Colorado Genealogy – Free Colorado Genealogy

This page of our website provides links to Colorado genealogy databases and historical narratives about Colorado. These genealogical records include, vital records (birth, marriage and divorce, death), ethnic records (black, Native American), court records (land, probate and wills, criminal and civil), church records (Bibles, baptisms, marriages, burials and histories), cemeteries, census records, military records directories and yearbooks.

Colorado Black Records

Colorado Statesman Index
Index of funeral notices, obituaries, and news articles from the leading weekly newspaper serving the African American community from 1904 to 1954.

Riverside African-American Burials
Index to over 5240 burial records.

Clipping Files: Obituaries (BCAARL)
An index to obituary newspaper clippings available at the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library.

Colorado Biographies

Real Pioneers of Colorado
1400 names and biographical sketches of pioneers who arrived prior to 26 February 1861 in Colorado. Arranged alphabetically

Clear Creek Pioneer Index
An index of individuals extracted from J. S. Randall’s “Annals of Clear Creek County, Colorado.” Included with each extraction is the name, place and year of birth if known, and place and date of death if known.

Colorado Cemetery Records

Colorado Cemetery Records
Colorado Cemetery records are listed by county then name of cemetery within the Colorado county. Most of these are complete indices at the time of transcription, however, in some cases we list the listing when it is only a partial listing.

Araphoe County

Highway 83 Abandoned Cemetery

Costilla County

Eastdale Cemetery

Douglas County

Eggleston Cemetery

Colorado Census Records

Colorado Census Records

Colorado State Census, 1885
Name index and images of population schedules listing the inhabitants of the state of Colorado. The 1885 census was taken with the assistance of the United States Government.

1885 Colorado State Census – Arapahoe County
Schedules of population, agriculture, manufacturers and mortality.

1910 Colorado Census Map

Colorado Church Records and History

Church Directory
Colorado churches listed by denomination for the years 1859, 1866, 1873, 1875, 1880, 1885, 1890, 1900,  1905, 1910, 1916, 1920, 1925, 1930 and 1940.

Growth of Colorado’s Protestant Churches

The Catholic Church in Colorado

Jewish Congregations in Colorado

First Baptist Church of Denver Membership Records, 1864-1996
This index lists member name, number, and years of membership.

First Presbyterian Church Records, 1883-1900
This Index catalogs the membership records of the First United Presbyterian Church of Denver, 1893-1900.

Zion Baptist Church “I-Do”
The Zion Baptist Church was founded on November 15, 1865. This resource documents and celebrates the marriages and anniversaries of the members of the church both past and present.

Bible Records

Champion Family Bible

Hazard Family Bible

Jackson Family Bible

Rule/Roberts Family Bible

Shook and Teats Family Bible

Colorado County Genealogy

Arapahoe County Genealogy

Index to Arapahoe County Coroner’s Reports, 1876 – 1891
Index of Arapahoe County Coroner reports, including death and inquest dates.

Denver County Genealogy

Colorado, Denver County Probate Case Files, 1900-1925
Probate case files acquired from the Colorado State Archives in Denver. The collection begins with case number 6407. Files regarding insanity records and adoption material were restricted by the state when the records were acquired and are missing from this collection.

Denver Police Magistrate Records, 1895-1904
Contains names, crimes, punishments, and dates for crimes committed from May, 1895 through August, 1904. Case number and reference to Colorado State Archive files where the information came from are included.

Denver Obituary Index
Index of obituaries and funeral notices that appeared in the Denver Post or Rocky Mountain News between 1913 and 2016.

Denver’s War Dead: World War I — Fallen Heroes of World War I
The names of the men and women from Denver who lost their lives during WWI. List taken from the article, “Hail, Heroes! Hail!” which appeared in the Denver Post, November 11, 1920.

Rogers and Nash Mortuary Records 1873 – 1979
Index to registers of burial by Rogers and Nash Mortuary.

Index to American Woodmen Insurance Ledger: 5 June 1901 to 31 July 1907
Index to life insurance files of insured and beneficiaries 1901 to 1907. American Woodmen’s Life was founded in Denver, Colorado in 1901 as a Fraternal Benefit Society established to provide life insurance for the “un-insurable” Black Community. The register shows in chronological order the name of the insured, “camp and state” of residence, age, name of beneficiary or beneficiaries, and their relationship to the insured. States covered in this first ledger include Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indian Territory [Oklahoma], Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, South Carolina, Texas, and Washington, D.C. This register represents the first of 40 ledgers. The company went out of business in 1993.

Index to Farmer and Hale Mortuary William D. Nash Mortuary Burial Records 1889-1909
The original registers are individually indexed. The name may be that of the deceased or the person responsible for payment of the funeral arrangements. Each burial entry may contain all or some of the following information. What may be listed include the name of deceased, date of death, race, age in years, months and days, full name, marital status, last place of residence, occupation, gender, and birthplace. The father’s name and birthplace, mother’s name and birthplace, cause of death, attending physician and address, place of burial, cemetery lot or grave number, cemetery section number, place of service, time of service, date of burial, and officiating clergyman. Other information which may have been provided include a description of the casket with the lining, pillow and handles as well as the use of draperies, candelabra, candles, crape, and chairs. Other items of interest include what the body was preserved with, whether the body was washed, dressed or shaved. How many coaches, porters and hearses were used or if the body was shipped to another city for burial there. Other information which may have been included for each entry include the page number of the register and a number of the funeral for that year.

Index to William P. Horan Burial Records, 1900-1956
The original registers may contain all or some of the following information. What may be listed include the name of the deceased, date of death, race age in years, month and days, full name, marital status, last place of residence, occupation, gender, and birthplace. The father’s name and birthplace, mother’s name and birthplace, cause of death, attending physician and address, place of burial, cemetery lot or grave number, cemetery section number, place of service, time of service, date of burial, and officiating clergyman. Additional information which may have been provided includes a description of the casket with the lining, pillow and handles as well as the use of draperies, candelabra, candles, crape, and chairs. Other items of interest included what the body was preserved with, whether the body was washed, dressed or shaved. How many coaches, porters and hearses were used or if the body were shipped to another city for burial there.

1887 Denver City Directory
Arranged alphabetically, by address, and by occupation, race, gender and employer in three volumes.

Denver City Directories
Denver City Directories date from 1873-1923, though there are some years that are not digitized, and are arranged by name of resident or business name. Many also list occupations. 

Denver Householder Directories
Denver Householder Directories date from 1924-1937, and are arranged by address and show owners, residents, and business names.

Fremont County Genealogy

Colorado, County Marriages, 1864-1995
Images of county marriages from Clear Creek, Fremont, Kit Carson, Logan, Moffat, Phillips, Saguache, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma counties.

Jefferson County Genealogy

Jefferson County Obituary Index
The alphabetical obituary index includes names from seventeen local newspapers.

Kit Carson County Genealogy

Colorado, County Marriages, 1864-1995
Images of county marriages from Clear Creek, Fremont, Kit Carson, Logan, Moffat, Phillips, Saguache, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma counties.

Logan County Genealogy

Colorado, County Marriages, 1864-1995
Images of county marriages from Clear Creek, Fremont, Kit Carson, Logan, Moffat, Phillips, Saguache, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma counties.

Moffat County Genealogy

Colorado, County Marriages, 1864-1995
Images of county marriages from Clear Creek, Fremont, Kit Carson, Logan, Moffat, Phillips, Saguache, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma counties.

Park County Genealogy

Phillips County Genealogy

Colorado, County Marriages, 1864-1995
Images of county marriages from Clear Creek, Fremont, Kit Carson, Logan, Moffat, Phillips, Saguache, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma counties.

Saguache County Genealogy

Colorado, County Marriages, 1864-1995
Images of county marriages from Clear Creek, Fremont, Kit Carson, Logan, Moffat, Phillips, Saguache, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma counties.

Sedgwick County Genealogy

Colorado, County Marriages, 1864-1995
Images of county marriages from Clear Creek, Fremont, Kit Carson, Logan, Moffat, Phillips, Saguache, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma counties.

Washington County Genealogy

Colorado, County Marriages, 1864-1995
Images of county marriages from Clear Creek, Fremont, Kit Carson, Logan, Moffat, Phillips, Saguache, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma counties.

Yuma County Genealogy

Colorado, County Marriages, 1864-1995
Images of county marriages from Clear Creek, Fremont, Kit Carson, Logan, Moffat, Phillips, Saguache, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma counties.

Colorado Genealogy Websites

Independent Colorado Genealogy Websites

Colorado Court Records

Colorado State Reformatory Prisoner Records
Index of names of prisoners in attendance from 1887 through 1939.

Colorado, Denver County Probate Case Files, 1900-1925
Probate case files acquired from the Colorado State Archives in Denver. The collection begins with case number 6407. Files regarding insanity records and adoption material were restricted by the state when the records were acquired and are missing from this collection.

Denver Police Magistrate Records, 1895-1904
Contains names, crimes, punishments, and dates for crimes committed from May, 1895 through August, 1904. Case number and reference to Colorado State Archive files where the information came from are included.

Colorado Directories

Denver Householder Directories
Denver Householder Directories date from 1924-1937, and are arranged by address and show owners, residents, and business names.

Colorado Directories Index
The Colorado Directories Index is a compilation of the Denver Public Library’s collection of City Directories and Telephone Books that is organized by municipality and county; as well as by year. 

Colorado History

Colorado Mining Fatalities pre-1963
Personal information and dates of persons killed as well as major mine accidents, causes of accidents, mining activity per county, poll of nationalities and more.

True History of Some of the Pioneers of Colorado

Indians of the Pike’s Peak Region
For the most part this book is intentionally local in its character. As its title implies, it relates principally to the Indian tribes that have occupied the region around Pike’s Peak during historic times. Includes an Account of the Battle of Sand Creek, and of Occurrences in El Paso County, Colorado, during the War with the Cheyenne and Arapaho, in 1864 and 1868.

Women’s Suffrage Movement in Colorado

Old Ladies Relief Society Index 1897-1980
Index to residents of the old ladies home from 1897 to 1980.

Sons of Colorado Index 1906 – 1908
Index of articles including biographies and obituaries of Colorado pioneers which appeared in the pages of the Sons of Colorado. This was published by the pioneer society, Sons of Colorado. The title was later changed to The Trail.

Trail Index 1908 – 1929
Index of articles including profiles and obituaries of pioneers that was published 1908-1929 by the Sons of Colorado.

Colorado 1861 Territorial Election
List of Colorado voters, boundaries, and poll locations in the 1861 territorial election.

Colorado Argonauts – 59ers’ Directory
A directory of prospector arrivals, removals, deaths, marriages, children, property, mines, and ranches with names of old towns, mining camps, gulches, mountains, rivers, creeks, and other matters relating to the setting of their lives in the Pikes Peak Region.

Colorado Immigration and Naturalization

Index to Naturalization Records, 1867-1964 – Colorado County Courts

Colorado state naturalization records from 1867-1964, including names of individuals, spouses, counties, and citations to official records. Primary source for the data, originally created at the county level, comes from microfilmed records at the Colorado State Archives. Some original print records were returned to the county. All location information in the tables refer to the Colorado State Archives. Data is not included for Boulder, Denver, Fremont, Las Animas, and Pueblo counties. References to sources for that data are provided in the appendix at the end of the document.

Index to Naturalization Records, 1877-1952 – U.S. District Courts, Denver & Pueblo
Naturalizations created in the district courts of Denver and Pueblo, Colorado, including:

  • Federal District Courts. Declaration of Intentions, 1877 – 1952
  • Denver, Colorado. Naturalizations, 1906 – 1950
  • Pueblo, Colorado. Declarations of Intentions, 1906 – 1949
  • Pueblo, Colorado. Naturalizations, 1912 – 1949
  • Pueblo, Colorado Soldier’s Petition for Naturalization, 1918 – 1928

Index to Naturalization and Declarations of Intent 1877 – 1929

Colorado Naturalization Records, 1876-1990
This collection contains naturalization records, declarations of intention, court orders granting petitions, and case files from eight different NARA collections ARC #’s: 649217, 649271, 3514570, 5049445, 5955511, 649183, 1307044, and 720245. Originally captured at the NARA Regional Archives in Denver, Colorado.

Colorado Land Records

U.S., Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, 1820-1908
3,907 land management tract books containing official records of the land status and transactions involving surveyed public lands arranged by state and then by township and range. These books indicate who obtained the land, and include a physical description of the tract and where the land is located. The type of transaction is also recorded such as cash entry, credit entry, homesteads, patents (deeds) granted by the Federal Government, and other conveyances of title such as Indian allotments, internal improvement grants (to states), military bounty land warrants, private land claims, railroad grants, school grants, and swamp grants. Additional items of information included in the tract books are as follows: number of acres, date of sale, purchase price, land office, entry number, final Certificate of Purchase number, and notes on relinquishments and conversions.

The County Recorder. Online searchable land records for Colorado.

Colorado Military Records

Colorado Forts
List of colonial forts, trading posts, named camps, redoubts, reservations, general hospitals, national cemeteries, etc., established or erected in the United States from its earliest settlement to 1902.

Revolutionary War Records

1840 Pensioners Census

Civil War Records

Colorado Civil War Map

Civil War Pensions Index Cards
Each card gives the soldier’s name, unit, the application number, the certificate number and the state from which the soldier served. In some cases, the soldier’s rank, terms of service, date of death and place of death are given. The index cards refer to pension applications of veterans who served in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917. The majority of the records pertain to Civil War veterans, but they also include veterans of the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection, Indian wars, and World War I.

World War I Records

World War 1 Draft Registration Records

World War II Records

World War II Casualties – Army – Army Air Corps

Colorado Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard World War II Casualty List

WW II 4th Draft Registration Index “Old Man Registration”

Korean War Casualty List

Vietnam War Casualty List

Colorado Native American Records

Colorado Indian Tribes

Indians of the Pike’s Peak Region
For the most part this book is intentionally local in its character. As its title implies, it relates principally to the Indian tribes that have occupied the region around Pike’s Peak during historic times. Includes an Account of the Battle of Sand Creek, and of Occurrences in El Paso County, Colorado, during the War with the Cheyenne and Arapaho, in 1864 and 1868.

Colorado Land Patents ~ Cheyenne

Colorado Obituaries

Colorado Obituary Project
Statewide index of approximately 50,000 non-Denver obituaries mostly from the 1970s through 1990. Researchers may request a copy of the full-text obituary through the Western History and Genealogy Department.

Denver Obituary Index
Index of obituaries and funeral notices that appeared in the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News between 1936 and 2005.

Jefferson County Obituary Index
The alphabetical obituary index includes names from seventeen local newspapers.

Park County Obituary Records

Colorado Vital Records

Colorado Vital Records

Colorado Statewide Marriage Index, 1853-2006
Name index and images of card index created by the Division of Vital Statistics, Department of Health in Colorado. The index is arranged alphabetically by groom’s name providing county, names of husband and wife, age, race, date and place of marriage, certificate number. Some cards are out of order.

Colorado, County Marriages, 1864-1995
Images of county marriages from Clear Creek, Fremont, Kit Carson, Logan, Moffat, Phillips, Saguache, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma counties.

Colorado Statewide Divorce Index, 1900-1939
Colorado Department of Health card index of divorces in Colorado from 1900-1939. The index is arranged in alphabetical order.

Western States Historical Marriage Records Index
Over the past decade, the BYU-Idaho (formerly known as Ricks College) Family History Center has been extracting early marriage records from counties in the western part of the United States. Virtually all of the pre-1900 marriages are included in the index for Arizona, Idaho and Nevada. Many Idaho, Nevada and Utah counties have been extracted into the 1930’s and some, much later. A significant number of marriages from Wyoming, eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, western Colorado and selected counties in California are also included. For more details, see “List of Counties by State”.

Colorado Mining Fatalities
In the mid-1800s there was no organized reporting of mine fatalities but in 1884 the death of 59 miners at the Crested Butte coal mine in Gunnison County inspired the State of Colorado to pass legislation requiring mining companies to report their accidents. Information which may be given for each entry which follows is the name of the person killed, their occupation, nationality, age at death, martial status (S = single, M = married, W = widow), number of surviving children, years of mining experience, county in which the accident occurred, company’s name, mine name, date died, cause of the accident, and other comments.

Farmer and Hale Mortuary Index 1889 – 1909
Index to registers by this mortuary.

Horan Burial Index 1900 – 1956
Index to registers by this mortuary.

Park County, Colorado Marriage Records 1881-1950
These marriage records were extracted from the original marriage books at the Park County, Colorado Clerks Office by Lucille Brown during June and July 2001.  The names are spelled as they appear in the marriage books.

Index to American Woodmen Insurance Ledger: 5 June 1901 to 31 July 1907
Index to life insurance files of insured and beneficiaries 1901 to 1907. American Woodmen’s Life was founded in Denver, Colorado in 1901 as a Fraternal Benefit Society established to provide life insurance for the “un-insurable” Black Community. The register shows in chronological order the name of the insured, “camp and state” of residence, age, name of beneficiary or beneficiaries, and their relationship to the insured. States covered in this first ledger include Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indian Territory [Oklahoma], Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, South Carolina, Texas, and Washington, D.C. This register represents the first of 40 ledgers. The company went out of business in 1993.

New Colorado Genealogy

Boggsville, Cradle of the Colorado Cattle Industry

The manuscript “Boggsville, Cradle of the Colorado Cattle Industry” by C. W. Hurd, published by the Boggsville Committee in 1957, serves as an introductory exploration of the rich history of Boggsville, Bent County, and the Arkansas Valley. This work aims to address the frequently asked questions from locals, tourists, and history enthusiasts about the notable individuals and events that shaped the region during the latter half of the nineteenth century. The manuscript provides a glimpse into the lives of pioneers who were instrumental in taming the frontier and establishing the foundations of the Colorado cattle industry. It highlights the significance…

Genealogy Along the Rockies

Genealogy Along the Rockies was a website created by Mary and Don Saban, serving as a regional hub for genealogical research related to the Rocky Mountains. The site featured a traditional HTML design, complete with animated gifs and genealogy affiliate ads, but also contained valuable genealogical information. Mary Saban, the primary genealogist, actively posted her family tree and other resources until her passing on December 20, 2017, which led to the website’s end. The domain was later repurposed by a restaurant in Melbourne, Australia, named Genealogy Coffee & Wine Bar, which has since closed. This article explores the original website’s…

1871 Rocky Mountain Directory and Colorado Gazetteer

1871 Rocky Mountain Directory and Colorado Gazetteer, comprising a brief history of Colorado up to 1871 … together with a complete and accurate directory and history of Denver, Golden City, Black Hawk, Central City, Nevada, Idaho, and Georgetown.

COGenWeb – Colorado GenWeb

A list linking to the current COGenWeb county websites. COGenWeb is created by a group of volunteers as part of the USGenWeb Project working together to provide free genealogy websites for genealogical research in every county in Colorado.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1860-1960

“Pioneer Church: The History of the South Dakota District, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1860-1960” is a meticulously crafted chronicle that delves deep into the roots of Lutheran Christianity across South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming. Spanning a century, this volume unfolds the vibrant narrative of faith, community, and relentless dedication to the service of God and humanity in a region marked by its pioneering history. Free to read or download.

Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrants

This article helps you access the Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrants for free. Following two simple steps, one to search, and the other to browse the actual microfilms, you can quickly find your ancestors Revolutionary War pension record, or Bounty-Land record and download the images. During 1800-1900 the United States issued more than 80,000 pensions and bounty-land-warrants to soldiers of the Revolutionary War, their spouse, or their children. Was your ancestor one of them?

Descendants of John and Mary Howes of Montgomery County, Maryland

John Howes of Montgomery County, Maryland, was born ” … after 1740, m[arried] Mary_____, and d[ied] between November, 1808 and March 1809. He is buried in Laytonsville, Maryland with his mother, his brother James and daughter Sarah. About a year after his death his widow, Mary, went to Bucks County, Kentucky.”–P. 8. Descendants and relatives lived in Maryland, Kentucky, New York, Michigan, Ohio, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Washington, D. C., Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, California, Maine, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere.

United States Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, 1800-c. 1955

3,907 land management tract books containing official records of the land status and transactions involving surveyed public lands arranged by state and then by township and range. These books indicate who obtained the land, and include a physical description of the tract and where the land is located. The type of transaction is also recorded such as cash entry, credit entry, homesteads, patents (deeds) granted by the Federal Government, and other conveyances of title such as Indian allotments, internal improvement grants (to states), military bounty land warrants, private land claims, railroad grants, school grants, and swamp grants. Additional items of…

Sacramento California Police Mug Books 1864-1949

Mug Books of the past have been replaced by computer databases now, but back before the days of computers and databases, they served as an effective method for Police Departments to keep track of past criminals and wanted people. The Sacramento Police Department has generously provided these scanned images to archive.org for free access to everyone. If you are not aware if one of your ancestors may have been arrested for a crime, then I suggest you first search the newspaper records available online for free of Sacramento California, so that you have a year span to choose from. Unless…

Chronicling America Historical Newspapers

Chronicling America is a Website providing access to information about historic newspapers and select digitized newspaper pages, and is produced by the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP). NDNP, a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Library of Congress (LC), is a long-term effort to develop an Internet-based, searchable database of U.S. newspapers with descriptive information and select digitization of historic pages. Supported by NEH, this rich digital resource will be developed and permanently maintained at the Library of Congress. An NEH award program will fund the contribution of content from, eventually, all U.S. states and…

Colorado World War 2 Casualties – Army, Air Force

This database contains War Department casualties (Army and Army Air Force personnel) from World War II for Colorado. Information provided includes serial number, rank and type of casualty. The birthplace or residence of the deceased is not indicated. An introduction explaining how the list was compiled, a statistical tabulation, and the descriptions of the types of casualties incurred are also included.

Small Town Newspapers

Small Town Papers gives you free access to the people, places and events recorded in real time over the decades or even centuries! Browse and search the scanned newspaper archive from 1846 up to the current edition! Their archives contain millions of names of ancestors not found anywhere else. Enhance your Ancestry research with their high resolution scanned newspaper archive. Find distant relatives and discover your ethnic heritage by reading the articles about family and friends written back in the day.

Progressive Men of Western Colorado

This manuscript in it’s basic form is a volume of 948 biographies of prominent men and women, all leading citizens of Western Colorado. Western Colorado in this case covers the counties of: Archuleta, Chaffee, Delta, Eagle, Garfield, Gunnison, Hinsdale, La Plata, Lake, Mesa, Mineral, Moffat, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Pitkin, Rio Blanco, Routt, San Juan, and San Miguel.

Kedzie Family Genealogy

The Kedzies Family Genealogy tells of the migration of the Kedzie family from Scotland to this country, and gives a list of their relatives and descendants. The list of relatives and descendants provides names, dates and places of birth, marriages, occupations and deaths, so far as they could ascertain.

Early Exploration and Native Americans

De Soto and his band gave to the Choctaws at Moma Binah and the Chickasaws at Chikasahha their first lesson in the white man’s modus operandi to civilize and Christianize North American Indians; so has the same lesson been continued to be given to that unfortunate people by his white successors from that day to this, all over this continent, but which to them, was as the tones of an alarm-bell at midnight. And one hundred and twenty-three years have passed since our forefathers declared all men of every nationality to be free and equal on the soil of the North…

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