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Louisiana State...
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Louisiana Parishes
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Click Image to Enlarge
Louisiana Parishes
Louisiana is divided into 64 parishes in the same way that 48 of the other states of the United
States are divided into counties (Alaska is divided into boroughs and census areas).
On March 31, 1807, the territorial legislature divided the state into 19 parishes, without getting rid of the
old counties (which continued to exist until 1845).
In 1811, a
constitutional convention organized the state into seven judicial districts, each consisting of groups of
parishes. In 1816, the first official map of the state used the term, as did the 1845 constitution. Since then,
the official term has been parishes. |
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Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
Calcasieu Parish History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
County Seat: Lake Charles
Year Organized: 1840
Square Miles: 1,071 |
Court House: P.O. Box 3287
Parish Courthouse
Lake Charles, LA 70602-3287
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Etymology - Origin of Parish Name
the parish was named in honor Calcasieu, of meaning crying eagle, is said to be the name of an Atakapa
Native American leader
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick
Facts
History
Calcasieu Parish was formed out of St. Landry Parish by an act of the State Legislature on March 24, 1840, and the
parish was named in honor Calcasieu, of meaning crying eagle, is said to be the name of an Atakapa Native American
leader. The Parish seat is Lake Charles. Courthouse was destroyed by a disastrous fire on April 23, 1910, as well as
most of downtown Lake Charles, and many of the records of the parish were burned or damaged.
The area had been inhabited by white families since about 1815. These families formed settlements along the Calcasieu
River. When the parish was formed, the boundaries were "...all the territory in the parish of St. Landry, within the
following boundaries, to-wit: Commencing at the mouth of the River Mermentau, thence up said river to the mouth of the
Bayou Nez Pique, thence up said bayou to the mouth of Cedar Creek, thence due north to the dividing line between the
parishes of St. Landry and Rapides, thence along said line to the Sabine River, thence down the said river to the mouth,
thence along the sea coast to the place of beginning...." Quoted from the legislative act of formation. The Calcasieu
Parish Seat is Lake Charles.
Neighboring Parishes:
- North: Beauregard Parish
- East: Jefferson Davis Parish
- Southeast: Cameron Parish
- West: Orange County, Tex.
- Northwest: Newton County, Tex.
Cities and Towns:
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- Dequincy |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Iowa |
town |
Incorporated Area |
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- Lake Charles
(County
Seat) |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Sulphur |
city |
Incorporated Area |
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- Vinton |
town |
Incorporated Area |
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- Westlake |
city |
Incorporated Area |
Parish Resources:
Enter County Resources and Information Here
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County Resource Guide
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The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic
features of our country!"
But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.
Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally,
act locally." |
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