xt7qjq0st06j https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7qjq0st06j/data/mets.xml Louisiana Louisiana Historical Records Survey 1940 Other creators include: Andreassen, John C. L. (John Christian Ludvig), 1909-; United States. Work Projects Administration. Division of Professional and Service Projects. 22 l. ; 28 cm. UK holds archival copy for ASERL Collaborative Federal Depository Program libraries. Call number  FW 4.14:L 93/8. books  English University, La. : Dept. of Archives, Louisiana State University This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed in accordance with U. S. copyright laws. Louisiana Works Progress Administration Publications Report on the Louisiana Statewide Records Project and Historical Records Survey: OP 65-1-64-197, foreword by Edwin A. Davis text Report on the Louisiana Statewide Records Project and Historical Records Survey: OP 65-1-64-197, foreword by Edwin A. Davis 1940 1940 2015 true xt7qjq0st06j section xt7qjq0st06j § E.
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, H REPORT ON
THE LOUISIANA STATEWIDE RECORDS PROJECT
AND
, HISTORICAL RECORDS SURVEY
,§ OP 65-1-64-197
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LEBHARIES
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  Dr. Edwin A. Davis,
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,   Head, Department of Archives.
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at ) University, Louisiana
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Rf The Department of Archives
A I Louisiana State University
/ May 1, I94O
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The Louisiana Historical Records
Survey Project headquarters is located in
Room BOO Old Criminal Courts Building,
Tulane and Saratoga Streets, New Orleans,
Louisiana. O P 65-1-64-197. The Project
is operated under the Research and Records
section of the Division of Professional
and Service Projects, Work Projects Admin- V
istration. Official Sponsor, Department
of Archives, Hill Memorial Library,
Louisiana State University,

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FORBWORD
This report was prepared by John C. L. Andreassen, State
and Regional Supervisor of the Historical Records Survey. It
is believed that the information it cmitahis will be of interest to so-
cial scientists and public officials concerned with the location and
preservation of materials relating to the government and history of
Louisiana and the Lower South. It is also believed that the peneral
_, public will be interested in this report as an indication of the
manner in which HPA "white collar" work pays the state and its communi-
ties. For these reasons the report has been mimeographed for wider
distribution than was originslly intended.
The Historical Records Survey had its inception in the
early days of the Jerks Progress Administration as the product of U
hope for better records conditions on the part of numbers of historians,
archivists and public administrators, and a recognition of the devasting
social conditions which are an outcome of "white collar" unemployment. L
Initiated by Ur. Harry Hopkins in early 1936 and placed in operation
with procedures developed under Dr. Luther H. Evans' direction, the
Historical Records Survey was nurtured for some months unier the pro-
tecting wing of the already established Federal "riters' Froject. The
work continued as a federally sponsored project u til September 1,
1939, when a series of locally sponsored statewide projects were set up
to continue the Jerk begun by the Historical Records Survey on the state
and local records of the nation.
The Departwent of Archives of Louisiana State University,
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operating under the terms of Act 258 of 1936, has from the beginning of
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the work in Louisiana taken an active part in the support of the
Historical Records Survey objectives and program. Since September
1, 1939, the Department of Archives has been the official sponsor
of the project in Louisiana. Prior to that date, the Department
sponsored the publication of numerous volumes prepared by the Sur-
vey. There are now sixty co-sponsors of the Louisiana project. _
Briefly, the major objective of the Historical Records Sur-
vey is to place under primary controls the records of civilization
in these United States. Major emphasis has been placed upon public
records. By a primary control is meant such a compilation as a list
or inventory of newspaper files by titles of the newspapers. A
secondary control would be a nmne and subject index to a file of
newspapers. A second guiding principle governing the scope of the
survey projects has been that the work undertaken yields a published
result. The list of publications in this report gives evidence that j V
this principle is being followed in Louisiana. A third, but seldom ex-
pressed principle governing the Survey Program, has been acceptance of
the "progressive bibliography" idea. This is best illustrated in the
publications of the Early American Imprints phase of the Survey Program.
For example, the Ehegg List 2; Chicago énteagige Imprints was published
before the Imprints Survey in the State of Illinois had begun from titles
already located elsewhere in the nation's libraries. Publication in
mimeographed, or other near-print form, has kept duplication costs at a
low level; the aid of specialists throughout the nation h;s been enlisted
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in making the second edition far more comprehensive than the first. In
fact, the publication of succeeding and revised editions has become a
procedure for the collection of data for what will eventually constitute
near-definitive lists.
Since November l, l939, the Louisiana project has also been
responsible for the continuation and completion of those projects en-
gaged in records renovation and in the preparation of indexes to deed,
. mortgage, marriage and other records located in the courthouses of the
state. The value of this work in making accessible those records, which
at some time or other affect the lives of every one of us, is amply at-
tested by the public officials most directly concerned. The Historical
Records Survey h s been a pioneer in developing research procedures and I
techniques which involve the use of the available clerical man-power of
the state and nation to prepare "new tools for research." These tech-
niques warrant careful study by students in many fields. 4
From a project employing 40 workers in Louisiana, we have
watched this project grow to an assigned total of over 525 workers.
This has been due to administrative and co-sponsor recognition of a work
yielding permanent public benefits and of work competently done. The
value of well—ordered, accessible records to the citizens of the state
is a matter open to very little question. The contribution of this
program to scholarship in the United States in providing "new tools for
research" is now well recognized. The maintenance and improvement of tho
clerical skill of the several thousands of white—collar workers who have

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been used in this public records improvement program will continue to
yield a return to the state and nation, whether or not a relief program
is continued.
E. A. Davis, Head,
Department of Archives
Hill Memorial Library
Louisiana State University
May 10, 1940
University, Louisiana

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REPORT .
It gives me pleasure to report to you on the activities of the
consolidated statewide records project in Louisiana. The project is
now operating with workers in fifty-eight of the 5tate's sixty-four
parishes. Employment, though varying considerably from month to month,
now totals 526. The project organization is one in which all field
workers are under one of six district supervisors. These six district
supervisors are given technical aid by a staff of editorial or technical
consultants located in tho state office of the project in New Orleans.
For example, there is a trained librarian in the state office in techni-
cal charge of the Imprints inventory, and a techniccl supervisor in
charge of each of the other phases of the project.
· I believe the training and experience of the project supervisory
staff will compare favorably with the faculty of any college with an
enrollment of 500 to 600 students. The turnover in personnel due to
workers receiving private employment, and due to the “eighteen months"
clause has not seriously affected project operation since a training pro-
gram is constantly underway. A knowledge of the technical nature of
Survey activities on the part of WPA .·'. administrative officials has result~
ed in the employment on this project of workers with high qualifications.
In fact, in the past three years we have never operated with better work-
er talent than is now the case. Every effort is made to assign the
worker to a task for which he is fitted by training, experience, or inter- A
est. Day by day records are maintained on each worker's prod ction and
the quality of his work; wherever the records indicate it advisable, the
worker is given an opportunity to do a more difficult job, or to learn
a more technical task. The result of this policy has been that whereas
l8 months ago only two supervisors had come up from the certified ranks, 4
today four out of every five supervisors on this project have worked
their way up from the certified rolls to positions of considerable
responsibility.
The nature of the published product of this project has brought
favorable attention from many persons and institutions throughout the
nation.
The quality of the public records inventories has been such that
the National Director, and the Librarian cf Congress have recently
authorized publication of inventories without referral to Jashington for j
review. The publication program got under full steam last fall and the
production schedule of one volume per week has been maintained for the
last several months.
A surprisingly favorable support of the project in terms of Ce-
sponsor contribution for the continuation of project activity has been
noted since January lst of the present year.
For the sake of convenience, I have divided the report which fol-
lows into ten parts, nine of whiéh outline the status of the various pro-
ject activities presontly underway.
day l· 1940 John C. L. andreasson V Z';
New Orleans State anQ Regional Supervisor
Historical leccrd Survey Projects

  
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CONTENTS
A. Project Sponsors P&@€ 7
B. Parish Archives Inventory F&€€ 9
C. State Archives Inventory pag? 13
D. Municipal Archives Inventory F&G€ 15
· E. Church archives Inventory P&€€ IV
F. American Imprints Inventory Page 16
G. Newspaper Inventory Pegg l@
H. Manuscripts Inventory Page lg
I. Records Renovation and Indexing Page 20
. J. Records Transcription P&€6 20

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A. PROJECT SPONSORS
The Louisiana Statewide Records Project and Historical Records
Survey is sponsored by the Department of Archives, Louisiana State
University. The various units of the project throughout the state are
co-sponsored by local governmental agencies, A number of contributing
_ sponsors are also listed below.
ALEXANDRIA DISTRICT
Parish Co-Sponsor
Avoyelles Police Jury
Catahoula Police Jury
Concordia Police Jury
Grant School Board
Grant Police Jury
LaSalle Police Jury
Natchitoches Police Jury
Rapides Police Jury
Sabine Police Jury
Vernon Police Jury
MMNWMEMWHN
Ascension Police Jury
East Feliciana Police Jury
Iberville Police Jury
Livingston Police Jury
Pointe Coupee Police Jury A
St. Helena Police Jury
St. Tammany Police Jury _
Tangipahoa Police Jury
Washington Police Jury
West Baton Rouge Police Jury
' West Feliciana Police Jury
LAE CHARLES DISTRICT
Acadia Police Jury
Allen Police Jury
Beauregard Police Jury
Calcasieu Police Jury
Calcasieu City of Lake Charles
Evangeline Police Jury
Iberia Police Jury
Jefferson Davis Police Jury
St. Martin Police Jury
Vermilion Police Jury

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MONROE AREA
G
. Parish Co-Sponsor
East Carroll Police Jury
Jackson Police Jury
Lincoln Police Jury
Madison Police Jury
Morehouse Police Jury
Morehouse Assessor
Ouachita Police Jury
Richland Police Jury
` Tensas Police Jury
Union Police Jury
West Carroll Police Jury
NEW ORLEANS DISTRICT
Assumption Police Jury
Jefferson Police Jury
Middle American
Research Institute g
Lafourche City of Thibodaux
Orleans Howard Memorial Library
Louisiana Historical
Association
" Public Belt Railroad
. H Civil District Court .
, City of New Orleans
, H Louisiana State museum
St. Bernard Police Jury
· St. Charles Police Jury
. St. James Police Jury
St. John the Baptist Police Jury
Terrebonne Police Jury
SHREVEPORT AREA
A Bossier Police Jury
A Red River Police Jury
; B. PARISR ARCHIVES INVENTORY
The Historical Records Survey uses local workers to inventory rec-
ords of the various public offices on standard government inventory
_ forms. An inventory, once listed on the forms, is rechecked for accura-
cy. The original inventory has been made in the following parishes:
Acadia Jefferson Davis Terrebonne
Allen Lafayette Union
Ascension Lafourche Vermilion I
Assumption LaSalle Vernon ` `JJ
Avoyelles Lincoln Washington
Beauregard Livingston Webster
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Bienville Madison West Baton Rouge
Bossier Morehouse West Carroll
Caddo Natchitoches West Feliciana
Calcasieu Orleans Winn
Caldwell Ouachita
Catahoula Plaquemines
Claiborne Pointe Coupes
DeSoto Rapides
East Baton Rouge Red River
East Carroll Rdchland
East Feliciana Sabine
Evangeline St. Bernard
Franklin St. Charles
Grant St. Helena
Iberia St. James
Iberville St. John the Baptist
Jackson St. Landry
Jefferson St. Martin
St. Mary
St. Tammany
Tangipahoa
Tensas
Parish archives inventories remain to be made in:
Concordia
Cameron
This is to be explained by a lack of available certified workers to
do this task in these two parishes. _
As the original inventories have been completed and the forms re-
checked, inventorv entries have been prepared. These in turn have been
checked againstthe materials inventoried. For some time, publication of
inventories was delayed in order to determine just what the state law
_ was with regard to the structural organization and evolution of each pa-
rish office and the history of the powers, duties and records require·
ments of each office. This work involved careful perusal of each of the
states' constitutions, each page of the session laws, the codes, revised
statutes, published attorney general's opinions, selected judicial de-
cisions, and the ordinances of the local governing bodies such as the
. police juries. These legal source materials have been placed under in-
dexed working controls so that inventory entries are now automatically
checked against the legal requirements, and the essays tracing the evo-
lution of each parish office are being produced with machine-like regu-
larity.
J Parish archives inventories published to date include the following:
1) Historical records survey. Inventory of the parish archives
- -_. of Louisiana. No. 2. Allen parish. University, Louisiana, De-
r partment of Archives, Louisiana State University, June, l93E. mim.
N (iv, eip.)
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2) Historical records survey. Inventory of the parish archives
of Louisiana. No. 10. Calcasieu parish. University, Louisiana,
Department of Archives, Louisiana State University, March, 1938.
mim. (iv, iis p.)
3) Historical records survey. Inventory of the parish archives
of Louisiana. No. 22. Grant parish. University, Louisiana,
Department of Archives, Louisiana State University, April, 1940.
mim. (iv, ee p.)
4) Historical records survey. "A brief history of Jefferson
Parish." Jefferson Parish yearly review, 1939. p. 127-183.
5) Historical records survey, Inventory of the parish archives
of Louisiana. No. 26. Jefferson parish. A brief history.
’ University_Louisiana, Department of Archives, Louisiana State
University, April 1940. mim. (25 p.)
6) Historical records survey. Inventory of the parish archives
of Louisiana. No. 26. Jefferson Parish. University, Louisiana,
Department of Archives, Louisiana State University, January,
1940. mim. (iv, 437 p.)
7) Historical records survey. Inventory of the parish archives l
of Louisiana. No. 28. Lafayette Parish. University, Louisiana,
Department of Archives, Louisiana State University, March, 1938.
mim. (iv, 118 p.)
8) Historical records survey. Inventory of the parish archives .
of Louisiana. No. 35. Natchitoches Parish. University,
Louisiana, Department of Archives, Louisiana State University,
september, ieee. mim. (V, ieo p.)
9) Historical records survey. Inventory of the parish archives
of Louisiana. N0. 36. Orleans parish. Preliminary inventory
of notarial records. University, Louisiana, Department of
Archives, Louisiana State University, June, 1939. mim. (v, 172 p.)
10) Historical records survey. Inventory of the parish archives
of Louisiana. No. 38. Plaquemines parish. University, Louisi-
ana, Department of Archives, Louisiana State University, August,
1939. mim. (iii, 228 p.)
11) Historical records survey. Inventory of the parish archives
of Louisiana. No. 44. St. Bernard parish. University, Louisiana,
Department of Archives, Louisiana State University, December,
1938. mim. (iii, 166 p.)
12) Historical records survey. Inventory of the parish archives
F Louisiana. No. 45. St. Charles parish. University,
Louisiana, Department of Archives, Louisiana State University,
November, 1937, mim. (ii, 117 p.) N _AJ
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l3) Historical records survey. Inventory of the parish archives
of Louisiana. No. 59. Washington parish. University,
Louisiana, Department of Archives, Louisiana State University,
March, ieee. mein; (vi, sae p.)
Inventories are being rechecked in the following parishes:
Avoyelles St. Helena
Claiborne St, Martin
East Baton Rouge St. Mary
Livingston Union
Vernon
Parish archives inventories in various stages of editing
and publication at the present time are:
Beauregard
Bossier
East Feliciana
Lafourche
Morehouse
Sabine
Terrebonne
Webster
Winn
Two publications incidental to the parish archives inventor-
ies have been released. The titles are self-explanatory.
Special attention is called to the indexes to these volumes which
constitute the first comprehensive working tools for the person in-
terested in the state law as it relates to the boundaries of counties,
parishes, judicial and congressional districts in Louisiana. These c
publications are:
l) Historical records survey. Judicial and congres-
sional district boundary law in Louisiana. New Orleans.
The Department of Archives, Louisiana State University,
oeteber, ieee. multi. (ii, eop.)
2) Historical records survey. County-Parish boundaries
in Louisiana. New Orleans, The Department of Archives,
Louisiana State University, October, l939. mim.
(vi, l39 p.)
Several points should be mentioned:
l) These publications have been sent to each Clerk of
Court in each of the sixty—four parishes in the state. On the publica-
tion of the inventories for each of the parishes in the state, these 64
volumes will constitute in each clerk°s office a catalog (similar to the
librarian's catalog) of the archives in each parish courthouse. In
other words, it will be possible for anyone to go to his courthouse to
determine whether it will be worth while to check certain records in a
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neighboring parish. The value of these inventories in planning improved
records systems, and to the student of history and local government, is
obvious.
2) The various parishes have been providing necessary duplica-
tion costs for these volumes which are also distributed to some 125 depo-
sitories throughout the nation. The two depositories in Louisiana which
receive the nationwide set of HRS publications are the Department of Ar-
chives, Louisiana State University and the Tilton Memorial Library, Tu-
lane University of Louisiana, in New Orleans.
3) One of the few criticisms the inventory volumes have en-
countered is in the matter of bulk. This has, we believe, been solved
in publication of entry drafts such as the Grant Parish Inventory. A
4) Publication of Parish archives inventories is being speed-
ed up very materially. Precedence in all matters is being given to this
particular task, and two or more inventories per month may be expected.
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C. _STAT§ ARCHIVES
The initial inventory in the following offices, boards, com-
· missions and institutions has been completed:
Secretary of State
Louisiana State University 4
Board of Control of Louisiana Leper Home (now federal) {
Public Service Commission
Highway Commission A
Pardon Board
Supervisor of Public Accounts
Land Inventory Commission of Louisiana
‘ Board of Appraisers
l Printing Board
Board of Equalization
Adjutant General
Department of Public Nelfare
4 Livestock Sanitary Board
Legislature
State Board for the Blind
State Planning Commission )
Board of Liquidation of State Debt ? ‘
State Superintendent of Education 4 I
Railroad Commission of Louisiana
State Treasurer
State Department of Agriculture and Immigration
Board of Audit and Exchange
Executive Department · v
Board of Electrical Examiners and Supervisors
State Board cf Health
Register of Land Office
Board of Pension Commissioners
Board of Tax Appeals
Keeper of State House and Grounds
Board of Parole l
Louisiana Tax Cmmnission
Debt Ihratorium Commission
Banking Department
Department of Commerce and Industry
Courts of Appeal
Attorney General
Board of Trustees of Te;chers' Retirement System
Service Commissioner for United Spanish War
Veterans of Louisiana
Department of State Police
State Mineral Board
Library Commission
Southern University, Scotlandville
Louisiana State School for the Deaf
Louisiana State Employment Service Aw

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Licensing Board for General Contractors
Board of Barber Examiners ,
Louisiana State School for the Blind
State Department of Labor
State Hospital Board
Colony and Training School for Feeble landed
State Industrial School for Girls
Hospital Board of Administrators Central
Louisiana, Pineville i
Nurses Board of Examiners §
State Board of Optometrists l
Board of Directors of Shreveport Charity Hospital A
Board of Commissioners for the Port of `
New Orleans A
State Notarial Archives
New Court House Com ission
Board of Commissioners Orleans Levee Board
District
Louisiana Tax Commission
State Board of Medical Examiners
4 Hospital Board of Administrators of Charity
Hospital, New Orleans
State Board of Health
Board of Control of Cosmetic Therapy »
State Board of Charities and Corrections T
Board of State Engineers
State Fire Marshal
Louisiana State Law Library
Louisiana Insurance Commission
State Board of Dentistry A
Board of Engineering Examiners
State Board of Examiners of Journeyman
and Plu bers
State Board of Osteopaths
State Chauffeur License Bureau
Safety Commission
Tuberculosis Commission
Supreme Court ‘
The inventory of the office listed below is being checked:
Secretary of State
Draft inventories have been prepared for the
following:
Supreme Court
Courts of Appeal
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The necessary legal research for the publication of state
archives inventories has been under way, with that for the parich
archives, and is nov being brought to a close. The publication '
program in state archives inventories is scheduled to begin in July.
Contemplated reorganization of the state government resulting in
the consolidation of certain agencies will have the effect of
reducing the total number of volumes published.
D. K@llCIQ£l ARCHIVES INVENTORY
The Historical Records Survey has carried on an inventory of
municipal archives in conjunction with the survey of parish archives.
During 1959 a thorough recheck of the preliminary field inventory
has been made in New Orleans.
The initial inventory has been made in the following munici-
palities:
Converse Crowley
foble De2idder
Qlla Oakdale
Pleasant Hill Lafayette
Colfax Lake Charles }
Jena Bonita
Lggsvjllg Collingztcn ‘
lhny Ser Rouge
Ibrksville Oak lidge
Tullos Bastrop
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