Louisiana Biography

Biographies in Local Histories

 * Biographical information is often found in state, county, and town histories.
 * Towards the end of the 19th century, began publishers soliciting short biographical/family histories from local founding families, offering to publish them in an upcoming local history. This then became an incentive for family members to buy a copy of the book.
 * Families represented were not necessarily prominent. Practically everyone living there, especially in the Midwest, counted as an early settler.
 * These biographies often start with the first member of the family to settle in the area, and detail their descendants at the time of publishing. They may tell where the family moved in from. Children's marriages often are given, with maiden names included.

Finding Biographies
Extensive collections of Louisiana biographical material are at the Louisiana State Library, The Louisiana State University Library, and the New Orleans Public Library. The New Orleans Public Library has an extensive card index of biographical sketches in books and newspapers published before 1972. The Louisiana Historical Association has published a Dictionary of Louisiana Biography. New Orleans: Louisiana Historical Association, 1988, 2 vols. Also search local histories, historical atlases, and similar materials for biographical information.
 * The county Wiki page lists several county histories. It also lists local libraries, and societies which probably have copies of local histories.
 * Many histories are no longer under copyright and can be found in the following online, digitized book collections. Search with keywords "History" and "the name of your locality" (state, county, or town).
 * FamilySearch Books
 * Google Books
 * World Cat
 * HathiTrust
 * Internet Archive
 * The FamilySearch library has extensive collections of these local histories. Many are digitized. Search the FamilySearch Catalog under your locality for the topics "Biography" and "History".

Online Resources

 * County and Town Histories, with biographies
 * Louisiana Biography and Obituary Index.
 * Old Louisiana Plantation Homes and Family Trees ($)
 * Louisiana Biographical and Historical Memoirs ($)

Family History Library Collection
The Family History Library has several biographical and “Who's Who” sources on including Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Louisiana, 2 vols. (Chicago, Illinois: Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1892).

Websites

 * Louisiana Biography and Obituary Index New Orleans Public Library

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