Easily Locating Ancestry
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
A four-century window of St. Landry Parish genealogy and historical records are waiting to be explored and Clerk of Court Charles Jagneaux is now making that endeavor more accessible.
Jagneaux and his Courthouse staff cut the ribbon Friday morning on West Landry Street for a two-story $1.3 million records annex building that accommodates a variety of more than one million records dating back to 1765 when the parish was still a Spanish territory.
Although each of those records has been additionally digitalized and available at the Courthouse, parish archivist Larry Caillier III said the 22,000 square-foot annex acts as a storage facility that contains the original printed copies written by hand in three different languages.
Jagneaux said the building, which contains elevator accessibility and records space leased from the parish government, is designed to become a stop for accommodating genealogical tourists, who may want to spend several days pouring over ancestral records.
“We built this in mind for people to use as a window to learn more about their ancestors. There are also genealogical family trees, which list the histories for many families that have settled in the parish,” said Jagneaux.
St. Landry Parish records are voluminous, Jagneaux explained.
The parish and ancillary areas contained a large, early populace, second only to Orleans and Jefferson. There is also a Caribbean connection, said Jagneaux, since many former residents of that island fled to Louisiana during the early 19th century.
Jagneaux told the large number of elected officials and parish residents present for the dedication ceremony on the second floor, where the records are stored, that individuals seeking information can use several available computers for their searches.
As the official custodian of the parish archives, Jagneaux said it’s important for the Clerk of Court to have sufficient space in order to provide record storage.
Construction for the building consumed almost two years.
Jagneaux noted that the anticipated completion date for the annex was delayed somewhat due to required building and fire code modifications.
No additional Clerk of Court funding was necessary in order to pay for the annex, Jagneaux said.
“Our office had enough surplus money to pay cash for the building and all the renovations you see here. This effort started with a concept or an idea to provide increased records access, so it’s not just a building. We have research areas set up, so all you have to do is make requests and then review the records or log-in,”Jagneaux added.
Caillier said the Clerk of Court has always treated the archives division with respect.
“The Clerk of Court here was one of the first in the state to have all of its records in digital form That was a massive undertaking, since St. Landry once included so many of what are now surrounding parishes,” Caillier said.
Jagneaux and Caillier pointed out that the Clerk of Court has been actively researching the familial roots of Pope Leo XIV, whose ancestors were early settlers in what is now St. Landry.
“What we now know is that the Pope’s ancestors, the Lemelle family, were in the Washington area as early as 1796. They operated what was then called “Lemelle’s Landing,” which was located near the Steamboat Warehouse in Washington,” Jagneaux said.
Individuals whose histories have stood out in St. Landry since the early 1800’s, are illustrated in large photographs which cover most of the records area on the second floor.
A large photograph of Pope Leo is on the wall, in addition to one of Louise Bacquie, the Pope’s maternal grandmother.
There is a second of the wall dedicated to parish musicians, such as Clifton Chenier, Amede Ardoin and Rockin’ Sidney, while pictures of the Frilot and Lemelle families can also be viewed.
