The Counties of Orleans Territory
are drawn by the Territorial Legislature on April 10, 1805
- The County of Orleans shall comprehend all that portion of the country lying on both sides of the river Mississippi from Balize to the beginning of the Parish of St. Charles, including the Parishes of St. Bernard and St. Louis.
Orleans County included the present-day
parishes of Orleans,
St.
Bernard. Plaquemines
and Jefferson.
- The County of the German Coast shall comprehend the Parishes of St. Charles and St. John the Baptist, commonly called the First and Second German Coasts.
The German Coast County included the
present -day parishes of St.
Charles and St.
John the Baptist.
- The County of Acadia shall comprehend the Parishes of St. James and the Ascension, commonly called the First and Second Acadian Coasts.
Acadia County included the present-day
parishes of St.
James and Ascension.
- The County of Lafourche shall comprehend the parish of Assumption.
Lafourche County included the present-day
parishes of Assumption,
Lafourche
and Terrebonne.
- The County of Iberville shall comprehend the Parish of St. Gabriel and such part of the Parish of St. Bernard as lies within the Territory of Orleans.
Note that the Parish of St. Bernard referred to here is the area around Galveztown, a settlement on the Manchac that Bernardo Galvez fortified to guard the international border from encroaching British settlers and armies.
Iberville County included only a small
portion of the present -day parish of Iberville
on both banks of the Mississippi River.
- The County of Pointe Coupee shall comprehend the Parish of St. Francis.
Pointe Coupee County included the present-day
parishes of Pointe
Coupee and West
Baton Rouge and the northern portion of Iberville
Parish.
- The County of Concordia shall comprehend all that portion of country lying within the following boundaries to-wit: Beginning at the mouth of Red River and along the same to Black River; then along Black River to the Tensa River, and along the same to Tensa Lake, then by right line, easterly, to the Mississippi and down the same to the point of beginning.
Note that this is the only county that is has distinct borders outlined by the legislature.
Concordia County included the present-day
parish of Concordia
and part of Tensas
Parish.
- The County of Ouachita shall comprehend all that country commonly called and known by the name of the Ouachita settlements.
Ouachita County included the present-day
parishes of Ouachita,
Caldwell
and Franklin,
Its loosely defined borders would also include Union,
Morehouse,
West
Carrol, East
Carrol, Richland
and Madison,
as well as portions of Tensas,
Lincoln
and Jackson
parishes.
- The County of Rapides shall comprehend the settlement of Rapides, Avoyelles, Catahoula, Bayou Boeuf, Bayou Robert and all other settlements which now are or may be made in the vicinity there of, and which may in the opinion of the Superior Court lie nearer or more conveniently to the house or seat of justice of the said County of Rapides than to the Court House or seat of justice of any other county.
Rapides County included the present-day
parishes of Rapides,
LaSalle
and Catahoula
as well as most of Avoyelles
and parts of Grant
and Vernon
parishes.
- The County of Natchitoches shall comprehend the Parish of St. Francis.
Note that this is a second parish of St. Francis mentioned by the legislature.
Natchitoches County included the present-day
parishes of Winn,
Jackson,
Red
River, Bossier,
Webster,
Bienville,
Claiborne
and Caddo,
most of Natchitoches
Parish and portions of Grant,
Lincoln
and Caldwell
parishes.
- The County of Opelousas shall comprehend the Parish of St. Landry, commonly called the Parish of Opelousas.
Opelousas County included the present-day
parishes of Acadia,
Evangeline
and Jefferson
Davis as well as most of St.
Landry Parish and portions of Avoyelles,
Allen,
Calcasieu
and Cameron
Parishes.
- The County of Attacapas shall comprehend the Parish of St. Martin, commonly called the Parish of Attacapas.
Attakapas County included the present-day
parishes of St.
Martin , St.
Mary, Lafayette,
Iberia
and Vermilion
as well as portions of Cameron
and St.
Landry parishes.
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The western border of Orleans Territory with Spanish Texas was still undefined in 1805. A definitive international border would have to wait for the Adams-Onis Treaty of 1821. In the meantime Spain, which had its own troubles in Europe with Napoleon, delayed a decision with Neutral Ground diplomacy.
The Neutral Ground between Louisiana and
Spanish Texas included portions of the present-day parishes of Desoto,
Sabine,
Natchitoches,
Vernon,
Rapides,
Beauregard,
Allen,
Calcasieu,
Jefferson
Davis, and Cameron.
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