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Rapides Parish


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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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The USGenWeb has provided easy to use forms for submitting any records to the Louisiana GenWeb Rapides Parish Archives. You can still submit a free form text document if you choose not to use the form provided. Click here to go to the FORMS or send your documents to Chere Lee if you would like to contribute to the Rapides Parish Archive Project.
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We are looking for any historical documents, articles, photos, etc. Everyone is urged to donate transcriptions of Rapides Parish bible records, cemeteries, court records, old newspaper articles, biographies of residents, old letters, census data, obituaries, family histories, parish histories, military records, old photographs, etc.

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