“’Gold! Gold!! Gold!!! Gold!!!! Hard to Get and Heavy to Hold. Come to Kansas!’ read the headlines in 1858 when gold was discovered at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in the region later to be named Colorado. Thousands of adventurous souls reacted to such headlines by crossing the plains in wagons inscribed ‘Pikes Peak or Bust!’”
This Issue: NGS Research in the States Series: Colorado; written by Kathleen W. Hinckley.
“Men and women of commerce, gamblers, outlaws, runaway slaves, fancy ladies, and speculators followed closely behind the argonauts—the gold seekers. They organized settlements that included assayer offices, legal services, general stores, stables, saloons, and inns. These fledgling communities vied for the argonauts’ business and attracted morticians, journalists, doctors, and ministers—as well as government clerks who began the record and sources cherished by genealogists.” These are your Colorado ancestors
Each guide in this series offers a bit of history behind each type of record or resource as well as names and descriptions for specific archives. For example, under the heading Ethnic Records, you will find the following:
“Germans were the largest group of early immigrants to Colorado, followed by Irish, English, Scandinavians (Swedish, Danes, and Norwegians), Scots, and Italians. Numerous printed sources offer histories of particular ethnic groups represented among the settlers of Colorado. The Colorado Magazine, for example, has published articles on African Americans, Chinese, Hispanics, Indians, German-Russians, Irish, Italians, Poles, and Swedes. The Helen Karrer Guide to the Colorado Magazine directs researchers to the appropriate articles.
“A unique way to get a glimpse of ethnic groups in Colorado in the early twentieth century is to study the index of…”
In the guide, each section is handled in like manner. Plenty of specific information on what records are available and where to find them.
About the Series
Beginning in 1987, the National Genealogical Society began publishing a series of state guides in the organization’s magazine, the Quarterly. These guides were later re-issued as special publications designed to support genealogical research in each state. Eventually those guides became outdated and out of print. The current set of guides represents a refresh of those publications, updated and improved for today’s traditional and digital research resources.
About the Authors
“Kathleen W. Hinckley, Certified Genealogist, is past president and honorary life member of the Colorado Genealogical Society.” Currently, she is the executive director of the Association of Professional Genealogists and business manager of the International Society for British Genealogy and Family History. She has served in several key roles in many major societies and organizations, and has written at least two additional guides/books on genealogical research topics.
More About the State Guides (from the Introduction)
“Readers should be aware that every effort has been made to include current web addresses throughout the publication and all were verified immediately prior to release…”
“Two research facilities used by many genealogists are the Family History Library (FHL) and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Most genealogists are familiar with the abbreviations used for these two facilities and they are used in these publications. Otherwise the use of abbreviations and acronyms is kept to a minimum.”
Table of Contents
Early History and Settlements
Early History
Settlement
Migration
Archives, Libraries, and Societies
Black American West Museum
Boulder Genealogical Society
Carnegie Branch, Boulder Public Library
Colorado Genealogical Society
Colorado Society of Hispanic Genealogy
Colorado Sate Archives
Denver Public Library Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library
Denver Public Library Western History & Genealogy Department
Lloyd Files Research Library–Museum of Western Colorado
Norlin Library–University of Colorado
National Archives–Rocky Mountain Region
Olibama Lopez-Tushar Hispanic Legacy Research Center
Penrose Library, Pikes Peak Library District
Robert Hoag Rawlings Public Library, Pueblo City-County Library District
Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society
Stephen H. Hart Library, Colorado Historical Society
Major Resources
Atlases, Gazetteers, and Maps
Biographical Guides
Cemetery Records
Censuses and Census Substitutes
1860 Territorial Censuses
1861 Territorial Election Records
1866 Territorial Enumeration
1870 and 1880 Federal Censuses–Auxiliary or Non-Population Schedules
City and County Directories
Court Records
Ethnic Records
African American
Chinese from California
Germans from Russia
Hispanic
Japanese
Jewish
Native American
Land Records
Spanish and Mexican Land Grants
Mexican Land Records
Federal Land Records
County-Level Land Records
Military Records and Benefits
Federal Level Military Records
State Level Military Records
Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Records
Colorado Veterans’ Grave Registration, 1862-1949
10th Mountain Division Collection (WWII)
Naturalization Records
Newspapers
Colorado Obituary Project
Denver (Denver County)
Colorado Springs (El Paso County)
Longmont (Boulder County)
Mesa County
Pueblo (Pueblo County)
Weld County
Probate Records
Denver City and County
El Paso County
Pueblo County
Railroad Employee Records
Religious Records
Catholic (Roman)
Episcopalian
Methodist
Tax Records
Territorial Records
Vital Records
Birth and Death Certificates
Marriage and Divorce Records
Women of Colorado
Conclusion
These guides are an excellent resource for state by state research. Available guides, including NGS Research in the States Series: Colorado, are available from Family Roots Publishing.
Other guides in series reviewed to date (in alphabetical order):
NGS Research in the States Series: California
NGS Research in the States Series: Illinois
NGS Research in the States Series: Indiana
NGS Research in the States Series: Kentucky
NGS Research in the States Series: Michigan
NGS Research in the States Series: Missouri
NGS Research in the States Series: Nebraska
NGS Research in the States Series: New Jersey
NGS Research in the States Series: New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County
NGS Research in the States Series: North Carolina
NGS Research in the States Series: Ohio
NGS Research in the States Series: Oklahoma
NGS Research in the States Series: Oregon
NGS Research in the States Series: Pennsylvania
NGS Research in the States Series: South Carolina
NGS Research in the States Series: Tennessee
NGS Research in the States Series: Virginia
NGS Research in the States Series: West Virginia