CENSUS RECORDS

Federal census records for Colorado began in 1870, and were taken every ten years. Enumerations are currently available through 1920, except for the mostly destroyed census of 1890. All are indexed, except for 1910.

The first census of those who lived in what would become Colorado was taken in 1860 as part of several territorial censuses. Arapahoe County, which covered the central eastern section, was included in the Kansas territorial census for that year. The areas of Boulder City, Boulder Creek Settlement, Gold Hill Settlement, Miraville City, and the Platte River Settlement were enumerated with Nebraska Territory. Denver City was partly enumerated with Nebraska and partly with the Kansas territorial census. The southeast portion of Colorado was enumerated in parts of Taos and Mora counties of New Mexico Territory. Leadville, although a booming mining town at the time and located in what is now Lake County, was in Utah Territory and not enumerated.

Colorado also produced state censuses. An 1866 enumeration was taken, but the only extant returns are for the northeastern section which included the counties of Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Weld, and parts of Washington and Yuma. A more complete census was taken in 1885, and is available at several repositories on microfilm. There are both state and county copies of this census, though for complete information, the researcher will need to use the original state copy.

Colorado Research Sources

Hinckley, Kathleen W. "Genealogical Research in Colorado." National Genealogical Society Quarterly 77 (June 1989): 107–27.

Joy, Carol M., and Terry Ann Mood, comps. Colorado Local History: A Directory. Denver: Colorado Historical Society, 1986. (Contains descriptions of over 100 smaller repository collections.)

Noel, Thomas J, ed. The W.P.A. Guide to 1930's Colorado. Reprint. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas Press, 1987.

Colorado Genealogical Society, comp. Colorado Families: A Territorial Heritage. Denver: Colorado Genealogical Society, 1981. (These family pedigrees and histories of families in Colorado by or before 1876 include maps and an every-name index.)

Archives, Libraries, Societies, and Other Resources
Colorado State Archives
Centenniel Building
1313 Sherman Street, Rm. 1B-20
Denver, CO 80203
Tel: 303-866-2358
303-866-2390
800-305-3442 (Toll-free in Colorado only)
Fax: 303-866-2257
E-mail: comments@www.state.co.us

Colorado Council of Genealogical Societies
P.O. Box 24379
Denver, CO 80224-0379

Colorado Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 9218
Denver, CO 80209-0218
Tel: 303-571-1535
E-mail: mafinlay@cogensoc.org

Colorado Historical Society
Stephen H. Hart Library
1300 Broadway
Denver, CO 80202
Tel: 303-866-3395
303-866-2305
303-866-4605

Denver Public Library
10 West 14th Avenue Pkwy.
Denver, CO 80204
Tel: 303-640-6200
303-640-6291

Genealogy Division
1357 Broadway
Denver, CO 80203-2165
Tel: 303-571-2190
303-571-2171
303-571-2009
URL: http://dpl20.denver.lib.co.us

Colorado 1861 Territorial Election
Colorado Civil War GAR members
Colorado State Reformatory Prisoner Records 1887-1939
Denver Obituary Index
Pre-1963 Colorado Mining Fatalities
gopher://dpl20.denver.lib.co.us/
(Genealogy Resources - Colorado Resources) Colorado Heritage Center
1300 Broadway
Denver, CO 80203 Social Sciences and Genealogy Department
1357 Broadway
Denver, CO 80203