The River Road African American Museum in Donaldsonville, LA, celebrates the unique culture of Ascension Parish, which—along with the traditional plantations—boasted a large population of free people of color dating back to 1809.

The museum uses census records to tell the stories of some of the areas most celebrated citizens, including the Rev. Pierre Caliste Landry. In 1868, the town elected Landry as America's first African American mayor. He later served as a Louisiana state senator and a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives during Reconstruction.

"Paul the Good" is another intriguing citizen featured at the museum and part of an enduring mystery. The 1870 Census recorded him as being 115 years old and brought to the United States by one of the Pirates Lafitte. Nothing beyond that is known about him.

Not only does the museum use census data to present the history of the Ascension Parish, it also helps visitors search the census to better understand their own family's story. Learn more about this parish's history at the River Road African American Museum site below.