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Louisiana State...
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Louisiana Parishes
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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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Caldwell Parish, Louisiana
Caldwell Parish History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
County Seat: Columbia
Year Organized: 1838
Square Miles: 530 |
Court House: P.O. Box 1737
Parish Courthouse
Columbia, LA 71418-1737
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Etymology - Origin of Parish Name
the parish was named in honor of the locally prominent Caldwell family.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick
Facts
History
Caldwell Parish was created on March 6, 1838, from Catahoula and Ouachita Parishes and the parish was named in honor
of the locally prominent Caldwell family. The Parish seat is Columbia.
On March 30, 1838, Caldwell Parish was divided into 5 wards at a meeting of the Justices of the Peace, who were
James Gray, Jacob Humble, Fleming Noble, Thomas Rutland, and James Woolridge, with the
assistance of Judge William P. Snow. On May 22, 1838, Columbia, settled about 1823 after years as a Ouachita River
landing, was named the parish seat by the first Police Jury whose members were John Ewing, James Gray, James
Woolridge, and Judge Snow. A court was set up to be presided over by
Judge Henry W. Boyce and to be held at the home of Fleming Noble until a courthouse was built. The first courthouse,
a log structure, was completed and opened in 1838. The land was donated by Henry Hyman, Richard King, James McCoy,
and Fleming Noble. In 1848 the log courthouse was replaced by a brick
building, which was rebuilt in 1894. The third courthouse was demolished in 1937 to make way for a new one. The
present courthouse was completed and dedicated in 1938. There has never been a fire at the Caldwell Parish
courthouse and it still holds records from the beginning of the parish to the present. See Extended History for More
information.
Neighboring Parishes:
- North: Ouachita Parish
- Northeast: Richland Parish
- East: Franklin Parish
- Southeast: Catahoula Parish
- South: La Salle Parish
- Southwest: Winn Parish
- Northwest: Jackson Parish
Cities and Towns:
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- Clarks |
village |
Incorporated Area |
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- Columbia
(County Seat) |
town |
Incorporated Area |
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- Grayson |
village |
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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