Webster Parish, Louisiana Genealogy
Guide to Webster Parish, Louisiana ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Webster Parish, Louisiana | |||||||||
| Map | |||||||||
 Location in the state of Louisiana | |||||||||
 Location of Louisiana in the U.S. | |||||||||
| Facts | |||||||||
| Founded | February 27, 1871 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Seat | Minden | ||||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||||
 | |||||||||
| Address | 410 Main Street Minden, La. 71055 Minden Memories - Webster Parish Courthouse | ||||||||
| Website: www.websterparishla.org | |||||||||
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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 Daniel Webster. The County has Minden as its seat and the County was created February 27, 1871. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.[1]
Webster Parish, Louisiana Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1914 | 1871 | 1914 | 1871 | 1871 | 1871 | 1700s |
Parish Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Webster Parish Courthouse
410 Main Street
PO Box 370
Minden, LA 71058-0370
Phone: 318.371.0366
Parish Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1871.[3]
History[edit | edit source]
Parent Parish[edit | edit source]
- 1871--Webster Parish was created 27 February 1871 from Claiborne, Bienville, and Bossier Parishes.
Parish seat: Minden [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]
| Cities | ||
| 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
- Afrigeneas - African Ancestored Genealogy
- African American Cemeteries, listing by county
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
- Webster Parish Bible Records (USGenWeb Archives)
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- Webster Parish Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
- Index to Webster Parish Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
- Index to Webster Parish Biographies (LAGenWeb)
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
The following web sites may have additional information on Webster Parish cemeteries.
- Interment.net Louisiana cemetery records by Parish.
- African American Cemeteries, listing by county
Census[edit | edit source]
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 15,125 | ||
| 1910 | 19,186 | 26.8% | |
| 1920 | 24,707 | 28.8% | |
| 1930 | 29,458 | 19.2% | |
| 1940 | 33,676 | 14.3% | |
| 1950 | 35,704 | 6.0% | |
| 1960 | 39,701 | 11.2% | |
| 1970 | 39,939 | 0.6% | |
| 1980 | 43,631 | 9.2% | |
| 1990 | 41,989 | −3.8% | |
| 2000 | 41,831 | −0.4% | |
| 2010 | 41,207 | −1.5% | |
| Webster Parish Census Data[6] | |||
- 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.
- Louisiana Historical Church Information
- Directory of Churches in Louisiana, by city (Church Angel)
Court[edit | edit source]
- Webster 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.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Webster 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
- Webster Parish History Topics (Genealogy Trails)
- Webster Parish History Records (USGenWeb Archives)
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Louisiana (1805-1990)
- Family Maps of Webster Parish, Louisiana (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
- USGW Digital Map Collection (USGenWeb Project)
Military[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Online Records
- 1861-1865 - Louisiana Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
- 1861-1865 - Louisiana Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
- 1898-1950 - Louisiana Confederate Pensions, 1898-1950 at FamilySearch — images
- Co. G - 8th Louisiana Infantry--The Minden Blues, Claiborne & Webster Parish (USGenWeb Archives)
Regiments. Service men in Webster 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 Webster Parish, Louisiana Genealogy:
World War I[edit | edit source]
- 1917-1920 - Louisiana World War I Service Records, 1917-1920 at FamilySearch — index and images
World War II[edit | edit source]
- 1940-1945 - Louisiana First Registration Draft Cards, compiled 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images
- World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army & Army Air Forces Personnel, Webster Parish, Louisiana (Genealogy Trails)
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- Louisiana Newspaper List, listing by name/parish (USNPL)
- Louisiana Newspaper listing (Newslink)
- Webster Parish News Records (USGenWeb Archives)
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Webster Parish, Louisiana Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Webster 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]
- Webster Parish Obituaries and Death Notices (Genealogy Trails)
- Index to Webster Parish Obituary Records (USGenWeb Archives)
- Index to Webster Parish Obituaries (LAGenWeb)
Photographs[edit | edit source]
- Webster Parish Photographs (USGenWeb Archives)
- Webster Parish Family Research and Photos (LAGenWeb)
Probate[edit | edit source]
Probate records before 1845 were kept in probate courts. Since 1845, they have been kept by the Webster 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 Records
- 1756-1984 - Louisiana Wills and Probate Records 1756-1984 at Ancestry — index and images $
- Webster Parish Wills (LAGenWeb Project)
- Webster Parish Succession Records (LAGenWeb Project)
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.
- Webster Parish Vital Records (USGenWeb Archives)
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1837–1957 - Louisiana, Parish Marriages, 1837-1957 at FamilySearch — index and images
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1850-1875, 1894-1960 - Louisiana Deaths, 1850-1875, 1894-1960 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1880 Mortality Schedule Persons who died during the year ending June 1, 1880 in the Webster Parish, State of Louisiana. (Genealogy Trails)
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
- Germantown Commission Association
PO Box 389
Minden, LA 71055-0389 - Louisiana Historical Society
Website - Louisiana Historical Association
Website
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.
- For current information about a center near you, go to the Family History Center Map
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Louisiana Genealogy Network Community on Google+
- Louisiana Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- Webster Parish (LAGenWeb)
- Webster Parish, Louisiana (USGenWeb Archives)
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Webster Parish, Louisiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- Webster Parish, Louisiana, Genealogy and History (Genealogy Trails)
- Webster Parish LA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Webster Parish, Louisiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webster_Parish,_Louisiana."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Webster 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., Webster 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, "Webster Parish, Louisiana," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webster_Parish,_Louisiana, accessed 9 January 2020.
- ↑ United States Census Bureau. "Louisiana Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". http://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/la190090.txt. Retrieved 2008-02-02.
