Family History
Finding Your German Roots
GACC Family Research Room
Our Research Room is open during the regular museum hours, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. There are several computers available to do family history research. The GACC maintains paid subscriptions to the following genealogy research website: Ancestry (world records version); Newspapers.com; Find My Past (British and Irish family records); Genealogy Bank; Fold3 (historical military records); Find A Grave; and Family Search. See Genealogy Website Links below.
In addition, visitors can access printed materials on the bookshelves including seven volumes of the 1800 Census of New Orleans and cemetery records from McDonogh Cemetery in Gretna and Algiers, as well as Hook and Ladder Cemetery in Gretna. There are volumes on file with inscriptions from three cemeteries in Lower Plaquemines Parish, La.; St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Nairn, La.; a cemetery and an unnamed cemetery in Port Sulphur, La.; cemeteries of Houma, La.; and St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, Thibodaux, La. Researchers interested in German references will find 56 volumes of the Map Guide to German Parish Registers. See below for information on accessing these materials.
What Family Research Can Do
The German families who first populated Mechanikham, and led it to become the city of Gretna, live on through extended family members still living on the West Bank. Our Family Research Room has two missions: to assist our residents who want to investigate their family histories, and to perform genealogy research on the original immigrants who settled here.
Our genealogy volunteers have developed an index of surnames of original immigrants who settled mostly on the West Bank. Most of the names on this list have German ancestry but others are included that have significant German family connections. The list is an ongoing project; see directions below if you have relatives who you think should be added to the list.
The assets in our research room are available for anyone who wants to pursue their own family research. The room has several computers and access to the major genealogy websites. There are also reference materials on the bookshelves. Researchers should come prepared with family information (names, birth and death dates, etc.) Please call and reserve a time before you come 504-363-4202.
If you want to pursue your family history and need help getting started, you can schedule an appointment with one of our volunteer genealogists. Fill out the form below on this page and you will be contacted. In the meantime, gather as much information as you can on your relatives – mother, father and grandparents, to start – such as birth date and location, death date and location, and place of burial.
Researching your family background can be a lengthy but rewarding process. It will be filled with small victories as well as roadblocks and disappointments. You will probably discover names of relatives that you didn’t know. We encourage everyone to learn about their family history and to pass this research on to other relatives.
The GACC periodically will schedule seminars and guest speakers on how to perform genealogy research. If you would be interested in taking a seminar, please fill out the form below and indicate your interest as well as the kinds of topics you would like to see.
Family History
Contact The Research Room
Helpful Research Information
- Inscriptions from The Hook and Ladder Cemetery, Gretna, La., by Katherine M. Chamberlain
- Inscriptions from McDonoghville Cemetery, Gretna, La., by Katherine M. Chamberlain
- Supplement to Inscriptions from McDonoghville Cemetery by Katherine M. Chamberlain
- Inscriptions from Three Cemeteries in Lower Plaquemines Parish, La.: St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Nairn, La.
- Cemetery and an Unnamed Cemetery in Port Sulphur, La., by Katherine M. Chamberlain
- Cemeteries of Houma, La., by Terrebonne Genealogical Society
- St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, Thibodaux, La., by Terrebonne Genealogical Society
- Familien-Register Zu den Kirchenbüchern der katholischen Parrei Dahn, Germany, 1683-1800
- Familien-Register Zu den Kirchenbüchern der katholischen Parrei Dahn, Germany, 1805-1875
- Register su den luth. Kirchenbüchern von Lemberg, Germany 1788-1798 (1805)
- Familienregister zu den katholischen Kirchenbüchern von Erfweiler 1787-1828
- Vol. 1 Hessen
- Vol. 2 Baden
- Vol. 3 Necjkebfyrg-Schwerin & Strelitz
- Vol. 4 Oldenburg & Schleswig-Holstein
- Vol. 5 Württemberg I, Jagstkreis
- Vol. 6 Württemberg II, Neckarkreis & Hohenzollern Province
- Vol. 7 Württemberg III, Schwarzwaldkreis
- Vol. 8 Württemberg IV, Donaukreis
- Vol. 9 Hessen-Nassau, RB Wiesbaden
- Vol. 10 Hessen-Nassau, RB Kassel
- Vol. 11 Rhineland I, RB Aachen & Düsseldorf
- Vol. 12 Rhineland II, RB Köln & Koblenz
- Vol. 13 Rineland III, RB Trier & the Pfalz (Oakatubate)
- Vol. 14 Bavaria, RB Unterfranken
- Vol. 15 Bavaria, RB Oberfranken
- Vol. 16 Bavaria, RB Mittelfranken
- Vol. 17 Bavaria, RB Oberpfalz
- Vol. 18 Bavaria, RB Schwaben
- Vol. 19 Bavaria, RB Niederbayern I
- Vol. 20 Bavaria, RB Niederbayern II
- Vol. 21 Bavaria, RB Oberebayern I
- Vol. 22 Bavaria, RB Oberbayern II
- Vol. 23 Bavaria Master Index
- Vol. 24 Thuringia
- Vol. 25 Kingdom of Saxony I, Zwickau & Leipzig
- Vol. 26 Kingdom of Saxony II, Chemnitz, Dresden, & Baultzen
- Vol. 27 Prov. of Sachsen I, Erfurt & Duchies of Anhalt & Brunswick
- Vol. 28 Prov. of Sachsen II, Merseburg
- Vol. 29 Prov. of Sachsen III, Magdeburg
- Vol. 30 Kingdom of Prussia, Province of Hannover I
- Vol. 31 Kingdom of Prussia, Province of Hannover II
- Vol. 32 Kingdom of Prussia, Province of Hannover III
- Vol. 33 Alsace Lorraine, Dist. of Unterlasace I
- Vol. 34 Alsace Lorraine, Dist. of Unteralsace II
- Vol. 35 Alsace Lorraine, Dist. of Oberalsace I
- Vol. 36 Alsace Lorraine, Dist. of Oberalsace II
- Vol. 37 Alsace Lorraine, Dist. of Lothringen I
- Vol. 38 Alsace Lorraine, Dist. of Lothringen II
- Vol. 39 Alsace Lorraine, Dist. Of Westphalia I and the Principalities of Lippe & Schaumburg-Lippe
- Vol. 40 Kingdom of Prussia, Province of Westphalia II, Arnsberg
- Vol. 41 Kingdom of Prussia, Province of Brandenburg I
- Vol. 42 Kingdom of Prussia, Province of Brandenburg II, RB Frankfurt and der Oder
- Vol. 43 Kingdom of Prussia, Province of Brandenburg III, City of Berlin
- Vol. 44 Kingdom of Prussia, Province of West Prussia I, Regierungsbezirk Danzig
- Vol. 45 Kingdom of Prussia, Province of West Prussia II, RB Marienwerder
- Vol. 46 Kingdom of Prussia, Province of East Prussia I, RB Allenstein
- Vol. 47 Kingdom of Prussia, Province of East Prussia II, RB Konigsberg
- Vol. 48 Kingdom of Prussia, Province of East Prussia III, RB Gumbinnen
- Vol. 49 Kingdom of Prussia, Province of Pomerania I, RB Koslin
- Vol. 50 Kingdom of Prussia, Province of Pomerania II, RB Stettin, Stralsund
- Vol. 51 Kingdom of Prussia, Province of Posen I, RB Bromberg
- Vol. 52 Kingdom of Prussia, Province of Posen II
- Vol. 53 Kingdom of Prussia, Province of Silesia I, RB Liegintz
- Vol. 54 Kingdom of Prussia, Province of Silesia II, RB Breslau
- Vol. 55 Kingdom of Prussia, Province of Silesia III, RB Oppeln
- Vol. 56 Free City of Hamburg
Become A GACC Member
Joining the GACC allows you to take part in special events that are held just for members. We are a non-profit organization and rely on members to help support our museum and our community activities and festivals.
Website Created By Outfox IT Services LLC