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. 

Description
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.

Parish Courthouse
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.

History
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

 * 1868--Richland Parish was created 29 September 1868 from Ouachita, Carroll (Old), Franklin, and Morehouse Parishes. Parish seat: Rayville

Boundary Changes
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
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Populated Places
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:

Neighboring Parishes or Counties

 * Caldwell
 * East Carroll
 * Franklin
 * Morehouse
 * Ouachita
 * West Carroll

African American

 * Louisiana African American Griots Project
 * Afrigeneas - African Ancestored Genealogy
 * African American Cemeteries, listing by county
 * Richland Parish African American History - RichlandRoots.com

Bible Records

 * Richland Parish Family Bible Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Biographies

 * 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
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

 * Richland Parish Census Records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Louisiana Census Images (USGenWeb Census Images Project)

Church

 * 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)

Land

 * Richland Parish Deed Records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Old Land Surveys & Records (LA Division of Administration)

Local Histories

 * Louisiana Museums
 * Richland Parish History Records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * RichlandRoots

Maps

 * Maps of Louisiana (1805-1990)
 * RichlandRoots Map Collection (RichlandRoots.com)
 * USGW Digital Map Collection (USGenWeb Project)

Military

 * Richland Parish Military Records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Louisiana Military History Online
 * RichlandRoots Veterans Collection

Civil War
Online Records


 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1898-1950 - at FamilySearch — images
 * Known Confederate Burials in Richland Parish at RichlandRoots

World War I

 * 1917-1920 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Richland Parish Letters, Newspapers Accounts From World War 1 at RichlandRoots

World War II

 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 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

 * 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)

Obituaries

 * Obituaries of Richland Parish (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Richland Parish Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)
 * RichlandRoots Obituaries (RichlandRoots)

Probate
Louisiana Probate Records

Online Probate Records


 * 1756 – 1984 Louisiana Wills and Probate Records 1756-1984 at Ancestry — index and images $

Schools

 * Richland Parish School Records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Historic Information on Schools and Former Schools (RichlandRoots)

Vital Records

 * Louisiana Records and Statistics Information ~ where and how to order information.

Birth

 * Births from Richland Parish (Genealogy Trails)
 * Richland Parish Birth Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Marriage

 * 1837–1957 -  at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Richland Parish Marriage Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Death

 * 1850-1875, 1894-1960 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Richland Parish Death Records (Genealogy Trails)
 * Richland Parish Death Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Societies and Libraries

 * Richland Parish Library Website
 * Louisiana Historical Society Website
 * Louisiana Historical Association Website
 * Richland Parish History Facebook Group
 * Website

Websites

 * Louisiana Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Louisiana Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Richland Parish (LAGenWeb)
 * Richland Parish (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 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
 * RichlandRoots, a history blog of Richland Parish