Ethel --- Yes I WAS suggesting you look in AL. You suggested there was some question as to whether LA or AL was correct. I always operate on the premise of turning over ALL stones, no matter how ridiculous it may appear. Just as an example; I found a genealogy of the Tyler Family of MA, written by my gggf, in the Public Library in St. Paul, MN! I take it then that Immaculate Conception was the parish of your ancestors? If so, and their records were destroyed, you might want to go to the diocesan archives (as Lake Charles was the County seat, I assume it is/was also that of the diocese). The reason I say that is because while you almost certainly won't find birth, marriage or death records there, you MAY find confirmation records. In order to be confirmed, you have to provide proof of Baptism and First Eucharist. It's just an off chance that some sort of records related to confirmation might be lodged in the diocesan archives. You'll need to talk to the Archivist. -- Cheers, Jim "Ethel S." wrote: > > Going to Baton Rouge State Archives is on my list. The 1910 court house fire > in downtown Lake Charles covered almost a block, and unfortunately church > records burned also. Immaculate Conception Cath. church was just down the > block from the court house, and still is. A most magnificent structure. What > would have really helped, would be an 1890 census, and of course we do not > have that. So what you are suggesting is; try Alabama? > > Thomas Jefferson Gordon's est. dob is 1843/45. He married (abt. 1865) > Lucrettia Bushnell, decendant of Ezra Bushnell, in LA. (no record of > marriage), but I have all his decendants. First generation are all gone, and > almost all the 2nd. He named his first 2 children, who died young: Thomas > Samuel Gordon and James Gordon. I believe that is significant, and I try to > follow that lead @ times. > > Thanks for your encouragement. Ethel.