Claiborne Parish, Louisiana
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Claiborne Parish History

John Murrell moved his family from Arkansas to the Flat Lick Bayou area about 6 miles west of present-day Homer in 1818, and they became the first known non-natives to permanently settle in Claiborne Parish. As more settlers moved into the area, the Murrell house served as a church, school and post office.

Claiborne Parish was formed from the County of Natchitoches in 1828. When the state legislature created Claiborne Parish out of Natchitoches Parish in 1828, all governmental business, including court, began being held in the Murrell house. This continued until the new parish's police jury selected Russellville as the parish seat.   Due to decrease in population, the parish was moved to Overton until 1846. The new Parish seat was next located in Athens until the courthouse was destroyed by fire.
The residents determined to find a place that would be centrally located for all of the parishioners, and in the year 1849, Homer was officially selected as the county seat. The new courthouse was constructed in 1850.
(Russellville is now a ghost town, located northeast of Athens)

Photo by Billy Hathorn  CC BY SA 3.0
Claiborne Parish Courthouse in 2009

Towns
 Haynesville * Homer

Villages
 Athens * Lisbon * Junction City

Unincorporated Communities
 Arizona * Lake Claiborne * Russellville * Summerfield
 

 

Claiborne Parish Data
 
Church
Records
Miscellaneous
Data
School
Records
Slavery
Records
Wills/
Probate Records

 

WEBSITE UPDATES:

Jan 2025: Bios: BARROW; Birth News: SMITH, HULSE, OLIVE, FESS; Marriage News: DAWSON, ALLEN, FURNISS, HIGHTOWER, MILAM, NELSON

Oct 2024: History of Claiborne Parish; Bios: ADKINS, AWBREY, BAKER, BARNES, BARROW, BLACKMAN, BONNER, BOYKIN, BRASELTON, BROOKS, BROWN, BROWNFIELD, BULLOCK, BUSH, CALDWELL, CALDWELL, CARATHERS, CARGILE, CHANDLER, CLEVELAND, CLINGMAN, COLEMAN, COLLIER, CULPEPPER, DAWSON, DAY, DELOACH, DISMUKES, DORMON, DUKE, DUNN, FERGUSON, FIELD, FOMBY, GANDY, GANTT, GARLAND, GIBSON, GILL, GRAY, GREENWOOD, GRYDER, HARPER, HAY, HENRY, HIGHTOWER, HOOD, JOHNSTON, KING, KNIGHTON, LAY, LEDBETTER, MCCLENDON, MCKINZIE, MACHEN, MADDEN, MEADORS, MEADOWS, MILLER, MOORE, MORELAND, NELSON, NICKELSON, NIX, OAKES, O'BANNON, OGILVIE, OTTS, PALMER, PHIPPS, PITTMAN, POOLE, PRICE, PRYOR, RAMSEY, RANDLE, REEDER, SELLERS, SHERARD, SIMS, TAYLOR, THOMPSON, WAFER, WALKER, WATSON, WEBB, WEIL, WHITE, WILLET, WILLIS, WILSON, YANCEY,

Jul 2024: Marriage News: HERNDON, ROBINSON

Jun 2024: Biographies: MIXON, PRATT; Marriages: 1849-1859 Marriages; Cemeteries: Burials in Hebron Church Cemetery; Marriage News: BREED, INGRAM; Death News: MARIGNY, DORMON; Newspapers: 1890 Last issue of Guardian; Ads: KINDER, CLINGMAN, GILL, SELLERS, WILLIS, MEADOWS, NIX, HARPER, RICHARDSON, GLADDEN, BUSH, McCLENDON, SEALS, JOHNSTON; Visiting News: WARD, RICHARDSON, GRIFFIN, HENRY, WILLIS, MCCRANIE, BRIDGEMAN, SELLERS, TOOKE, JAMERSON, TAYLOR, TREMAINE, SMITH, CHANDLER, SCAIFE, HAAS, HARRIS, BUGG, ALCUS, FERGUSON, COLLIER, STROHECKER, DENMAN

Jan 2024: Military: 1890 Veterans Schedule; Census: 1850 Mortality Schedule; Ads: YOUNG, RICHARDSON, HAYES, COLEMAN, McCRANIE, GILL, LILES, WITTER, KINDER, Homer Masonic Female Institute, SHELTON, TAYLOR

Dec 2023: Death News: ALLEN, ANDERSON, BARHAM, BARNETTE, BELIN, BISHOP, BLACKMAN, BONNER, BRIDGEMAN, BRIDGES, BRINKER, BROWN, BUSSELL, COBB, COOK, CROW, ENGLISH, EPPINGER, EASTEP, FORTSON, GANDY, GARLAND, GREER, GRIGSBY, HAYS, HIGHTOWER, JOHNS, KENNEDY, KINDER, KNOX, LANDERS, LONGINO, MANN, MARSALIS, ,CKENZIE, MEADORS, MYRES, NELSON, OAKES, RAGLAND, SCAIFE, SHAW, SIMS, SMITH, TAYLOR, THIGPEN, THOMAS, WARREN, WATERS, WATSON, WEBB, WEIL, WHEELER, WREN - Thanks Secret Santa!!!

Sept 2023: Crime News: MILLER; Death News: MADRY; Marriage News: MCDADE, CORNELL, FREEMAN, JONES; Community News: CLINGMAN; News: Newspapers of Claiborne Parish; Family: Joshua Browning Allen Family Bible; History: Chapter 6 of 1886 History of Claiborne Parish

May 2023: Death News: DAVIS; Marriage News: DRAKE, CHAMPAGNE, MONAGHAN, KIMBELL, MEADOR, McCASLAND, MILLER, KINDER, PARDUE, O'NEAL, SIMS, HUDDLESTON, JOHNSON, PLEASANT; Ads: NIX, HARPER, BUSH, GLADDEN, MOORE, RICHARDSON, HOLBERT, Parlor Saloon, JOHNSTON, KARKSBERG, GILL; Visiting News: MEADORS, COLLIER, HILLEY, SMITH, CLOWNEY, TAYLOR, FREEMAN, SMITH, CHANDLER, WHITE, HEARD, MACHEN, BONNER, WALKER; Sick List News: BROWN, HAMILTON, PALMER, LIPPMINS, LYON, DORMAN; Parish Records: 1890 Homer Lodge Officers, Claiborne Officers, Parish Officers, Homer Town Officers; History: 1914 Historical Overview; History: Chapter 3-5 of 1886 History of Claiborne Parish

Jan 2023: Marriage News: WILLET, WHITE, FAUNTLEROY, MORGAN, FERGUSON, TANKERSLY; Military: World War 2 Army Casualties, Korean War Casualties, Vietnam War Casualties

Dec 2022: Sick List News for SHULTZ

Previous Updates: Obits for WALKER, MILLER, LINTON, GRAY, WILDER, BARROW, JENNINGS; Sicklist news for WEBB, COUCH; Birth news for DAVIDSON, MURRY
 

 

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Surrounding Parishes and Counties
Columbia County, Arkansas (northwest)
Union County, Arkansas(northeast)
Union Parish (east)
Lincoln Parish (southeast)
Bienville Parish (south)
Webster Parish (west)
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