The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-08-06
PARISH HISTORIES.


have been appointed In the various
counties OF that State to collect mate
riaIs and prepare histories or oil the
counties OF Mississippi. The pamphlets,
thus prepared, that have so far
appeared, have proved highly in
teresting. and have developed q patriotic
spirit OF inquiry into Mississippi history.
facts and men.
Perhaps when we get the true sons OF
Louisiana at the head OF our govern
ment, we may follow the example Of our
sister State. No country, as Gayarre
has shown, possesses 80 much romance.
80 much poetry, such picturesqueness
In It's history as louisiana And IL Is q
crying shame that, with such materials
before us, we should appear before the
world as devoid Of all history, save the
infamies OF the last few years, as Pata-
gonia or New Zealand.
parish histories will eventually be writ
ten OF this State, as Ia now being done
In Mississippi. Many OF the parishes
are years older than the United States,
and have figured as independent States
and Republics.
The hrst two parishes In Louisiana
are Orleans and NAtchitoches, both
dating from about 1717, the year OF the
establishment OF the Louisiana colony.
In the census OF 1851 two more par
ishes are recognised, Pointe Coupee and
the present parishes Of st. Charles. st.
James and St. John. The other divis-
ions OF Louisiana, at that time, were
Mobile, Illinois, Arkansas and Natchez,
all now without the State.
In 1909. about the time Louisiana was
seded to Spain, there were twelve more
divisions OF Lower Louisiana recog-
nized:
81. John and Gentilly, now a part OF
Orleans.
Tchoupitoulas, now q part Of Orleans
and Jefferson.
Balize, now Plaquemines.
81. Charles, st. John, Latourche. Iber-
vile, the Attakapas, the Avoyeales, Ra-
pides. and Ouachita.
During the Spanish occupation eight
more divisions OF the State were recog-
nizcd: OpelouSas tor Apelousl) Iberia,
vt. James. Venezuela (now q part OF st.
Nary, Galvezton (now part oil East
Baton Rouge), Manchac (also part of
East Baton Rouge. and Terre aux
Boaifs now st. Bernard.)
OF these Terre Aux Bnufs, (now
known as st. BernardD, was settled in
ITS, Iberia was settled Attakapas in
i7I0, and Venezuela the same year.
lana to the United States, there we're.
therefore twenty-five parishes In the
State, OF which, however, Gentilly,
Tchoupitoulas, the 'Attakapas, the Ger.
iuan Coast, Venezuela, Galveston and
Manchac (seven) have altogether been
lost. and Terre aux BDufs and Balze
changed their names respectively for
st. Bernard and Plaquemines.
The parishes, therefore, ante-dating
the United States are Orleans, Natchi-
fvches, Pointe Coupee. vt. Charles, st.
John, Lafourrhe, fberville, Avoyelles.
kapides, Ouachita, st. james, Plaque
mines, St. Bernard and New Iberia
tthe latter recreated parish in 1868 }
In 1910, under the Territory Of Or
leans, West Florida was known by the
nanie of FeliciaDa. la 1911 the county
OF Feliciana Was divided into six
parishes Feliciana, Baton Kouge, St. |
Helena, 81. Tamniany, Biloxi and Pas
eagoula the last two now IN the State
of Mississippi)
In 1911 the county OF ConcorGia, then |
including ali that part Of the State
north OF the Red River, was divided |
into Winn and Concordia parishes.
Louisiana passed through three |
changes between 1910 and 1912, the year /
it was admitted TO the union. Its olig- /
inal size, rs ceded by France was unset I
tied and undetermined, and it was /
thought, at Hrst, not 10 include West /
Florida. La 1910, however, Gov. Clai- /
borne, al the head of some State troops. /
took possession OF Feliciana and added /
II to the Territory of Orleans, otherwise
Louisiana.
In 1910, under the original act admit
ting the State To the Uuion, il was shorn
of all OF West Florida, aud Louisiana
became State without the present par
isnes of East and West Feliciana, East
Baton Rouge, Livingstone, st. Tamma-
ny, st. Helena, Tangipahoa and Wash
ington. Some months after the passage
OF the original act admitting the State
IL was modified by supplemental one.
BY this the State OF Louisiana was Gro
ated as 1t now exists.
Since that time there have been no
changes in the State but many In the
parishes. New ones have sprung into
life, and not a few time honored old
danes, like Attakapas, Acadia and Ope-
lousas, have died'a
In 1908, TO Americallizeit, she Terri
tory OF Orleans was divided into tAir-
teen counties: Orleans, Pointe Coupee,
Concordia, Acadia. Qua
chita, Attakapas, German Coast, Ope-
lousas, Rapides, Iberville, Ouachita and
1afourche.
La 1913 the county OF Attakapas was
divided into two parishes st. Martin
and ST. Mary since which time the
name, Attakapas, has been, politically,
II least, extinct. Il
In 1917 the State was divided into
parishes: The County of Orleans,
ncluding the parish Of Orleans;
he county efsAtadia including the par
shes OF 81. James and Ascension; the
county OF the German Coast, the par
shes OF st. Charles and 1T. John
he Baptist; the county of Attakapas,
he parishes OF st. Martin and st. Mary
he county Of Rapides, the parishes OF
sapides, Avoyelles, CatahouIa and
the county OF Feliciana,
he parishes OF Feliciana, East Baton
Rouge, st. Helena aud ST. Tammany
ne county of Lafourche, the parish OF
.afourche; the county of Point Coupee,
he parish OF Point Coupee; the county
Il Iberville, the parish OF Iherville; the !
ounty Of Concordia, the parish of Con
prdia. {
In 1919 the parish Of Assumption was !