When you come to the Archives Department be prepared to tell us the names of the people you’re researching and to answer questions like these:

When did your family come to this area?

If your family is an old one to this area, we might have formal genealogical records of your relatives. The LeBleu-Granger-von Zempter Collection documents dozens of old families. We also have records of the Sallier, Ryan, Goos, McNeese, Moss, and other early families.

Where did they live?

The Archives has a file on nearly every town in Southwest Louisiana for those wanting to learn about the places their ancestors lived and worked. We also have several published histories of towns like Lake Charles, Jennings, Sulphur, Westlake, Lake Arthur, and Oberlin. Some of these books feature brief histories of local families.

What did they do for a living?

McNeese has an abundance of collections and files on area businesses. Most can only offer background information on the company, but a few contain ledgers to browse for individual names. Some of our collections include the American Rice Growers Association; W. T. Burton Industries; Kelly, Weber & Company; the Calcasieu Paper Company; Krause & Managan Lumber Company; the Port of Lake Charles; and Muller’s Department Store.

Did any ever serve in the military?

The McNeese Archives holds an array of books, files, and registers on local veterans of America’s wars. We also have extensive document collections on Gerstner Field, Chennault Air Force Base, and the McNeese State University R.O.T.C.

Where did they attend school?

Naturally, the Archives has lots of material on the university. If your family members ever attended or taught at McNeese State, you can search for them in the McNeese scrapbooks; yearbooks; newspapers; and collections from university boards, clubs, and organizations. We also have an extensive collection of Lake Charles High School materials rich in yearbooks, school newspapers, and other items valuable for people researching ancestors who were alumni. The Archives also owns collections and files on schools like LaGrange High School, Fourth Ward Elementary School, Central School, and the Calcasieu Parish School Board.

What organizations did they belong to?

Several area clubs have donated their records to McNeese over the years. If your ancestors ever belonged to one, these collections are ripe for your research. A few examples of our holdings are the Calcasieu Parish Medical Society Auxiliary, the Southwest Louisiana Historical Association, Kappa Kappa Iota (a sorority for female teachers, including the Upsilon Conclave for Lake Charles, LA), the Lake Charles Lions Club, the Business and Professional Women’s Clubs of Lake Charles and Jennings, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and the Lake Charles Little Theatre. We also have a Church Histories Collection, which consists of works compiled about area churches.

Did any ever hold public office or do anything to gain public attention?

If your ancestor ever sat on the Lake Charles City Council or ever did business with the City, you could search McNeese’s complete collection of Lake Charles City Council minutes from 1868 to 1969. If your family paid taxes in Lake Charles, you can try the Lake Charles City Tax Records for various years between 1898 and 1952. McNeese also possesses numerous collections and files on notable people from Southwest Louisiana like Seaman Knapp, John McNeese, Rosa Hart, and W. Scott Heywood, for family members of these recognized individuals.