Editing List of parishes in Louisiana (section)

== Territorial counties ==
On April 10, 1805, the [[Orleans Territory|Territorial Council]] enacted a map dividing the territory into 12 counties based upon ecclesiastical districts established under [[Spanish Louisiana|Spanish rule]]. In 1807, the Territorial Council revised the 12-county system to create 19 civil parishes.<ref name=chronologies>{{Cite web |date=2009 |editor1-last=John H. |editor1-first=Long |editor2-last=Tuck Sinko |editor2-first=Peggy |title=Louisiana: Individual County Chronologies |url=https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/LA_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=Atlas of Historical County Boundaries |publisher=The Newberry Library}}</ref>

The original twelve counties defined by the Territorial Legislative Council in 1805 were:<ref name=chronologies/>
* Acadia County – Parishes of St. James and the Ascension (also known as the First and Second Acadian Coasts). In 1807, divided into [[Ascension Parish, Louisiana|Ascension]] and [[St. James Parish, Louisiana|St. James]] parishes.
* [[Attakapas County, Orleans Territory|Attakapas County]] – Parish of St. Martin. In 1807, renamed Attakapas Parish. In 1811, it was subdivided into [[St. Martin Parish, Louisiana|St. Martin]] and [[St. Mary Parish, Louisiana|St. Mary]] parishes.
* [[Concordia Parish, Louisiana|Concordia County]] – The only portion not part of preexisting ecclesiastical district. In 1807, renamed Concordia Parish.
* [[German Coast, Orleans Territory|German Coast County]] – Parishes of St. Charles and St. John the Baptist (also known as the First and Second German Coasts). In 1807, divided into [[St. Charles Parish, Louisiana|St. Charles]] and [[St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana|St. John the Baptist]] parishes.
* [[Iberville Parish, Louisiana|Iberville County]] – Parish of St. Gabriel and part Parish of St. Bernard. In 1807, renamed Iberville Parish.
* Lafourche County – Parish of Assumption. In 1807, divided into [[Assumption Parish, Louisiana|Assumption]] and [[Lafourche Parish, Louisiana|Lafourche Interior]] parishes.
* [[Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana|Natchitoches County]] – Parish of St. Francis. In 1807, renamed Natchitoches Parish.
* Opelousas County – Parish of St. Landry. In 1807, renamed [[St. Landry Parish, Louisiana|St. Landry Parish]].
* Orleans County – All territory on both sides of the "Mississippi from [[La Balize, Louisiana|the Balize]] to the beginning of the parishes of St. Bernard and St. Louis." In 1807, divided into [[Orleans Parish, Louisiana|Orleans]], [[St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana|St. Bernard]], and [[Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana|Plaquemines]] parishes.
* [[Ouachita Parish, Louisiana|Ouachita County]] – The Ouachita settlements. In 1807, renamed Ouachita Parish.
* Pointe Coupée County – The Parish of St. Francis. In 1807, divided into [[West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana|Baton Rouge]] and [[Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana|Pointe Coupée]] parishes.
* Rapides County – The settlements of Rapides, Avoyelles, Catahoula, Bayou Boeuf, Bayou Robert, and other settlements in the region. In 1807, divided into [[Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana|Avoyelles]] and [[Rapides Parish, Louisiana|Rapides]] parishes.

On December 7, 1810, [[William C. C. Claiborne]], governor of the Orleans Territory, annexed the short-lived [[Republic of West Florida]] to the United States and Louisiana as Feliciana County. On December 22, 1810, the county west of the [[Pearl River]] was organized in four civil parishes: [[East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana|East Baton Rouge]], [[Feliciana Parish, Louisiana|Feliciana]], [[St. Helena Parish, Louisiana|St. Helena]], and [[St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana|St. Tammany]]. Later, in 1824, Feliciana Parish was divided into [[East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana|East Feliciana]] and [[West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana|West Feliciana]] parishes.<ref name=chronologies/>