WPA Historical Records Survey

Explore the rich history of Jefferson Parish through a remarkable collection of documents now available for download. The Jefferson Parish Historical Society is proud to present the complete 15-volume set of the Works Projects Administration Historical Records Survey on Jefferson Parish.

This invaluable resource includes a comprehensive inventory of all parish records as of 1939, a concise history of Jefferson Parish, and, most significantly, a 13-volume transcription of the Jefferson Parish Police Jury minutes spanning from 1834 to 1938. As the governing body for the parish from 1825 to 1958, the Police Jury’s minutes offer unparalleled insight into the social, political, and economic development of the region. Please note that from 1858 to 1884, the Police Jury operated as separate entities for the Left Bank (East Bank) and Right Bank (West Bank), with specific volumes dedicated to each; all other volumes cover the consolidated Police Jury.

While some volumes of the Left Bank jury and Volume 2 of the consolidated jury are unfortunately lost to time, this digitized collection represents a significant contribution to understanding Jefferson Parish’s past. For your convenience, blank pages have been omitted from the scans.