Winn Parish, LA parish web page

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Winn ParishLouisiana

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(C) 1999-2007 Annette Carpenter Womack


Winn Parish

Winn Parish was created in 1852 from three parishes: the east part of Natchitoches, the west part of Catahoula and the north point of Rapides. Later Grant Parish was carved from the south part of Winn. The parish was named for Rapides legislator Walter Winn. Because there was such a debate about which town would become the parish seat, it was decided that it would be placed in geographical center of the new parish.

Many towns were listed in the first census of 1860 and included: Pine Ridge, St. Maurice, Montgomery, Wheeling, Winnfield, Kyiche, Goodwater, and Winnfield, which was the smallest settlement of any of them! According to an article that Gregg Davis wrote (can be found in the Winn Paish online archives) it has been said that "Winn Parish was poor from birth." and others have added "It hasn't gotten any better!" Descriptions of Winnfield found in the diary of a passing Confederate soldier state that "it had only about five buildings, ugly ones at that"... and the soldier was even critical of the parish jail! It was only after the timber industry came at the turn of the century at Winn Parish began to prosper.

But the condition of the parish or the towns relinquished by Natchitoches and Catahoula did nothing to stop the colorful characters that made this "poor" area their homes, maybe because of the isolated conditions. As early as 1528, Cabeza de Vaca, the Spanish explorer stopped at Lewisville (now Gansville), to 1690 when De Tonit was trading in the same place with Indians who had established a village and trading post there, throughout the late 1800's when all the outlaws such as Laws Kimbrell and the West gang made the area their homes, to the boom towns of the early timber industy to the CCC camps and the maneuvers of WWII, and even today with the fact we have had no less than three Louisiana governors from the area, people just kept coming.

Colorful characters, colorful towns, and even rumors of gold and silver mines! We even have our own Revoluntionary Soldier buried here. Whatever the reason, Winn Parish's history is as colorful as any place in Louisiana!



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You've gotta' go at our ...

Winn Parish Archive Databases

>>> UPDATED DAILY WITH ARTICLES & PHOTOS !!! <<<

We need your Winn Parish data!

 

Places to do Research in Winnfield

Winn Parish Courthouse
Donald E. "Don" Kelley, Clerk of Court
Winn Parish Courthouse, 100 Main St., Winnfield, La. 71483
(318) 628- 3515

Winnfield Family History Center
Located in the Winnfield Ward
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
By appointment only


Louisiana Political Museum
499 E Main Street, Winnfield, La. 71483
(318) 628-5304

WPGHA Book Room
Second Floor above the Health Unit
By appointment only

Queries, etc.

 

Message Board for Winn Parish, Louisiana

 

WPGHA now has their own web site
and mailing list.

Winn Genealogical & Historical Association
>>>Organization Information & Membership Applications <<

 

Winn Parish Online Mailing List

How to subscribe

Send one word message
subscribe
to [email protected]

 

Annette Womack, list administrator!
Includes queries, general discussion of genealogy, etc.

 

 

 

Winn Parish Bibliography

 

Southern Funeral Home Link

 

Winn Parish Neighbors

Links to: Jackson, Natchitoches, LaSalle, Grant, Catahoula

Caldwell & other surrounding parishes

Louisiana Links

Links to many sites for the state including state offices,

military and land records, La Newspaper Projects, etc.

The 12th Louisiana Infantry

Civil War in Louisiana by La Dept of Tourism

Louisiana State Archives


US Links

 

This Winn Parish Web Page

is coordinated by Annette Womack

Additions & Corrections are welcomed.

About USGenWeb Project

 

Back to LAGenWeb

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Our first webpage was put in on November 14, 1997!

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This site is continuously under construction
with remodeling, upgrading and just plain rearranging!
Check back often!

 

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DESIGNED ..BY ANNETTE

(C) 1998 - 2007

Annette Carpenter Womack

 

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