Boulder County, Colorado Genealogy

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Guide to Boulder County, Colorado ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Facts
County seat: Boulder
Organized: November 1, 1861
Parent County(s): Original county[1]
Neighboring Counties
Broomfield  • Gilpin  • Grand  • Jefferson  • Larimer  • Weld
See County Maps
Courthouse
ColoradoBoulderCourthouse.jpg
Location Map
Colorado Boulder County.png
Adoption

South Boulder Creek, Boulder County

County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

The early settlers mostly came for the Colorado gold rush in 1858. The County was named after Boulder City and Boulder Creek, so named because of the abundance of boulders in the area. The County is located in the southeast area of the state. [2]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Boulder County Courthouse
2020 13th st
PO Box 471
Boulder, CO 80302
Phone 303-441-7770
Boulder County Website

Boulder Clerk Recorder's Office
1750 33rd Street, Suite 201
Boulder, CO 80301
Telephone: (303) 413-7770

County recorder has marriage records from 1863, land records from 1864 and military discharge records from 1917;
County Health Department has birth and death records records from 1872.
County Court has probate, divorce and court records.[3]

Boulder County, Colorado Record Dates[edit | edit source]

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Major Records[4]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1872 1863 1872 1864 1864 1864 1860
*Statewide registration for births in 1910 and deaths in 1910. General compliance by 1920.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

The courthouse in Boulder burned in 1932, but fortunately, the records were all in the vault and did not burn.

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

Populated Places[edit | edit source]

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[6]

Cities
Towns
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places
Ghost towns


  • Caribou, Colorado was an important silver mining town. Famed at the time for being the coldest, snowiest, windiest town, at 10,000 feet elevation it was not an easy place to live. The Silver Crash of 1893 meant that it was less profitable. Incorporated as a town in 1871, Caribou had peak population of 549 in the 1880 census, and became a ghost town by the 1920s. [7]

History Timeline[edit | edit source]

Resources[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

Biographies[edit | edit source]

Separate Lives: The Story of Mary Rippon. The Book Lode, LLC, 1999

Someone’s Daughter: In Search of Justice for Jane Doe. Taylor Trade Publishing, 2009

Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries of Boulder County, Colorado online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Colorado Cemeteries for more information

 

Census Records[edit | edit source]

In 1860, present-day Colorado was enumerated in the Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Utah Territories. Colorado Territory was created in 1861 and was enumerated as such in the 1870 Census. A state census was taken in 1885 for Colorado.[8] See links listed below.

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1870 1,939 —
1880 9,723 401.4%
1890 14,082 44.8%
1900 21,544 53.0%
1910 30,334 40.8%
1920 31,861 5.0%
1930 32,456 1.9%
1940 37,438 15.4%
1950 48,296 29.0%
1960 74,254 53.7%
1970 131,889 77.6%
1980 189,625 43.8%
1990 226,374 19.4%
2000 271,651 20.0%
2010 294,567 8.4%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

State and Territory Census Records[edit | edit source]

Federal Census Records[edit | edit source]

The 1880 Census was the first Federal Census for Colorado after it became a state in 1876.[9] For links to Federal Census indexes, see Colorado Census.

  • 1860 The first U.S. federal census that included the Boulder county area was part of the 1860 Nebraska territorial census. Transcribed records from that census are available here: Census
  • 1870 U. S. federal census records began for Colorado in 1870 and continue every ten years to the present.
  • 1860-1940 Colorado Census Records from 1860 to 1940 at FamilySearch.org — index/images

Church Records[edit | edit source]

Church records vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Colorado denominations, view the Colorado Church Records wiki page.

Online Church Records

Lutheran Church

  • Records of the American Lutheran Church, Broomfield, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Presbyterian Church

Additional Churches


List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records[edit | edit source]

Numerous records are available at Colorado Archives. To use this link scroll down the page to where it asks for Record Type. Click there and scroll down the list to the records you want and select. The next field asks for county. Select the county you want and then click on Search. You can narrow the search by adding the additional information it asks for.

1914-1934 Boulder County Mothers' Compensation Records 1914-1934. An Index compiled from the official]] record of the applications granted by the Boulder County Commissioners during these years. Record may show the following:

  • Name of Applicant
  • Date and Amount of Compensation payment
  • Any adjustments to the pension
  • Person's age
  • Town nearest to where they lived
  • Other Actions done by the County.

1933-1936 Boulder County Old Age Pension Records 1933-1936. An Index compiled from the official record of the applications granted by the Boulder County Commissioners during these years. Record may show the following:

  • Name of Applicant
  • Date and Amount of pension payment
  • Any adjustments to the pension
  • Person's age
  • Town nearest to where they lived
  • Other Actions done by the County

Directories[edit | edit source]

Online Directories

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

Genealogies[edit | edit source]

Guardianship[edit | edit source]

Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.

See Colorado Land and Property for additional information about early Colorado land grants.

After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse, where current records are also housed.


Boulder County Recording Division (303) 413-7770 and fax (303) 413-7775
email: recording@bouldercounty.org

Online Land Records

For more information see Colorado Land and Property

Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Some local histories available are these:

  • Boulder County: an illustrated history / by Thomas J. Noel and Dan W. Corson. Carlsbad, Calif. ; Heritage Media Corp., c1999.
  • Ghosts of Boulder County: a guide to the ghost towns and mining camps of Boulder County, Colorado / written and photographed by John K. Aldrich. Lakewood, Colo. (5815 W. 6th St., Bldg. 2, Suite. A, Lakewood 80214): Centennial Graphics, c1986
  • A guide to the greater St. Vrain Valley. Compass Communications, 1975-
  • Boulder County (Colorado) area key : a study of the genealogical record sources of Boulder County, Colorado, including maps, history, addresses / compiled by Florence Runyan Clint. Denver, CO : Eden Press, c1969.
  • Behind the Badge: 125 Years of the Boulder Police Department. The Book Lode, LLC, 2003
  • Boulder: A Sense of Time and Place, The Book Lode, 2000
  • Boulder: A Sense of Time and Place Revisited. The History Press, 2010
  • Boulder: Evolution of a City. University Press of Colorado, 1994 (2nd edition, 2006)
  • Boulder’s Floods and Flood Management: Past & Present. City of Boulder, 2016
  • Boulder’s Wastewater: Past & Present. City of Boulder, 2015
  • Boulder’s Waterworks: Past & Present. City of Boulder, 2014
  • Broomfield: Changes Through Time. The Book Lode, LLC, 2001
  • Chautauqua Centennial, Boulder Colorado: A Hundred Years of Programs. The Book Lode, LLC, 1998
  • Excursions From Peak to Peak: Beginning in Boulder. The Book Lode, LLC, 1987
  • Excursions From Peak to Peak: Then and Now. The Book Lode, 1997
  • Inn and Around Nederland: Accommodating the Traveler, Then and Now. The Book Lode, 1998
  • Legend of a Landmark: A History of the Hotel Boulderado. The Book Lode, LLC, 1986 (second edition, Pictorial Histories, 1997; third edition, The Book Lode, LLC, 2009)
  • Only in Boulder: The County’s Colorful Characters. The History Press, 2010
  • Positively Pearl Street: A Chronicle of the Center of Boulder, Colorado, 1859 to Present. The Book Lode, LLC, 2007
  • Red Rocks to Riches: Gold Mining in Boulder County Then and Now. Stonehenge Books, 1980
  • State of the Heart: 1902 to 2002, The First 100 Years of the Humane Society of Boulder Valley. Human Society of Boulder Valley, 2002
  • The Peaceful Valley Story: Fulfillment of a Dream. The Book Lode, LLC, 1994
  • Western Boulder County: Guide to Historic Western Boulder County. Cordillera Press, Inc., 1989
  • Boulder Daily Camera Index to Obituaries, 1960-1969
  • Boulder Daily Camera Obituary Index, 1970-1974
  • Boulder Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vols 1-50 (1969-2018)
  • Boulder Genealogical Society Quarterly, Table of Contents and Names Index, Vols 1-3
  • Green Mountain Cemetery, Boulder, Colorado, Index to Interment Books, 1904-2016
  • Burials in Park (Columbia) Cemetery, Boulder, Colorado, 1910-1965
  • Deaths in Boulder and Longmont, Colorado, 1923-1943
  • Directory of Boulder, Colorado 1883
  • Boulder County, Colorado Marriage Records, 1860-1900
  • Boulder's First Newspaper
  • Hotels of Boulder, Colorado from 1860
  • Early Days of Boulder, Colorado, Vols 1-III
  • Improvements in Boulder, Colorado through 1900

Online County Histories

Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

Error: No valid link was found at the end of line 7.

Click a neighboring county
for more resources


Boulder County has numerous maps available online here: Maps

Migration[edit | edit source]

Military Records[edit | edit source]

Online Collections[edit | edit source]

These collections are unique to Colorado. You will find nationwide databases for military records on U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records and Colorado Military Records.

All Veterans

Civil War

Spanish-American War (1898)

World War I

World War II

Vietnam War

For further information see Colorado Military Records.

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

Online Records

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

For more information, see Colorado Newspapers.

Colorado Newspapers Online

Colorado Newspaper Catalogs

  • U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper

Microfilm of old newspapers is available at the Boulder Public Library and at the Longmont Public Library. The Longmont collection includes issues from 1872 to the present. See Longmont Newspapers


Obituaries[edit | edit source]

Other Records[edit | edit source]

Digging Up Dirt: The Gold Hill Cemetery, Gold Hill, Colorado

Boulder County, Colorado Lodged Wills and Inheritance Tax Waivers, 1899-1975: An Annotated Index

Boulder County, Colorado School Census 1877: An Annotated Index

Boulder County, Colorado, District Court, Petit Jury Lists, 1883-1910: An Annotated Index

Boulder County, Colorado District Court, Grand Jury Records, 1867-1922: An Annotated Index

Boulder County, Colorado District Court, Petit Jury Records, 1867-1936: An Annotated Index

Boulder County, Colorado Clerk & Recorder, Loose Papers Volume 1, 1861-1878: An Annotated Index

Boulder County, Colorado Clerk & Recorder, Loose Papers Volume 2, 1861-1878: An Annotated Index

Boulder County, Colorado Surveys and Mineral Claims at the General Land Office, 1859-1876: An Annotated Index

Boulder County, Colorado District Court Judge's Docket, Vol 1, 1867-1871: An Annotated Index

Boulder County, Colorado District Court Record, June 1862 to March 1866: An Annotated Transcription

Boulder County, Colorado Treasurer, Register of Accounts, 1867-1880: An Annotated Index

Boulder County, Colorado County Court Index Book I, Plaintiffs and Defendants: An Annotated Index

Minutes of the Board of Trustees of the University of Colorado, 1870-1876: An Annotated Index

Boulder County, Colorado District Court Civil Appearance Docket, 1878-1882: An Annotated Index

Boulder County, Colorado County Court Will Record, Volume A, 1875-1889: An Annotated Index

Boulder County, Colorado, County Court Probate Record, Vol 1, 1875-1884: An Annotated Index

Early Land Owners Along the St. Vrain Creek, Colorado Territory, 1860-1861: An Annotated Index

Boulder County, Colorado District Court Widow's Relinquishment, Volumes 1 & 2, 1889–1937: An Annotated Index

Boulder County, Colorado, District Court Guardians Bonds, Vol. A, 1876-1902: An Annotated Index

Boulder County, Colorado Probate Court Fee Book, 1874-1890: An Annotated Index

Boulder City Town Company Lot Sales 1859-1864: An Annotated Map Guide

Brainard's Hotel Register, Boulder, Colorado, 1880: An Annotated Index

Boulder County Commissioners Journal, 1861-1871: An Annotated Transcription

Boulder County Commissioners Journal, 1871-1874: An Annotated Transcription

Boulder, Colorado Teachers, 1878-1900: An Annotated Index

Boulder County, Colorado District Court Execution Docket, 1875-1885: An Annotated Index

Boulder, Colorado Births 1892–1906: An Annotated Index

Boulder County Probate Court Appraisement Record A, 1875-1888: An Annotated Index

Boulder County Assessor’s Tax List, 1875: An Annotated Index

Boulder County Assessor’s Tax List, 1876: An Annotated Index

Boulder Valley Presbyterian Church Records, 1863-1900: An Annotated Index

Boulder’s Masonic Pioneers, 1867-1886: Members of Columbia Lodge No. 14, Boulder County, Colorado Territory

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

Probate records have been kept by the county courts. Colorado probate records include bonds, affidavits, letters, claims, appraisals, fee accounts, minutes, judgments, dockets, calendars, case files, and wills. The Family History Library does not have copies of probate records from Colorado.

You may obtain copies of documents from the clerk's office in the county courthouse.


  • Estate Files from 1862 are in the Colorado State Archives

Online Records

  • 1852 to 2004 The probate holdings in the state archives for Boulder County include the years 1852 to 2004.
  • 1862–1900 The Colorado State Archives has a searchable database for county probate records. Boulder County records for the years 1862 to 1900 can be found in this index. Boulder County Records.
  • 1875–1974 Colorado Wills and Probate Records 1875-1974 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
  • 1900–2004 Boulder County probate records for the years 1900 to 2004 are currently being indexed (as of March 2018) at the Colorado State Archives by members of the Boulder Genealogical Society.

School Records[edit | edit source]

Social Security Records[edit | edit source]

Tax Records[edit | edit source]

Colorado tax records complement land records and can be used as supplements to censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the records. To find tax records in the FamilySearch Catalog, do a Place Search for the county.


1941-1943 Boulder County Inheritance Tax Records Index (1941-1943) is one of many On-Line Indexes available at the Colorado State Archives website.

Vital Records[edit | edit source]

Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Vital Records Section Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred.

For some online statewide indexes, see the FamilySearch Historical Record Collections for Colorado.

See also Colorado Vital Records.

Birth[edit | edit source]

Birth records may become public records when 100 years have elapsed after the date of birth. EXCEPTION: The birth record of any individual who is known to be currently alive will remain confidential even if they are 100 years of age or greater. [11]

Boulder County Public Health can issue certified birth certificates for births occurring anywhere in Colorado from 1904 to present day. They only issue certified copies of birth certificates.

Only the person named on the record or members of the immediate family, legal representatives of those named above, or others demonstrating a direct and tangible interest in the record may request a copy if the birth occurred within the last 100 years as stated above. Proof of your relationship or direct and tangible interest is required.

Birth & Death Certificates

Boulder: (303) 441-1100
Longmont: (303) 678-6166

Marriage[edit | edit source]

The Boulder County Recorder's office will search their indexes if you call or come in to the office. If a record is found, a copy can be purchased in person or by mail. Call (303) 413-7770 and press 0 to speak to a clerk.

Online Records

Death[edit | edit source]

Death records may become public records when 75 years have elapsed after the date of death. [11]

Certified copies of death certificates may be issued to: parents; grandparents; stepparents; siblings; spouse; adult children, stepchildren, or grandchildren of the deceased; legal representatives of any of the above; legal representatives of the deceased; probate researchers; genealogists representing family members with appropriate credentials; others who may demonstrate a direct and tangible interest when information is needed for determination or protection of a personal property right. Proof of your relationship or direct and tangible interest is required.

Divorce[edit | edit source]

Boulder County divorces take place in Colorado’s 20th Judicial District. To obtain copies of divorce records there are fees for searching and for copies.

Boulder County Combined Courts Research Department (303) 441-4860 Combined Courts Research Department

Online Records

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

Listed below are archives in Boulder County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Colorado Archives and Libraries.
The Colorado State Archives has the following records available for Boulder County, Colorado Genealogy in this online database Archives Search. For a full list of online holdings, click here.
(Statewide)
1880-1939 Divorce Index
1883-1900 Mine Accidents, Non - fatal
1897-1920 Horseshoers
1936-1942 Civilian Conservation Corps Enrollments
1966-1968 Vietnam Deaths 1862-1900 Boulder County Probates
1871-1872 Boulder County Rights of Way Cases
1892-1906 Boulder County Birth Index
1904-1918 Boulder County Divorce
1914-1934 Boulder County Mothers Compensations
1933-1936 Boulder County Old Age Pension
1941-1943 Boulder County Inheritance Tax Records

Family History Centers[edit | edit source]

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries[edit | edit source]

Listed below are libraries in Boulder County. For state-wide library facilities, see Colorado Archives and Libraries.

Boulder Public Library
1000 Canyon Blvd
Boulder, CO 80302
Phone: (303) 441-3100
Website

Lafayette Public Library
775 W Baseline Rd
Lafayette, CO 80026
Phone: (303) 665-5200
Website

Longmont Public Library
409 4th Ave
Longmont, CO 80501
Website

Louisville Public Library
951 Spruce Street
Louisville, CO 80027
Phone: (303) 335-4849
Website

Lyons Depot Library
430 Fifth Avenue
Lyons, CO 80540
Phone: (303) 823-5165
Website

Nederland Community Library
750 N. Highway 72
Nederland, CO 80466
Phone: (303) 258-1101
Website

Museums[edit | edit source]

Museum of Boulder

2205 Broadway

Boulder, CO 80302

(303) 449-3464

https://museumofboulder.org/

Societies[edit | edit source]

Listed below are societies in Boulder County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Colorado Societies.

Boulder Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 3246
Boulder, CO 80307-3246
Website

Longmont Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 6081
Longmont, CO 80501-2077
Website

St. Vrain Historical Society
P.O. Box 705
Longmont, Colorado 80502-0705
Telephone Number: 303-776-1870
Website

Broomfield Genealogy Society
Broomfield, CO
Website

Websites[edit | edit source]

Research Guides[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
  2. ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, "Boulder County, Colorado Genealogy and History", http://genealogytrails.com/colo/boulder/ 6/27/2017.
  3. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Boulder County, Colorado. Page 97At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Boulder County, Colorado. Page 97 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 92.
  5. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
  6. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Boulder County, Colorado," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boulder_County,_Colorado, accessed May 12, 2017.
  7. ↑ Noel, Thomas J. and Dan W. Corson. Boulder County, An Illustrated History.; Carlsbad, California; Heritage Media Corporation: 1999. pp 63-65.
  8. ↑ William Thorndale and William Dollarhide, Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses (Bountiful, UT: American Genealogical Lending Library, 1985), page 51-54; Alice Eichholz, ‘’Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County and Town Sources,’’ 3rd ed. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 2004), 86. Free online version; FHL Book 973 D27rb 2004; WorldCat entry.
  9. ↑ William Thorndale and William Dollarhide, Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses (Bountiful, UT: American Genealogical Lending Library, 1985), page 54.
  10. ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 Colorado Online Historical Newspapers, https://sites.google.com/site/onlinenewspapersite/Home/usa/co, accessed 19 July 2013.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Letter from Colorado State Registrar, Dated September 1, 2011. Policy Number 2011- 08. http://www.colorado.gov


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