Mesa County, Colorado Genealogy

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

Colorado Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named for the large mesas in the area, including Grand Mesa, the most extensive mesa on Earth. The County is located in the west central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Mesa County Courthouse 125 North Spruce PO Box 20,000-5030 Grand Junction, CO 81502 Phone: 970-257-3640 Mesa County Website County Clerk has marriage and land records from 1883 County Clerk

Early birth and death records are stored in the courthouse.

County Health Department

510 29 1/2 Road Grand Junction, Colorado 81504 Website

County Health Department has birth, death and burial records; 1885 census taken

Populated Places
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:

State and Territory Census Records

 * 1860 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; Colorado was included in the 1860 Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Utah Territories Censuses - How to Use this Collection
 * 1870 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; Colorado Territory Census - How to Use this Collection
 * 1885 - Colorado State Census, 1885 at FamilySearch - Index and images
 * 1885 - Colorado State Census, 1885 at Ancestry - ($), Index and images

Federal Census Records
The 1880 Census was the first Federal Census for Colorado after it became a state in 1876. For links to Federal Census indexes, see Colorado Census.
 * 1860-1940 Colorado Census Records from 1860 to 1940 at FamilySearch.org — index/images

Church Records
Online Church Records
 * 1692-1942 - at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection

Presbyterian Church
 * 1743-1970 - U.S., Presbyterian Records, 1743-1970 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Dates vary for each county

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Fruita
 * Grand Junction
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records
An Index of many Court related cases (marriage, divorce, judgements, liens, etc.) are accessible on the Mesa County, Colorado home page. Through their Online Services: Record --Recorded Documents page. This is not by all means an inclusive list and Mesa County reminds users, "The Mesa County Recorder Office presents the information on this web site as a service to the public. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, no person or entity, including Mesa County, the Clerk or her staff, shall have any responsibility for any inaccuracies or omissions in the data at this site or at other sites to which we link. Use of this site is an acknowledgement of this disclaimer. The official records of the County are located in the Office."

Non-county residents do not have access to all the functions of the website.

There is also a direct link to the search page.

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.

Directories
Online Directories
 * 1902-1994 - U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 at Ancestry - ($), Index and images, Grand Junction City Directories, various dates

Land and Property Records
Mesa County Clerk and Recorder: Website

Contact Information

200 S. Spruce Street

Grand Junction, CO 81501
 * (970) 244-1800

Hours
 * 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
 * Monday - Friday
 * (Except holidays

Online Land Records

For more information see Colorado Land and Property
 * Colorado DPA Land Records - Index only; Choose Record Type, and search either "Land Patents" or "Land Records."
 * Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
 * 1796-1907 - U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
 * 1863-1908 - U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images
 * 1862-1908 - Denver Land Office Records, 1862-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index only

Local Histories
Online County Histories
 * Gateway/Unaweep Canyon at some point in time : a History of the Gateway and the Unaweep Canyon Areas. c2000. Compiled and edited by Jean Moores and James E. Massey. Decorah, Iowa : Anundsen..
 * Route 1 Mack, Colorado : a History of the Communities of Mack and New Liberty. c1997.  By Homer C. Likes and Phyllis C. Maluy Likes. Orem, Utah : Likes Pub. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library;.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Colorado - shows boundary changes for Colorado Counties
 * Colorado Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Online Collections
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
 * Colorado State Archives Veterans Grave Registration Index at the Colorado State Archives website - Index only; In the Record Type field, select, Military - Grave

Civil War
 * Colorado Civil War Casualties Index at the Colorado State Archives website - Index only; In the Record Type field, select, Civil War Casualty
 * 1861-1865 - Colorado State Archives Volunteers Transcript of Record Index (1861-1865) at the Colorado State Archives website - Index only; In the Record Type field, select, Transcript of Record

Spanish-American War (1898)
 * 1898 - Colorado Volunteers in the Spanish American War, 1898 - at the Colorado State Archives website - Index only; In the Record Type field, select, Span-Am War Soldiers

World War I
 * 1916-1919 - Colorado State Archives Denver War Risk Insurance Applicants, 1916-1919 - at the Colorado State Archives website - Index only; In the Record Type field, select, War Risk Insurance
 * 1917-1922 - Colorado State Archives World War I Civilian Service Questionnaires, 1917-1922 - at the Colorado State Archives website - Index only; In the Record Type field, select, WWI Questionnaire
 * 1917-1918 - Colorado Soldiers in WWI, 1917-1918 at Ancestry.com — ($), index

World War II
 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

Vietnam War
 * 1966 & 1968 - Colorado State Archives Vietnam War Casualties - June-December 1966 & January-December 1968 - at the Colorado State Archives website - Index only; In the Record Type field, select, Vietnam Deaths

For further information see Colorado Military Records.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Records
 * 1868-1990 - Colorado, State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1868-1990 at Ancestry ($); Index and images
 * 1876-1990 - at FamilySearch — index and images; District Court records - How to Use this Collection

Newspapers
Colorado Newspapers Online
 * Colorado Online Historical Newspapers online - in the Colorado Historic Newspaper Collection by the Colorado State Library
 * Colorado Newspapers at Ancestry.com - ($)
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Colorado newspapers
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Colorado newspapers
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some Colorado newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites

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 newspapers

Obituaries
Obituaries printed in the Daily Sentinel can be found on the Mesa County Libraries website. Older obituaries have only the Name, Date published in the Sentinel.

Probate Records
'''Online Records
 * 1875–1974 Colorado Wills and Probate Records 1875-1974 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1883-1900 Colorado State Archives has put the Mesa County Probate Index for the years 1883-1900 online.

School Records
Mesa County School records are held in the Loyd Files Research Library, located in the Museum of the West, 462 Ute (second floor, 5th and Ute) Grand Junction, CO 81501

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Tax Records
Colorado State Archives has put the Mesa County Inheritance Tax Records Index for the years 1920-1934 on-line.

Vital Records
'''Colorado Vital Records Search

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
Online Records
 * 1784-2007 - Colorado, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1809-2011 - Western States Marriage Index, 1809-2011 - Index, incomplete, list of counties included
 * 1853-2006 - at FamilySearch.org - Index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1859-1900 - Colorado Marriages, 1859-1900 at Ancestry.com - ($); Index only
 * 1862-2006 - Colorado, County Marriages and State Indexes, 1862-2006 at Ancestry ($), Index and images
 * 1863-2018 - Colorado, Select County Marriages, 1863-2018 at Ancestry.com - index and images, ($)
 * 1864-1995 - at FamilySearch - Index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1900-1939 - Colorado, Statewide Marriage Index, 1900-1939 at Ancestry.com - ($); Browseable images of original index
 * 1975 - 2004 Colorado, Marriages, 1975 - 2004 at MyHeritage - index and images ($)

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

Divorce
Online Records
 * 1878 - 2004 Colorado, Divorces, 1878 - 2004 at MyHeritage - index ($)
 * 1900-1939 - at FamilySearch - Browseable images of original index - How to Use this Collection

Archives
1883-1910 Mesa County Probate 1885-1887 Mesa County Persons Subject to Military 1887 Mesa County Persons Exempt from Military 1913-1917 Mesa County Motor Vehicle Licenses 1920-1934 Mesa County Inheritance Tax 1934-1942 Mesa County CCC Enrollments 1950-1970 Mesa County Divorce Cases

Family History Centers

 * Grand Junction Colorado Family History Center

Libraries
Mesa County Public Library District 530 Grand Ave Grand Junction, CO 81502 Telehone: 970-243-4783 Website

Museums
Museums of Western Colorado

https://museumofwesternco.com/

Societies
Mesa County Genealogical Society PO Box 1506 Grand Junction, Colorado 81502-1506

Email: [mailto:mcgs2019pres@gmail.com mcgs2019pres@gmail.com] website

Mesa County Historical Society PO Box 841 Grand Junction, CO 81502 Telephone: 970-260-5226 E-mail:[mailto:Priscilla.Mangnall@gmail.com Priscilla.Mangnall@gmail.com] [http://www.gjarts.org/local-artists-groups-galleries/cultural-organization/? Website]

Websites

 * - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records
 * Mesa County, Colorado Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)