The LAGenWeb Beauregard Parish web site is designed to provide free genealogical material for researchers who are interested in families who have lived in the parish. The information on the site has been submitted by volunteers who have an interest in genealogy and freely share their research. All information is copyrighted by the authors and this copyright should be respected by everyone. I hope you find useful connections and also hope you can share your research as well with others. If you wish to submit something to share, please contact me via my email link at the bottom of each page. Thank you and enjoy the web site.

The July 26, 1924 DeRidder Enterprise stated: "The first house in DeRidder was made of logs and covered with board shingles, split by hand from the logs of the forest. It was constructed in 1893 and was the old homestead house of Calvin Shirley, who was the original owner of the land upon which the first business house and residence of DeRidder were built. Mr. Shirley homesteaded the 160 acres which was later platted and became the Original Townsite of DeRidder. At the time of this entry there was very little of the land in this section not privately owned. From 1880 to 1885 thousands of thousands of acres of the timbered lands were taken up by large timber corporations leaving tracts not so heavily timbered. About 10 years prior to this a cyclone or hurricane had blown down a great quantity of timber on the DeRidder tract. The timber scouts coming through passed up the 160 acres located here because of the scarcity of timber". (Note1: It seems certain that it was it was a tornado and not a hurricane that blew down the DeRidder trees 1888. Note 2: Today, large companies still own about 2 out of every 3 acres in Beauregard Parish)

A movement to create Beauregard Parish was started in 1908 by a group of businessmen from DeRidder, Sugartown and Merryville. In 1912, after two attempts, a new parish was established from part of Calcasieu Parish. It was named after the illustrious Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard, a famous Confederate general from Louisiana.

Part of the future Beauregard Parish territory was acquired by the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. "This is a debatable issue, as the Parish was known as the Neutral Zone, as there was controversy over whether the border line was the Sabine or the Calcasieu Rivers." Permanent settlers were in the area prior to 1819.

The City of DeRidder was established in 1897, incorporated in 1903, and named the parish seat in 1912, when Beauregard Parish was established. DeRidder was named after a beautiful Dutch girl, Ella DeRidder, by her brother-in-law, Jan DeGoijen. This gentleman played an important role in the early financial backing of the Kansas City Southern Railroad.  (See the History menu above for more Beauregard Parish History.)

My name is Roxie Guilbeau and I am the Beauregard Parish Coordinator for this web site. We are part of The USGenWeb Project and LAGenWeb Project which provide free genealogical information to the public. I want to thank all of the past contributors for their submissions. I also want to encourage anyone with a connection to Beauregard Parish to consider submitting information that may assist other researchers in their efforts.   You can contact me by clicking on the contact button on the top of the page and then clicking on my name.

• Allen Parish
• Calcasieu Parish
• Jefferson Davis Parish
• Vernon Parish
• Newton County, TX