List, The site was also inoperative last night. At the moment, it appears that the "Basic Search" is not working (at least not for me), so use the "Advanced Search." The URL for the marriage and death indexes is here: http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/tabid/638/Default.aspx Here are a few thoughts on these new indexes. The Orleans Parish marriage index covers 1870-1957 and apparently some late-registered marriages prior to 1870. Ancestry covers 1870 to 1925; the Louisiana Archives index additionally covers 1926-1957, a period not fully indexed by anyone else. However, Ancestry offers the use of wildcards, a feature apparently not available at the Louisiana Archives site, although the search engine will apparently give all names from the first letter on. (Adding one letter at a time will narrow your search.) The Louisiana death index covers 1911-1956. This Louisiana-wide index is apparently available nowhere else. Their website says: "The database also contains older death records for some parishes, such as deaths that occurred in Jefferson parish before 1911, and deaths that occurred in Orleans Parish as early as 1804." Ancestry covers Orleans Parish deaths between 1804-1949. Checking one of my family names (Neff), I found 26 deaths in Orleans Parish using the Louisiana Archives index, none prior to 1918. Ancestry found 41, some back to the 1860s. So, apparently, the Louisiana Archives death index is not complete for Orleans Parish. This gets a little complicated, but for now, it would appear that the new Louisiana Archives indexes are especially useful for: -- Orleans Parish marriages between 1926-1957 -- Orleans Parish deaths between 1949-1956 -- Louisiana deaths between 1911-1956 For other years, Ancestry's coverage may be more complete and Ancestry offers the use of wildcards and soundexing. Of course if you can't find a vital record, I would search using all available indexes, including NOVA's, now found here: http://www.usgwarchives.org/la/orleans.htm Does anyone know when and how these Louisiana Archives indexes were created? Also, these indexes--since they are free--may obviate some of the ongoing work by NOVA in transcribing the Orleans Parish birth, marriage, and death indexes. Comments, corrections, and clarifications to these observations are invited. Norm --- Judy Riffel <riffelj@bellsouth.net> wrote: > The Louisiana State Archives vital records index > seems to be working now, > although nearly the entire website was not working > for me earlier this morning. . . . ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ

I know that they are working on some of the indices. They may be uploading some stuff. Penny ----- Original Message ----- From: "Norm Hellmers" <n_d_hellmers@yahoo.com> To: <laorlean@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, May 09, 2008 2:08 PM Subject: Re: [LAORLEAN] LA Archives, Search Vital Records List, The site was also inoperative last night. At the moment, it appears that the "Basic Search" is not working (at least not for me), so use the "Advanced Search." The URL for the marriage and death indexes is here: http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/tabid/638/Default.aspx Here are a few thoughts on these new indexes. The Orleans Parish marriage index covers 1870-1957 and apparently some late-registered marriages prior to 1870. Ancestry covers 1870 to 1925; the Louisiana Archives index additionally covers 1926-1957, a period not fully indexed by anyone else. However, Ancestry offers the use of wildcards, a feature apparently not available at the Louisiana Archives site, although the search engine will apparently give all names from the first letter on. (Adding one letter at a time will narrow your search.) The Louisiana death index covers 1911-1956. This Louisiana-wide index is apparently available nowhere else. Their website says: "The database also contains older death records for some parishes, such as deaths that occurred in Jefferson parish before 1911, and deaths that occurred in Orleans Parish as early as 1804." Ancestry covers Orleans Parish deaths between 1804-1949. Checking one of my family names (Neff), I found 26 deaths in Orleans Parish using the Louisiana Archives index, none prior to 1918. Ancestry found 41, some back to the 1860s. So, apparently, the Louisiana Archives death index is not complete for Orleans Parish. This gets a little complicated, but for now, it would appear that the new Louisiana Archives indexes are especially useful for: -- Orleans Parish marriages between 1926-1957 -- Orleans Parish deaths between 1949-1956 -- Louisiana deaths between 1911-1956 For other years, Ancestry's coverage may be more complete and Ancestry offers the use of wildcards and soundexing. Of course if you can't find a vital record, I would search using all available indexes, including NOVA's, now found here: http://www.usgwarchives.org/la/orleans.htm Does anyone know when and how these Louisiana Archives indexes were created? Also, these indexes--since they are free--may obviate some of the ongoing work by NOVA in transcribing the Orleans Parish birth, marriage, and death indexes. Comments, corrections, and clarifications to these observations are invited. Norm --- Judy Riffel <riffelj@bellsouth.net> wrote: > The Louisiana State Archives vital records index > seems to be working now, > although nearly the entire website was not working > for me earlier this morning. . . . ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to LAORLEAN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.14/1425 - Release Date: 5/9/2008 12:38 PM