Basic Genealogy Books

The Librarian’s Guide to Genealogical Services and Research. Swan, James. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.  A resource for librarians wanting an introduction to genealogy and materials available for research, with information on collection development.

The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America. Everton, George B. Logan, UT: Everton Publishers. Arranged by state and includes a brief state history, contact information for genealogical archives, libraries and societies, available census and printed resources, and what each county has to offer. Includes maps, migration trails, territorial growth, etc.

The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy. Szucs, Loretto Dennis. Salt Lake City, UT: Ancestry Incorporated. A comprehensive “how to” genealogical source with explanatory and contact information on locating a variety of genealogical records, researching ethnic ancestry, military, immigration, census, etc.

Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives. Washington, D. C.: Published for National Archives and Records Service by the National Archives Trust Fund Board. Comprehensive source explaining what is available in the National Archives for genealogical research, how to obtain the records and how to use them.

African American Genealogical Sourcebook. Byers, Paula. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Inc. A comprehensive source for locating African American ancestry. Offers information on what to know before beginning research, problems that might be encountered, locating research materials, records specific to African Americans, and resources available at the federal, state and local levels. (Others in the series include Native American Genealogical Sourcebook, Asian American Genealogical Sourcebook and Hispanic American Genealogical Sourcebook.)

Vital Records

Vital Records Registry Information:http://new.dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/subhome/21.  Information for requesting Louisiana birth and death certificates from the Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of Public Health, Vital Statistics.

Louisiana State Archives:http://www.sos.la.gov/HistoricalResources/ResearchHistoricalRecords/VisitTheResearchLibrary/Pages/default.aspx .
Contact information and materials available at the State Archives Research Library, including online Confederate Pension Applications.

Vital Records Information, United States: http://www.vitalrec.com/. Where to locate vital records by state and parish/county. Lists towns that have vital records before they were kept statewide.

Louisiana Parish Clerks of Court:http://www.laclerksofcourt.org/clerksofcourt.htm.  Parish by parish listing of contact information for Louisiana Clerks of Court, which has marriage and divorce records, land records, probate, etc..

Diocese of Baton Rouge Catholic Church Records. Daigre, Una. Baton Rouge: Diocese of Baton Rouge, Department of Archives. A multi-volume set of sacramental records covering 1756 to 1891 for the Diocese of Baton Rouge with information arranged by surname.

Sacramental Records of the Roman Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Woods, Earl C. New Orleans: Archives of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. A multi-volume set of New Orleans sacramental records covering 1718 to 1821 with information arranged by surname.

South Louisiana Records: Church and Civil Records of Lafourche-Terrebonne Parishes. Hebert, Donald J. Rayne, LA: Hebert Publications. A multi-volume set of sacramental records covering 1794 to 1903 for Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes with information arranged by surname.

Southwest Louisiana Records: Church and Civil Records of Settlers. Hebert, Donald J. Rayne, LA: Hebert Publications. A multi-volume set of sacramental records covering 1756 to 1909 for Acadia, Calcasieu, Cameron, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Martin, St. Mary and Vermillion parishes with information arranged by surname.

Hunting For Bears. Murray, Nicholas. (A series. Publication dates vary.) Independence, LA: Murray Publishers. A computerized index of marriages by parish. Source is published by parish and alphabetized by groom and bride, with date of marriage and spouse’s name.

Locating Dates

Social Security Death Index: http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/ssdi. A database containing an index to the Social Security records of deceased persons whose deaths were reported to the Social Security Administration. Searchable by name or Social Security Number, can generate a letter to the SSA, etc.

Louisiana Cemeteries: http://www.daddezio.com/cemetery/junction/CJ-LA-NDX.html. Alphabetical listing of many Louisiana cemeteries, which includes location, directions to the cemetery and may include cemetery transcriptions.

Louisiana Cemeteries: http://www.la-cemeteries.com/. Another alphabetical listing of Louisiana cemeteries that includes transcriptions, photos, CSA burials and more.

Louisiana Tombstone Inscriptions. Shreveport, LA: Daughters of the American Revolution, Louisiana Society. (Out of print.)    A multi-volume, multi-parish listing of tombstone inscriptions.

Census Online: http://www.census-online.com/links/. Online searchable census.

Louisiana 1810 Census Index. Jackson, Ronald Vern. Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, Inc. (Also 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, and 1870 available.) Index to the 1810 Federal Louisiana census. Information is listed by head of household providing parish where he/she was living when the census was taken and page number to locate the person/family on microfilm. Also available online through AncestryPlus.

Locating Possible Ancestors

Family Search: http://www.familysearch.org/.Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints searchable genealogy database

Google Books: http://books.google.com/advanced_book_search. A great place to locate possible ancestors in books; such as state annual reports, historical reports, etc.
Louisiana Archives (USGenWeb Project): http://www.usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm. Part of a nationwide online database, but is specific to Louisiana. It is arranged by parish, has some searchable databases, transcribed information and lookup volunteers.

La USGenWeb Project - (La Archives): http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm. Arranged by parish, has searchable databases, transcribed information and lookup volunteers.

Records of Louisiana Confederate Soldiers & Louisiana Confederate Commands. Booth, Andrew B. Spartanburg, SC: The Reprint Company, Publishers. A three-volume set arranged alphabetically by soldier’s surname with a summary of the soldier’s service record. Also available online at http://www.usgwarchives.net/la/military/wbts.htm.
 
Guide to Louisiana Confederate Military Units, 1861-1865. Bergeron, Arthur W. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press. A history of Louisiana military units during the Civil War with summaries of action seen and officers.

Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System: http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/. A National Parks Service database that offers military information for Confederate and Union soldiers and sailors.  

Encyclopedia of Forts, Posts, Named Camps, and Other Military Installations in Louisiana, 1700-1981. Powell A. Casey. Short descriptions of over 800 forts and military installations in Louisiana between 1700 and 1981. Arranged alphabetically with an index.  Includes bibliography of sources for further study. Maps and photographs are included. No longer in print. State Library has copies available for interlibrary loan.

Louisiana Post Offices. John J. Germann. Lake Grove OR: The Depot, 1990. (Box 2093, Lake Grove OR 97035). List of places with post offices since 1803, even if discontinued. Arranged by parish, post office data includes dates established and name of postmaster. Indexed. Maps show all known locations for each parish. Some photographs.

Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild: http://www.immigrantships.net/. A Searchable database of passenger lists that have been transcribed to the Internet. Includes the Port of New Orleans.

Passenger & Immigration Lists Index: A Guide to Published Arrival Records of About 500,000 Passengers Who Came to the United States and Canada in the Seventeenth, Eighteenth, and Nineteenth Centuries and 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986-90, 1991, 1992 Supplements. Filby, William. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Company. Index of immigrants arriving to America. Index is arranged by surname and includes immigration information for individuals, plus source where information was found.

Chronicling America: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/. Library of Congress database of scanned images of newspapers. Keyword searchable. Has Louisiana newspapers in the database.


Additional Resources

Louisiana Cemetery Board Database:http://www.lcb.state.la.us/search.html. Searchable database of Louisiana cemeteries with contact information.

United States Census, Factfinder for the Nation: http://www.census.gov/prod/2000pubs/cff-2.pdf. An excellent explanation of the United States census and what is available on the different censuses from 1790 to 2000.

Gen Forum: http://www.genforum.com/. A site to check multiple queries by surname, offering a way to locate ancestral information and living relatives.

Rootsweb: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/. Access information for the beginner to advanced researcher that includes family trees, Social Security Death Index, listservs, and more.

Index to Certificates of Naturalization, 1831-1906 [microform]. Fort Worth, Texas: National Archives, Southwest Region. New Orleans District Office, 1990. Index to naturalization certificates for Louisiana covering 1831 to 1906, which may include name, address, age, date of birth, date and port of arrival, date of naturalization, address of the court issuing the certificate and volume and page number where the certificate is located.
    

National Archives and Records Administration: http://www.archives.gov/index.html. This site offers information/explanations on records available from the National Archives. Has such information as, Clues in the Census Records, 1790-1920, Fate of the 1890 Census, Immigration and Naturalization Records, Military Records, National Archives and Records Administration Publications, etc.

Bureau of Land Management – Land Patent Records: http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/. This site has a searchable database of land patent records which include scanned images of the original records.

Genealogy Help Network: http://www.angelfire.com/ks/windshipgenhelp/genforms.html. Free genealogy-related forms to record family history.