Madison Parish, Louisiana
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Madison Parish was created on 1838 , from Concordia Parish and the parish was named in honor of U.S. President James Madison . The Parish seat is Tallulah .
It is borderd by East Carroll Parish (north), Warren County, MS (east), Tensas Parish (south), Franklin Parish (southwest), Richland Parish (northwest) . Cites, Towns and Communities include Delta, Mound, Richmond, Tallulah . Unincorporated areas of interest in the parish include Afton, Alligator Bayou, Ashly, Coleman, Enoka, King, Laclede, Mansford, Omega, Quebec, Quimby, Tallabena, Tendal, Thomas Town, Warsaw Ferry, and Waverly. The Official Parish Website is located at http://www.louisiana.gov/Government/Parish_Madison/ .
Parish Court, Probate and Tax Records
Madison Parish Clerk of Court has Court Records from 1882, Land Records from 1839, Probate Records from 1850 and Marriage Records from 1866 and is located at 100 North Cedar Street, P O Box 1710, Tallulah, LA 71282, (318) 574-0655, (318) 574-3961 Fax.
The Clerk of Court for each parish in Louisiana performs the functions of more than one office. As the Recorder, the office of the Clerk of Court receives, files, records and indexes all mortgages, conveyances and all other instruments recorded in the Public Records for the Parish. The Clerk’s Office receives and files all pleadings, such as petitions, answers, motions and other filings in Civil and Probate matters, as well as indictments, bills of information and other filings in Criminal matters. The Clerk’s Office also handles special Juvenile matters and Criminal Neglect cases. Another function of the Clerk’s Office is the issuance of Marriage Licenses and recording their returns after the marriages are performed.
You may also search the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which does cover Louisiana and does cover surrounding states. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.
Tax records are a valuable but little-used source. Almost everything was taxed: household and personal goods, livestock, slaves, and property. Tax lists can be used as a substitute census, to create complete neighborhoods for a neighborhood study, establish relationships, locate land, and so on. Unfortunately, most of these lists no longer exist in Louisiana, but those that are extant are usually found in the tax assessor's office.
Below is a list of online resources for Madison Parish Court Records. Email us with websites containing Madison Parish Court Records by clicking the link below:
Parish Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records
Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.
Vital Records Registry Office of Public Health, 325 Loyola Avenue, P.O. Box 60630. New Orleans, LA 70160; Tel: 504-568-5150 504- 568-5152 (automated) is the repository for all Louisiana Birth Certificates less than 101 years old and all
Louisiana Death Certificates less than 51 years old. Existing records of births which occurred in Louisiana more than
100 years ago or deaths which occurred more than 50 years ago are maintained by the Louisiana State Archives. They have the following records:
- Birth Certificates: State office has had records since July 1914. Birth records for city of New Orleans are available from 1892. Death records are available since 1942. Older birth, death, and marriage records are available through the Louisiana State Archives, P.O. Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804.
- Cost: The cost of a birth record is $15.00. Fees must be remitted by personal check, money order or Credi/Debit Card Online for the exact amount at the time the order is placed. No credit cards are accepted except online. If the record is not on file, one fee is retained to cover the expense of the search. Please do not send cash in the mail
- Processing Time: 4-6 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order Online Below
- Death Certificates: Under Louisiana law, death records are strictly confidential until 50 years after the year of death. Death records older than 50 years are available at the Louisiana State Archives.
- Cost: The cost of a death record is $7.00. Fees must be remitted by personal check, money order or Credi/Debit Card Online for the exact amount at the time the order is placed. No credit cards are accepted except online. If the record is not on file, one fee is retained to cover the expense of the search. Please do not send cash in the mail
- Processing Time: 4-6 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order Online Below
- Marriage Certificates: Orleans Parish records only from Vital Records Registry or the Louisiana State Archives. For other parishes, certified copies are available from the Clerk of the Court in the parish where the license was issued
- Divorce Certificates: Divorce records are available from Clerk of Court in parish where divorce was granted. Fees vary. Call Civil District Court, (504) 592-9100
- Ordering Vital Records - You can also order
- Order Electronically Online or You can download an application for Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Certificates to mail.
Order By Mail: SUBMIT APPLICATION, COPY OF STATE OR FEDERAL PHOTO ID AND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO: Vital Records Registry, P.O. Box 60630, New Orleans, LA 70160. Please do not send cash in the mail. IF NO RECORD IS FOUND, YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED AND FEES WILL BE RETAINED FOR THE SEARCH PER R.S. 40:40. See LOUISIANA VITAL RECORDS REGISTRY
OFFICE OF PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HOSPITALS SERVICE FEES for current cost of all documents.
Below is a list of online resources for Madison Parish Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Madison Parish Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Parish Census Records
Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable
Parishwide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Madison Parish, Louisiana are 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1910, 1920 and 1940. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Madison Parish, Louisiana are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.
Statewide Records that exist for Louisiana are 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1910, 1920 and 1940. After the 1803 purchase of Louisiana it became an American possession; therefore, the first federal census report taken for the state was 1810.
Caution should be used particularly with the AIS indexes for Louisiana. Many of the French and Spanish names were transcribed wrong and numerous omissions exist. Many of these population schedules have been published. See Louisiana Census Records. Volume I: Avoyelles and St. Landry Parishes, 1810 and 1820 & Louisiana Census Records. Volume II: Iberville, Natchitoches, Pointe Coupee, and Rapides Parishes, 1810 and 1820 by Robert Bruce L. Ardoin & The Census Tables for the French Colony of Louisiana from 1699 Through 1732 by Charles R. Maduell, Jr. These books are on 1 Family Archive CD
As early as 1860 the federal government began attempts to identify Native Americans. In 1900 and 1910 it created a special Indian schedule. The first page was the same as the population census only it had “Indian Population” as its heading. The second page provided for such important information as: tribal affiliation, the tribe of each parent, the person's Indian blood quantum, and—if not full blooded —their precise racial mixture. These schedules will be found at the end of the ward or district in which the Native American resided.
There are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Union Veterans Schedules were conducted in 1890.
Below is a list of online resources for Madison Parish Census Records. Email us with websites containing Madison Parish Census Records by clicking the link below:
Parish Maps & Atlases
Below is a list of online resources for Madison Parish Maps. Email us with websites containing Madison Parish Maps by clicking the link below:
Parish Military Records
Below is a list of online resources for Madison Parish Military Records. Email us with websites containing Madison Parish Military Records by clicking the link below:
- Submit a website for Madison Co. Military Records
- BIRTH INFORMATION: RESIDENTS OF MADISON PARISH, LA FROM WORLD WAR I RECORDS - 1917-18 AND PERSONS WITH LINKS TO THIS PARISH
- Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783
(The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83
- Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War
(The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M881. Compiled service records of soldiers who served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
- Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files
(The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804
- Southern Claims - Barred and Disallowed from the State of Louisiana (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings
- Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Louisiana (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served
- Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Louisiana
(The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers from Louisiana units, labeled with each soldier's name, rank, and unit, with links to revealing documents about each soldier
- Case Files of Applications from Former Confederates for Presidential Pardons ("Amnesty Papers"), 1865-67 from the State of Louisiana (The National Archives): NARA M1003. View, Print Copy & Save Original Applications for pardon submitted to President Andrew Johnson, 1865-67, by former Confederates excluded from earlier amnesty proclamations
- Louisiana Society of Daughters of the American Revolution
- National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution,
- Louisiana Society of Sons of the American Revolution,
- National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, 1000 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203; (502) 589-1776
- Madison Parish, Louisiana Military Books at Amazon.com
- Louisiana Confederate Soldier Burial Database
- Louisiana Confederate Soldiers
- Louisiana Military Record
- Louisiana Soldiers in the War of 1812
Parish Genealogical Addresses
Below is a list of online resources for Madison Parish Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Madison Parish Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
- Submit a website for Madison Co. Genealogical Addresses
- National Archives and Records Admin, 501 W Felix Str, Building 1, P.O. 6216, Fort Worth, Texas 76115-3405; archives@ftworth.nara.gov, Fax: 817-334-5511
- Louisiana State Archives , 3851 Essen Lane, PO Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125; (225) 922-2012
- Louisiana Historical Society, 5801 St. Charles Ave, New Orleans, Louisiana 70115; 504/866-3049, [EMAIL]
- Louisiana Genealogical & Historical Society, P.O. Box 82060, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70884-2060-60
- National Archives and Records Admin,501 W Felix Str, Building 1, P.O. 6216, Fort Worth, Texas 76115-3405; archives@ftworth.nara.gov, Fax: 817-334-5511
- Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
- Louisiana Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com
Parish Parish Cemeteries & Graveyards
There are many churches and cemeteries in Madison Parish. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Madison Parish Tombstone Transcription Project.
Most Catholic church registers are still in the local parish church. Many of them have been translated and published.
The recording of cemetery inscriptions in Louisiana has long been a project of the DAR and numerous genealogical societies. Genealogical publications continually print these inscriptions in their issues.
Below is a list of online resources for Madison Parish Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Madison Parish Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Parish Church & Bible Records
For periods before the advent of civil registration of vital statistics, Louisiana church records rank as the best available sources for information on specific vital events: birth, marriage, and death. Louisiana bible records is a good primary source for genealogy research and information. You will find many different Louisiana surnames listed in many of these Bibles which include old photos, obituaries and other facts such as birth and death dates.
Below is a list of online resources for ????? Parish Cemetery & Church Records. EMAIL US with websites links to ????? Parish Cemetery & Church Records.
Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits
Below is a list of online resources for Madison Parish Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Madison Parish Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
- 1721 - The Colony of Louisiana is divided into nine districts by Bienville
- 1805 - When the Territory of Orleans is divided into counties the present-day Madison Parish is part of Ouachita County
- 1809 - When the Territory of Orleans is divided into 19 parishes the southern half of present-day Madison Parish is part of Concordia Parish
- 1811 - All of present day Madison Parish lying south of the point opposite Vicksburg is part of Concordia Parish, while every thing north of this point becomes part of a new parish named Warren Parish
- 1814 - The State legislature erases Warren Parish with the northern part of Madison going to Ouachita and the southern going to Concordia again
- 1820s - During this period of westward movement many immigrants coming through the area are set upon by robber bands. Bayou Macon is said to have been named after the leader of one of these gangs
- 1832 - Carroll Parish is created mostly from Ouachita County. An 18 mile wide strip, now mostly in Madison Parish is included
- 1838 - Madison Parish is created beginning at Shipp's Bayou on the Mississippi River extending north to the Carroll Parish line. With the western boundary extending to Big Creek, parts of present day Richland and Franklin parishes are included in Madison Parish.
The first parish seat is located at Richmond, which is located on Roundaway Bayou 2 miles south of Tallulah
- 1839 - A small slice of northern Madison Parish is given to Carroll Parish. Also the western border of the parish is moved east to Bayou Macon
- 1846 - A three mile strip of land is moved from Carroll Parish to Madison Parish
- 1847 - The three mile strip of land is moved back to Carroll Parish from Madison Parish by the legislature
- Late 1850s - The Vicksburg, Shreveport and Texas Railroad is built across the parish, missing Richmond by several miles
- 1861 - All land south of the point where Bayou Vidal meets the Mississippi is given to Tensas Parish, completing the present day boundary of Madison Parish. At the time it is 25 miles wide and 30 miles long area of mostly virgin forest of hardwoods like oak, red gum, ash, elm and cypress
- 1862 - The parish seat at Richmond is torched by Union troops, but the public records have been removed and concealed from Grant's army.
The Union encampment at Milican's Bend is the site of skirmishes with Confederate guerrillas based to the west who are wearing Union uniforms and led by Captain Joe Lee.
Generals Sherman and Grant attempt to circumvent the guns located above the river at Vicksburg by digging canals through the Bayous in the area. They are unsuccessful but eventually they simply slip by the fortifications at night after the seige has worn down the confederate army
- 1866 - Yellow fever the parish in 1866, 1874, 1878 and a final time in 1905
- 1882 - A crevasse in the parish this year causes the worst flood before 1927
- 1927 - The Cabin Teele levee gives away causing the famed 1927 flood.