Taos County, Colorado Genealogy

United States Colorado  Taos County

The southern part of present-day Colorado east of the Continental Divide, that is parts of Archuleta, Conejos, Rio Grande, Mineral, Hinsdale, San Juan, Saguache, Alamosa, Costilla, Los Animas, Huerfano, Custer, Pueblo, Otero, Bent, and extreme western edge of Baca counties were northern part of Taos County, New Mexico Territory from its creation in New Mexico Territory in 1852 until 28 February 1861 when it was one of the four pieces of other territories used to create the new Colorado Territory.


 * 1852 Taos County, New Mexico Territory created as an original county from an old Mexican partido. In theory it extended west to the California border including parts of Arizona and later Nevada
 * 1854 Rio Arriba County absorbed a western part of Taos County in New Mexico Territory.
 * 1 February 1860 Mora County, New Mexico Territory was erected from the eastern part of Taos County.
 * 28 February 1861 The northern parts of Taos and Mora counties, formerly New Mexico Territory, were transferred to the newly created Colorado Territory.

A few of the earliest settlers in what is now southern Colorado may have conducted their county business in Taos via the Santa Fe Trail. For records of residents in what later became southern Colorado from 1852 to 1861 check Taos County, New Mexico records. From 1 February 1860 to 1861 also check records of Mora County, New Mexico. After 28 February 1861 a part of New Mexico Territory was transferred to Colorado, and record keeping shifted to the appropriate Colorado counties.