New St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court records annex preserves history
ST. LANDRY PARISH, La. (KLFY) – The new record annex in St. Landry Parish aims to preserve history and years of court documents.
With hundreds of years worth of court documents being kept in storage, St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court Charles Jagneaux says the acquisition of a brand-new facility can not only preserve those documents for years to come, but also open up opportunities to increase business in Opelousas. "The space is to store records for the parish going back to the 1800s. So it's quite a lot of paper. It would cost about 5 to 6 million dollars to scan it all and image it. So, until we do that, we need that space to keep the paper records."
Jagneaux says it's important for parish government to keep track of all of the records in their history, and with scares such as the water leak last year at the parish courthouse that damaged records dating back over 200 years, Jagneaux says this facility can help avoid future disasters.
By keeping the records in a building right across from the parish courthouse, Jagneaux says it will also be accessible for people who are interested in learning the history of the parish and the story of their family. "And the thing about it is we're not trying to stress to people is genealogy. People want to know about the history. But more and more people are retiring. They have time to do the studies and to travel to see what their ancestors lived, where the answers and ancestors lived, what they did, what they owned and what happened to them in their lifetimes. Back to 1800. Back to 1760 for that matter."
With genealogical tourism rising in popularity over the years, Jagneaux also sees this facility as a way to boost the economy in Opelousas. "They when they come here, they spend money, they stay in hotels, go to restaurants. So, it's a good thing. Like I told you before, you seen one old building. You've seen them all. And this is a different approach to tourism is what it is."
Jagneaux says the plan is to have the new facility completed by the end of the year.