CENSUS RECORDS

Federal censuses for the state of Louisiana begin in 1810 and were taken every ten years thereafter. They are currently available through 1920, except for the mostly destroyed 1890 census. All available censuses are indexed in at least one format. However, caution should be used with indexes for Louisiana. Many of the French and Spanish names were transcribed incorrectly, and numerous omissions exist.

The French and Spanish were diligent scribes and many censuses exist for Louisianians. Some of the censuses for the colony's inhabitants are listed in Alice Eichholz, ed., Ancestry's Redbook: American State, County and Town Sources (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1992). They include assessments for the French Period dating 1699–1732 and for the Spanish Period dating 1766–1805. These censuses are not considered territorially extensive; rather, they focus on specified areas or towns.

Louisiana Research Sources

Holmes, Jack D. L. A Guide to Spanish Louisiana, 1762–1806. New Orleans: Louisiana Collection Series, 1970.

Leland, Waldo G. Guide to Materials for American History in the Libraries and Archives of France. Washington, D.C.: Carnegie Institute, 1932.

DeVille, Winston. "Louisiana." In Kenn Stryker-Rodda, ed., Genealogical Research: Methods and Sources. Vol. 2. Rev. ed. Washington, D.C.: American Society of Genealogists, 1983.

Archives, Libraries, Societies, and Other Resources

Louisiana Secretary of State
Division of Archives
Records Management & History
3851 Essen Lane
P.O. Box 94125
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
Tel: 504-922-1200
  504-922-1206 (Louisiana Room)
  504-922-1184 (Genealogical/Vital Records)
  504-922-1208 (Heritage Center)
URL: http://www.sec.state.la.us/arch-1.htm

Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Society
P.O. Box 82060
Baton Rouge, LA 70884
E-mail: LGHS@aol.com

Louisiana State Library
Louisiana Section
760 North Third Street
P.O. Box 131
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0131
Tel: 504-342-4914
URL: http://smt.state.lib.la.us/

Louisiana State Museum Historical Center
751 Chartres Street
P.O. Box 2448
New Orleans, LA 70116-2448
Tel: 504-568-6968
  800-568-6968
Fax: 504-568-4995
E-mail: jrubin@crt.state.la.us

New Orleans Public Library
219 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70112-2044
Tel: 504-596-2610 (Louisiana Division)
URL: http://www.gnofn.org/~nopl/nutrias.htm

Louisiana GenWeb Project
http://www.rootsweb.com/~lagenweb/