Louisiana Parishes Trivia Quiz

Answer: Lincoln

Of the four choices, Lincoln is the only president who was assassinated. The parish was actually named for President Lincoln. It was established as a parish during Reconstruction. Interestingly, Zachary Taylor is the only U. S. president who actually resided in Louisiana during his lifetime, but no parish is named for him.

Answer: Orleans

The four choices are all cities in France, but Orleans is the only one of them that is a parish in Louisiana. For most of the state's history, Orleans Parish, home of New Orleans, was the state's most populous. However, as of 2019, it ranks third behind East Baton Rouge (home of the state capital) and Jefferson (across the river from New Orleans).

Answer: DeSoto

Marquette and Joliet were French explorers who traveled the Mississippi River more than 150 years after DeSoto's discovery. Coronado explored the southwestern United States. DeSoto himself never saw what is now DeSoto Parish. He died shortly after crossing the Mississippi River at least 150 miles from what would become the parish that bears his name. (Historians disagree about whether he died in Louisiana or in Arkansas.)

Answer: Cameron

Cameron Parish was, of course, not named for David Cameron. Instead, it was named for Simon Cameron, President Lincoln's first Secretary of War. Cameron Parish is one of the largest in area, but it is the least populated of all. Much of its land mass is made up of marshes and wetlands.

In 1957 the parish was devastated by Hurricane Audrey which killed almost 500 people, most of them residents of Cameron Parish.

Answer: St. Mary

St. Mary is one of eight Louisiana parishes named for saints. The southern half of the state is very French and very Catholic. St. Mary Parish is one of the coastal parishes in the state with an economy that relies heavily on oil and on seafood.

Answer: Grant

Grant is the only one of the four choices who was a Union general. All of the others were in the armies of the C.S.A. Colfax, the parish seat of Grant Parish, is named for Schuyler Colfax, President Grant's Vice President. Grant Parish is one of the Louisiana parishes that were established during Reconstruction.

Answer: Washington

There is a Washington County (or parish!) in 31 of the United States. The six most common county names (in order) are Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Jackson, Lincoln, and Madison. Louisiana has a parish with each of those names. Interestingly, among the states without a Washington County is the state of Washington.

Answer: Jefferson Davis

Jefferson Davis Parish is located in southwest Louisiana. Perhaps because there is also a Jefferson Parish in Louisiana, many people call this one Jeff Davis.

Answer: Vernon

Vernon Parish is located on the western border of Louisiana. Many people throughout the United States are familiar with Vernon Parish because it is home to Ft. Polk, one of the largest training bases for the U. S. Army.

Answer: Jefferson

None of the three wrong choices is a parish in Louisiana (although Monroe is one of the larger cities in the state.) As of 2019, Jefferson Parish is the second most populous parish in the state with more than 400,000 residents.

Answer: Jackson

Houston, Mobile, and Miami are not state capitals. Jackson is the capital of Mississippi, Louisiana's neighbor to the east. Jackson Parish is named after President Andrew Jackson who early in his career led the forces that defeated the British at the Battle of New Orleans.

Answer: Beauregard

The incorrect answers are the names of Civil War generals in the Union army. Beauregard Parish, located on the western border of Louisiana, was named for General Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard, a native of Louisiana, who had been the commander of the Confederate forces at Charleston at the time of the surrender of Fort Sumter.

He was also the victorious Southern commander at Bull Run, the first major battle of the war.

Answer: St. John the Baptist

St. John the Baptist was the "voice crying in the wilderness" who foretold the coming of Jesus. The story of the baptism of Jesus is told in all four of the New Testament gospels. St. John the Baptist Parish (along with St. Charles and St. James) is one the three "river parishes" straddling the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Answer: Red River

Red River Parish is another of the parishes that was created during Reconstruction. It is named for the river that is the most southerly major tributary of the Mississippi River.

Answer: Webster

The incorrect answers are all names of parishes in Louisiana. Webster Parish is yet another of the parishes that was formed during Reconstruction. It is one of eight Louisiana parishes that border Arkansas.