El Paso County, Colorado Genealogy

United States Colorado   El Paso County

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

County Courthouse
County Clerk has marriage and land records from 1861 and military discharge records from 1919; Clerk District Court has divorce and probate records; County Court has Court Records

County Seat
Colorado Springs

Parent County
1861 November 1: El Paso County was created as an original county. In 1859 it was formed from old Arapahoe County in the territory of Kansas. El Paso county was created by the Colorado legislature, and was one of Colorado's original 17 counties.

Neighboring Counties



 * Crowley
 * Douglas
 * Elbert
 * Fremont
 * Lincoln
 * Pueblo
 * Teller

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Populated Places
Calhan | Colorado Springs | Fountain | Green Mountain Falls | Manitou Springs | Monument | Palmer Lake | Ramah

Cemeteries

 * Colorado Springs City Cemetery Page - Includes a burial search (requires registration)


 * Evergreen Cemetery 1005 S. Hancock Avenue, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903 Office Hours: 8 a.m-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Saturday 8 a.m. - Noon | Phone: (719) 578-6646 | Fax: (719) 578-6077


 * Fairview Cemetery 1000 S. 26th Street, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80904 Office Hours: 7 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Saturday by appointment | Phone: (719) 578-6638 Gate hours for visitation: Summer (Mid April through Mid October) 6 a.m. - 8 p.m. | Winter (Mid October through Mid April) 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.


 * The Shrine of Remembrance Mausoleum (BillionGraves) in Colorado Springs is a smaller cemetery, on Fountain Blvd along with two funeral homes.
 * Tombstone Inscriptions of El Paso County, Colorado, is a publication completed in 2002 by members of the Pikes Peak Genealogical Society. It includes information on all known burial sites in the county, maps, sexton records where available, and inscriptions.

Census

 * 1860-1940 Colorado Census Records from 1860 to 1940 at FamilySearch.org — index/images

Lutheran

 * Records of Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Court Records
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.

1933-1936 El Paso County Old Age Pension Records 1933-1936. An Index compiled from the official record of the applications granted by the El Paso 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

 * Colorado Springs City Directories, 1879-1922, OCR'd copies made by members of the Pikes Peak Genealogical Society and hosted by the Pikes Peak Library District website; all extant editions included except 1913 and 1918, which are currently being corrected. Many directories include surrounding towns, including Manitou and Colorado City.
 * 1940 Telephone Directory, for Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs, Cripple Creek and Victor, Drennan, Fountain, Cascade, Chipita Park, Green Mountain Falls, Woodland Park, and Yoder. Residential listings only

Land and Property
Current El Paso County, Colorado, property owners may be searched by name or address at the El Paso County Assessor's website.

Newspapers
Pikes Peak NewsFinder, provided by Pikes Peak Library District's Special Collections, contains citations to local news articles and obituaries from the Colorado Springs Gazette and Gazette-Telegraph from January 1872 to the present and other local newspapers. Free copies of articles are available online from PPLD. Ongoing project with additional sources being indexed.

Obituaries
Pikes Peak NewsFinder contains citations to obituaries from the Colorado Springs Gazette and Gazette-Telegraph from January 1872 to the present and other local newspapers, including the Colorado Springs Sun and the Free Press. Free copies of articles are available online from PPLD.

Probate Records
Online Records
 * 1875–1974 Colorado Wills and Probate Records 1875-1974 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Archives
1880-1969 El Paso County Probates 1892-1942 El Paso County Placer Mine Location Certificates 1903-1941 El Paso County Divorce 1910, 1920 El Paso County School Census Dist.11 (Colo. Spgs.) 1911 El Paso County School Census Dist. 3 1933-1936 El Paso County Old Age Pension 1946-1961 El Paso County Civil District Court

Family History Centers

 * Calhan Colorado Family History Center
 * Colorado Springs Colorado Family History Center
 * Colorado Springs Colorado East Family History Center
 * Colorado Springs Colorado North Family History Center
 * Fountain Colorado Family History Center (Colorado Springs)

Libraries
Pikes Peak Regional Library. Special Collections contains extensive resources for research into the history of the Pikes Peak region, including books, maps, manuscripts and archives, photographs, oral histories, films, government documents, periodicals and much more. Regional-History-and-Genealogy-home Pikes Peak Library District Penrose Library (main) &amp; Special Collections (genealogy, local history) 20 North Cascade Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80903 Telephone: (719) 531-6333

Tutt Library, Special Collections, Colorado College, Colorado Springs  Briargate Library 9475 Briar Village Pt, Ste 100 Colorado Springs, CO 80920 Telephone: (719) 260-6882

Cheyenne Mountain Library 1785 S 8th St, Ste 100 Colorado Springs, CO 80905 Telephone: (719) 633-6278

East Library 5550 N Union Blvd Colorado Springs, CO 80918 Telephone: (719) 531-6333

Fountain Library 230 S Main St Fountain, CO 80817 Telephone: (719) 382-5347

High Prairie Library 7035 Old Meridian Rd Peyton, CO 80831 Telephone: 260-3650

Library Express 3337 Cinema Pt Colorado Springs, CO 80922 Unmanned location with a vending machine

Manitou Springs 701 Manitou Ave Manitou Springs, CO 80829 Telephone: (719) 685-5206

Monument Library 1706 Lake Woodmoor Dr Monument, CO 80132 Telephone: (719) 488-2370

Old Colorado City Library 2418 W Pikes Peak Ave Colorado Springs, CO 80904 Telephone: (719) 634-1698

Palmer Lake Library 66 Lower Glenway Palmer Lake, CO 80133 Telephone: (719) 481-2587

Rockrimmon Library 832 Village Center Dr Colorado Springs, CO 80919 Telephone: (719) 593-8000

Ruth Holley Library 685 N Murray Blvd Colorado Springs, CO 80915 Telephone: (719) 597-5377

Sand Creek Library 1821 S Academy Blvd Colorado Springs, CO 80916 Telephone: (719) 597-7070

Ute Pass Library 8010 Severy Cascade, CO 80809 Telephone: (719) 684-9342 Security Public Library 715 Aspen Drive Security, CO 80911 Telephone: (719) 391-3191

Museums
Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum – “the only institution researching, collecting and interpreting the robust history of Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region.”

Societies

 * Manitou Springs Historical Society, 9 Capitol Hill Ave., Manitou Springs, CO 80829-1618
 * National Society Daughters of the American Revolution  • Cheyenne Mountain Chapter    • Kinnikinnik Chapter    • Zebulon Pike Chapter


 * Old Colorado City Historical Society 1 South 24th Street Colorado Springs.Colorado 80904 Telephone 719-636-1225
 * Palmer Lake Historical Society, P.O. Box 662, Palmer Lake, CO 80133
 * Pikes Peak Computer Genealogists


 * Pikes Peak Genealogical Society P.O. Box 1262 Colorado Springs, CO 80901

Vital Records
See also Colorado Vital Records.

Birth
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.

Marriage

 * 1853-2006 at FamilySearch.org — index/images
 * 1859-1900 Colorado Marriages, 1859-1900 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1864-1995 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1900-1939 Colorado, Statewide Marriage Index, 1900-1939 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1984-1991 El Paso County Official Public Records Search, 1 January 1984 to present (includes marriages for 1984 to 1991 period not covered in database below)
 * 1991-Present El Paso County Marriage/Civil Union Records Search, 1 May 1991 to present

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

Divorce
The Colorado State Archives has put a name only Index to the El Paso County Divorce Records for the period 1903 to 1941 on-line.

All divorces and divorce records are handled by the El Paso County Courts, Colorado Judicial District 4. Please contact their office directly at 719 452-5000.

Websites

 * USGenWeb Archives
 * El Paso County, Colorado Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Pikes Peak Genealogical Society
 * Pikes Peak Genealogical Society