RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Louisiana >> Saint Mary Parish >> South Bend >> Genealogy HelperIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Louisiana

The Commemorative Quarter for Louisiana





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 South Bend (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 South Bend. 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.

Name Variations for South Bend ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

For example, a typical abbreviation for South Bend: S. Bend

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

Neighboring Parishes ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring parishes.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northeast corner of their home parish. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next parish to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the parish to the north.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring parishes instead of the parish in which they lived:  their home parish contained property and probate records; the parish to the east contained birth and death records; the parish to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring parishes, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

South Bend is located in Saint Mary Parish.

To see how the shape of Louisiana's parishes have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following parishes adjoin and form the boundaries of Saint Mary Parish: Iberia, Saint Martin & Terrebonne.

Below are the parishes that are near South Bend. For each of these parishes, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to South Bend:

  • Saint Mary Parish     (The home parish of South Bend)
    • The following are listed by their distance from South Bend, with the one closest to South Bend listed first.
    • Ellerslie
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellerslie
      • Ellerslie is located in Saint Mary Parish
    • Luke Landing
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Luke Landing have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Luke Landing
      • Luke Landing is located in Saint Mary Parish
    • Midway
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Midway have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Midway
      • Midway is located in Saint Mary Parish
    • Todd
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Todd. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Todd
      • Todd is located in Saint Mary Parish
    • Bayou Sale
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bayou Sale. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayou Sale
      • Bayou Sale is located in Saint Mary Parish
    • Maria
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Maria have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maria
      • Maria is located in Saint Mary Parish
    • Garden City
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garden City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden City
      • Garden City is located in Saint Mary Parish
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Garden City <3>
    • Ricohoc
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ricohoc. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ricohoc
      • Ricohoc is located in Saint Mary Parish
    • Franklin
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Calumet
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Calumet
      • Calumet is located in Saint Mary Parish
    • Centerville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Centerville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centerville
      • Centerville is located in Saint Mary Parish
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Centerville <3>
    • Verdunville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Verdunville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Verdunville
      • Verdunville is located in Saint Mary Parish
  • Assumption Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from South Bend, with the one closest to South Bend listed first.
    • Belle River
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belle River
      • Belle River is located in Assumption Parish
    • Ursa
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ursa have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ursa
      • Ursa is located in Assumption Parish
    • Attakapas Landing
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Attakapas Landing
      • Attakapas Landing is located in Assumption Parish
    • Pierre Part
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pierre Part have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pierre Part
      • Pierre Part is located in Assumption Parish
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pierre Part <3>
  • Iberia Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from South Bend, with the one closest to South Bend listed first.
    • Jeanerette
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Patoutville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Patoutville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Patoutville
      • Patoutville is located in Iberia Parish
    • Lydia
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Avery Island
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Morbihan
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Morbihan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morbihan
      • Morbihan is located in Iberia Parish
    • New Iberia
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Saint Martin Parish
    • The following are listed by their distance from South Bend, with the one closest to South Bend listed first.
    • Stephenville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stephenville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stephenville
      • Stephenville is located in Saint Martin Parish
    • Bayou Geneve
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bayou Geneve have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayou Geneve
      • Bayou Geneve is located in Saint Martin Parish

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to South Bend, see our Parish-by-Parish Page for South Bend.

Cemeteries Near South Bend ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of South Bend.

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.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for South Bend covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from South Bend, with the one closest to South Bend listed first.

  • South Bend Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the South Bend Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the South Bend Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Midway Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Midway Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Midway Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • North Bend Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the North Bend Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the North Bend Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Gratt Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Gratt Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Gratt Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Douglas Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Douglas Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Douglas Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Shadyside - Fairfax Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Shadyside - Fairfax Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Shadyside - Fairfax Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Little Zion Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Little Zion Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Little Zion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Perpetual Park Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
  • Franklin Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
  • Stirling Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stirling Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stirling Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Trinity UMC Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
  • Iberts Memorial Park
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (27 more) ...
    • Palo Alto Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Palo Alto Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Palo Alto Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #68517 <4>
    • St. Joseph Catholic Church Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Joseph Catholic Church Cemetery
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the St. Joseph Catholic Church Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Patterson.
      • The St. Joseph Catholic Church Cemetery has also been known as:
      • Patterson Catholic Cemetery
      • St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2143457 <4>
    • Israelite Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Israelite Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Israelite Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #67869 <4>

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.<5>

While we didn't find South Bend in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of South Bend.

These communities are listed based on their distance from South Bend, with the one closest to South Bend listed first.

  • Bayou Sale
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bayou Sale. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayou Sale
    • Bayou Sale is located in Saint Mary Parish
  • Ricohoc
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ricohoc. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ricohoc
    • Ricohoc is located in Saint Mary Parish
  • Franklin
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
  • Irish Bend
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Irish Bend have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irish Bend
    • Irish Bend is located in Saint Mary Parish
  • Patterson
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
  • Baldwin
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
  • Glencoe
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Glencoe have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glencoe
    • Glencoe is located in Saint Mary Parish
  • Charenton
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
  • Cypremort
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cypremort. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cypremort
    • Cypremort is located in Saint Mary Parish
  • Sorrel
    (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sorrel have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sorrel
    • Sorrel is located in Saint Mary Parish
  • Berwick
    (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Berwick have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berwick
    • Berwick is located in Saint Mary Parish
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,324 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Berwick <3>
  • Morgan City
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (4 more) ...
    • Jeanerette
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Patoutville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Patoutville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Patoutville
      • Patoutville is located in Iberia Parish
    • Ramos
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ramos have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ramos
      • Ramos is located in Saint Mary Parish

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around South Bend. See our List of 1890's Communities around South Bend.

Newspapers Published in South Bend ...

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 27 newspapers that have been published in the area around South Bend.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of South Bend, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for South Bend.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful 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 South Bend:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for South Bend. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for State of Louisiana: https://www.louisiana.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<4>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.
<5>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 South Bend, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>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- South Bend) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in South Bend. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 29.6302, Longitude: -91.5357       In this case, the coordinates for South Bend have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

Copyright 2025
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025