Our Genealogy Helper
Introduction ...
We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:
- That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
- We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
- On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.
By learning about Retreat (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.
As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Retreat. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.
Neighboring Parishes/Counties ...
When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring parishes/counties.
For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the southwest corner of their home parish. During their lives, most doctors were in the next parish to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the parish to the south.
So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring parishes/counties instead of the parish in which they lived: their home parish contained property and probate records; the parish to the west contained birth and death records; the parish to the south contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring parishes/counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.
If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.
Retreat is located in West Feliciana Parish.
To see how the shape of Louisiana's parishes may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following parishes adjoin and form the boundaries of West Feliciana Parish: Avoyelles, Concordia, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge & Wilkinson (MS).
Below are the parishes/counties that are near Retreat. For each of these parishes/counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Retreat:
- West Feliciana Parish (The home parish of Retreat)
- The following are listed by their distance from Retreat, with the one closest to Retreat listed first.
- Weyanoke
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Tunica
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Angola
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Converse ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Converse is located in West Feliciana Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Converse
- Wakefield
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Bains
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Bains is located in West Feliciana Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bains
- Saint Francisville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Rogillioville
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Rogillioville is located in West Feliciana Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rogillioville
- Avoyelles Parish
- The following are listed by their distance from Retreat, with the one closest to Retreat listed first.
- Odenburg
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Odenburg is located in Avoyelles Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Odenburg
- Simmesport
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Bordelonville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Hamburg
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Dupont
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Dupont is located in Avoyelles Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dupont
- Moreauville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Plaucheville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Concordia Parish
- The following are listed by their distance from Retreat, with the one closest to Retreat listed first.
- Bougere
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Bougere is located in Concordia Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bougere
- Fairview
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Fairview is located in Concordia Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview
- Acme
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- East Baton Rouge Parish
- The following are listed by their distance from Retreat, with the one closest to Retreat listed first.
- Port Hudson
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Port Hudson is located in East Baton Rouge Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Port Hudson
- Zachary
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Zachary is located in East Baton Rouge Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zachary
- Population from the 2020 Census: 18,417 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Zachary <1>
- East Feliciana Parish
- The following are listed by their distance from Retreat, with the one closest to Retreat listed first.
- Jackson
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Norwood
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Wilson
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Bells Store ‑ Historic
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Bells Store is located in East Feliciana Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bells Store
- Lindsay
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Lindsay is located in East Feliciana Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lindsay
- Ethel
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Slaughter
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Clinton
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Pointe Coupee Parish
- The following are listed by their distance from Retreat, with the one closest to Retreat listed first.
- Smithland
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Smithland is located in Pointe Coupee Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smithland
- Williamsport
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Williamsport is located in Pointe Coupee Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamsport
- Batchelor
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Innis
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Lettsworth
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Morganza
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- New Roads
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Legonier
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Legonier is located in Pointe Coupee Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Legonier
- Patin
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Patin is located in Pointe Coupee Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Patin
- Ventress
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Dupont
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Hermitage
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Hermitage is located in Pointe Coupee Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hermitage
- Jarreau
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Saint Landry Parish
- The following are listed by their distance from Retreat, with the one closest to Retreat listed first.
- Elba
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Elba is located in Saint Landry Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elba
- Melville
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Half Moon
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Half Moon is located in Saint Landry Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Half Moon
- Bayou Jack
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Bayou Jack is located in Saint Landry Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayou Jack
- Palmetto
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Swayze Lake
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Swayze Lake is located in Saint Landry Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swayze Lake
- West Baton Rouge Parish
- The following are listed by their distance from Retreat, with the one closest to Retreat listed first.
- Arbroth
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Arbroth is located in West Baton Rouge Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arbroth
- Erwinville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Wilkinson County (MS)
- The following are listed by their distance from Retreat, with the one closest to Retreat listed first.
- Turnbull
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Turnbull is located in Wilkinson County (MS)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turnbull
- Woodville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Artonish
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Artonish is located in Wilkinson County (MS)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Artonish
- Whitaker
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Whitaker is located in Wilkinson County (MS)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitaker
- Wilkinson
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Wilkinson is located in Wilkinson County (MS)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilkinson
- Centreville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Retreat, see our Parish-by-Parish Page for Retreat.
Cemeteries Near Retreat ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Retreat.
This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.
Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Retreat - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Retreat covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Retreat, with the one closest to Retreat listed first.
- Clifford Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
- Rogillio Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- St. John Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Linwood Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Friendship Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Comely Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Mess Ridge Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Evans Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Arcole Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- King Solomon Baptist Church Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Pt. Lookout Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Greenwood Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Continue List (273 more) ...
- Edgefield Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Woodstock Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Barrow Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
Nearby Communities in 1895 ...
We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<3>
While we didn't find Retreat in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Retreat.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Retreat, with the one closest to Retreat listed first.
- Pinckneyville
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Pinckneyville is located in Wilkinson County (MS)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pinckneyville
- Angola
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Rowes Landing
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Rowes Landing is located in West Feliciana Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rowes Landing
- Fort Adams
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Fort Adams is located in Wilkinson County (MS)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Adams
- Laurel Hill
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Laurel Hill is located in West Feliciana Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Laurel Hill
- Converse ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Converse is located in West Feliciana Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Converse
- Red River Landing
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Red River Landing is located in Pointe Coupee Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red River Landing
- Smithland
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Smithland is located in Pointe Coupee Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smithland
- Turnbull
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Turnbull is located in Wilkinson County (MS)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turnbull
- Raccourci ‑ Historic
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Raccourci is located in Pointe Coupee Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raccourci
- Woodville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Merrick
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Merrick is located in Pointe Coupee Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Merrick
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Black Hawk
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Black Hawk is located in Concordia Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Black Hawk
- Pointe Coupee
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Pointe Coupee is located in Pointe Coupee Parish
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pointe Coupee
- Artonish
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Artonish is located in Wilkinson County (MS)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Artonish
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Retreat. See our List of 1890's Communities around Retreat.
Newspapers Published in Retreat ...
An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).
To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.
Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 53 newspapers that have been published in the area around Retreat.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Retreat, there are papers which were published within 22 miles [35.4 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Retreat.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we first visit the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.
To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Retreat:
- Websites specific to Louisiana
- Pages specific to West Feliciana Parish
- Genealogy information for nearby parishes
- Avoyelles Parish
- Concordia Parish
- East Baton Rouge Parish
- East Feliciana Parish
- Pointe Coupee Parish
- Saint Landry Parish
- West Baton Rouge Parish
- Wilkinson County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Louisiana
Footnotes ...
| <1> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <2> | The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com. |
| <3> | We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Retreat, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Retreat) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |