." As the parish site it soon grew into a flourishing village and secured a charter of incorporation about 1884. It was visited by a very destructive fire in the fall of 1890, when one-half or more of the business portion of the town was consumed. Again, in 1891, it was visited by a similar disaster.
The first newspaper published in Richland parish was the "Richland Beacon," established at Rayville about 1869 by Thomas J. Mangham. The first sheriff and clerk of the parish was A.J. Lidell and J. Newt Pitts, respectively.
Parent Parish[edit | edit source]
- 1868--Richland Parish was created 29 September 1868 from Ouachita, Carroll (Old), Franklin, and Morehouse Parishes.
Parish seat: Rayville [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]
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 | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
Neighboring Parishes or Counties[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
African American[edit | edit source]
- Louisiana African American Griots Project
- Afrigeneas - African Ancestored Genealogy
- African American Cemeteries, listing by county
- Richland Parish African American History - RichlandRoots.com
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
- Richland Parish Family Bible Records (USGenWeb Archives)
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- Index to Richland Parish Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
- Richland Parish Local Family Histories (USGenWeb Archives]
- Early Settlers of Richland Parish, Louisiana (Genealogy Trails)
- Pioneers of Richland Parish (RichlandRoots)
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
The following web sites may have additional information on Richland Parish cemeteries.
- Interment.net Louisiana cemetery records by Parish.
- African American Cemeteries, listing by county
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1870 | 5,110 | — |
| 1880 | 8,440 | 65.2% |
| 1890 | 10,230 | 21.2% |
| 1900 | 11,116 | 8.7% |
| 1910 | 15,769 | 41.9% |
| 1920 | 20,860 | 32.3% |
| 1930 | 26,374 | 26.4% |
| 1940 | 28,829 | 9.3% |
| 1950 | 26,672 | −7.5% |
| 1960 | 23,824 | −10.7% |
| 1970 | 21,774 | −8.6% |
| 1980 | 22,187 | 1.9% |
| 1990 | 20,629 | −7.0% |
| 2000 | 20,981 | 1.7% |
| 2010 | 20,725 | −1.2% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- Richland 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.
- Delhi Presbyterian Church, Delhi, LA
- First Baptist Church, Delhi, LA
- First Baptist Church, Rayville, LA
- Mangham Baptist Church, Mangham, LA
- Start Baptist Church, Start, LA
- Louisiana Historical Church Information
- Directory of Churches in Louisiana, by city (Church Angel)
- Richland Parish Church Records (USGenWeb Archives)
- Historical Churches of Richland Parish (RichlandRoots)
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.
- Richland Parish Deed Records (USGenWeb Archives)
- Old Land Surveys & Records (LA Division of Administration)
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Richland 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.
- Louisiana Museums
- Richland Parish History Records (USGenWeb Archives)
- RichlandRoots
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
- Maps of Louisiana (1805-1990)
- RichlandRoots Map Collection (RichlandRoots.com)
- USGW Digital Map Collection (USGenWeb Project)
Military[edit | edit source]
- Richland Parish Military Records (USGenWeb Archives)
- Louisiana Military History Online
- RichlandRoots Veterans Collection
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
- Known Confederate Burials in Richland Parish at RichlandRoots
World War I[edit | edit source]
- 1917-1920 - Louisiana World War I Service Records, 1917-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
- Richland Parish Letters, Newspapers Accounts From World War 1 at RichlandRoots
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, Richland Parish, Louisiana (Genealogy Trails)
- Richland Parish Letters Homes, Newspaper Clips from WWII (RichlandRoots)
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- Richland Beacon News, Rayville, LA
- Louisiana Newspaper List, listing by name/parish (USNPL)
- Louisiana Newspaper listing (Newslink)
- Richland Parish Newspaper Articles (USGenWeb Archives)
- Old Newspaper Clips from Richland Parish (RichlandRoots)
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Richland Parish, Louisiana Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Richland Parish, Louisiana Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- Obituaries of Richland Parish (Genealogy Trails)
- Index to Richland Parish Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)
- RichlandRoots Obituaries (RichlandRoots)
Probate[edit | edit source]
Probate records before 1845 were kept in probate courts. Since 1845, they have been kept by the Richland 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]
- Richland Parish School Records (USGenWeb Archives)
- Historic Information on Schools and Former Schools (RichlandRoots)
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.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- Births from Richland Parish (Genealogy Trails)
- Richland Parish Birth Records (USGenWeb Archives)
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1837–1957 - Louisiana, Parish Marriages, 1837-1957 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
- Richland Parish Marriage Records (USGenWeb Archives)
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1850-1875, 1894-1960 - Louisiana Deaths, 1850-1875, 1894-1960 at FamilySearch — index and images
- Richland Parish Death Records (Genealogy Trails)
- Richland Parish Death Records (USGenWeb Archives)
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
- Richland Parish Data
Website - Richland Parish Library
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 - Richland Parish History Facebook Group
*Facebook
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
- Richland Parish (LAGenWeb)
- Richland Parish (USGenWeb Archives)
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Richland Parish, Louisiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- Richland Parish Genealogy and History (Genealogy Trails)
- Richland Parish LA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
- RichlandRoots, a history blog of Richland Parish
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Richland Parish," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richland_Parish,_Louisiana."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Richland 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., Richland Parish, Louisiana p 292 (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Richland Parish, Louisiana," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richland_Parish,_Louisiana, accessed 6 January 2020.
