Genealogy: Maps & Land

Original land patents recording land sales from the Federal government to individuals, beginning in 1820. Images of the original patent documents are available free of charge.

A selection of the maps housed in the Baton Rouge Room are also available online.

The Louisiana Digital Map Library is another excellent online resource for historical Louisiana maps.

Over 43,000 images of rare 18th and 19th century North American and South American maps and other cartographic materials.

This web apps allows you to click on any point on a map to reveal historical topographical maps for the region. Select multiple maps and use the sliders to fade the layers in and out.

A project of the William M. Scholl Center for American History and Culture at The Newberry Library in Chicago, the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries is a powerful historical research and reference tool in electronic form. The Atlas presents in maps and text complete data about the creation and all subsequent changes (dated to the day) in the size, shape, and location of every county in the fifty United States and the District of Columbia.

Two informative publications are available for download here: History of Land Titles in Louisiana and Louisiana State Historical Land Records and Their Relevance to Genealogists

Consult the publication Louisiana State Historical Land Records and Their Relevance to Genealogists for tips on using this free database.