USGenWeb Archives:Rapides Parish, Louisiana Table of Contents

Rapides Parish was created on March 31, 1807. It is one of the 19 parishes, which were created by dividing the Territory of New Orleans. Rapides Parish was named for the rapids in Red River, during French rule and the subsequent seat of government for this area at that time, the Post of Rapide. (during Spanish rule, it was El Rapido) Rapids in the French language is Rapide, which is already pluralized. The "s" was added after the American Government took over in 1803 and has remained ever since. The Parish seat is Alexandria .

Rapides Parish Courthouse - 1939
Its first courthouse was built in 1820 though little is known about it because federal troops burned down almost the entire town of Alexandria in 1864 and most of the parish records where lost. The present courthouse was constructed in 1939 with various alterations and additions completed in 1976.

It is borderd by Grant Parish (north), La Salle Parish (northeast), Avoyelles Parish (east), Evangeline Parish, Allen Parish (southwest), Vernon Parish (west), Natchitoches Parish (northwest) . Cites, Towns and Communities include Alexandria, Ball, Boyce, Cheneyville, Deville, Forest Hill, Glenmora, Lecompte, Libuse, McNary, Pineville, Woodworth . Unincorporated areas of interest in the parish include Barrett, Big Island, Blanche, Bring Hurst, Buckeye, Calcasieu, Campbell, Camp Stafford, Cedar Grove, Chambers, Clifton, Cloverdale, Crane, Deville Post Office, Echo, Elmer, Fitzgerald, Flatwoods, Green Gables, Hineston, Hijou, Hemphill, Holloway, Hotwells, Kings Field, Kolin, Lamourir, Latanier, Lena, Lewiston, Libose, Loyd, Moreland, Long Leaf, McNutt, Meeker, Melder, Oden, Osborn, Otis Post Office, Paradise, Poland, Rock Quarry, Rapides, Rodemacher, Roxana, Ruby Post Office, Shady Oaks, Sharp, Seiper Post Office, Spur, Tioga, Turpin, Union Hill, Valder Rouge, Vortex, Weil, West Port, Whittington, Willow Glen, Wrida, Zimmerman and Zimmerman Camp.

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Bible Records	Biographies	Cemeteries	Census
Church Records	Civ.Con.Corp	Court	Death Records
Estates	Families of Rapides	Places	Property Records
Marriages	Military Records	Miscellaneous	Newspaper
Obituaries	Parish Government	Parish History	Photo Album
List of Photographs & Documents	Pioneer Families	Schools	Tax Records
Honorees and Past File Managers	Contributors	Search Archives