Conejos County, Colorado Genealogy

United States &gt; Colorado &gt; Conejos County

County Courthouse
The Conejos County Courthouse was built in June 1890, it was destroyed by fire in 1980, at which time it was rebuilt.

Parent County
1 November 1861: Conejos County was created as an original county under the name of Guadalupe. The name was changed to Conejos 7 November 1869. County seat: Conejos

The first European know to visit this area was Don Diego de Vargas in 1694, but he left behind no colonists. In 1708, Juan de Uribarri passed through searching for run away Indian slaves.[2]

Conejos County was one of the original 17 counties created by the General Assembly of the Territory of Colorado on 1861-11-01, although it was originally named Guadalupe County and renamed Conejos County a week later, on November 7. Its name coming from the Spanish word "conejo", meaning rabbit, for the large abundance of rabbits in the area. Also early in its existence, the county seat was moved from the town of Guadalupe to Conejos.

Boundary Changes
The original boundaries of the county included a large portion of southwestern Colorado. In 1874, most of the western and northern portions of the county were broken away to form parts of Hinsdale, La Plata and Rio Grande counties, and Conejos County achieved its modern borders in 1885 when its western half was taken to create Archuleta County.

Record Loss
The county records 1878-1936 were lost when the courthouse burned in 1980; except for the Grantee and Grantor books, which are at the clerk’s office. The county has digitized the land records and they are on a paid subscription website by the county. A few marriage records of the late 1940's also remain in the county clerk’s office. Marriage records for 1858-1936 have been published by “The Colorado Genealogical Society, Inc.” Denver Colorado. The older birth and death certificates that were kept in the Local Registrar, are now available at the courthouse in Alamosa, Colorado.

Populated Places

 * Antonito (Town, Hwy 285 &amp; 17)
 * Bountiful (settlement, Hwy 285 South of La Jara)
 * Capulin (Town, Hwy 15)
 * Conejos (County Seat / Town, 1 mile West of Hwy 285)
 * Ephraim (old settlement South of Sanford, No longer exists)
 * Espinoza (old settlement North of Manassa)
 * Florida (old settlement East of Antoito)
 * Fox Creek (settlement, Hwy 17 West of Antonito &amp; Mogote)
 * Guadalupe (settlement North of Conejos)
 * La Isla (old settlement)
 * La Jara (Town, Hwy 285 &amp; 136)
 * Las Mesitas (old settlement, Hwy 17 West of Mogote)
 * Lobatos (settlement East of Antonito)
 * Los Cerritos (old settlement Southeast of Manassa)
 * Los Sauces (settlement East of Sanford)
 * Los Pinas (old settlement)
 * Manassa (Town, Hwy 142)
 * Mogote (settlement, Hwy 17 West of Antonito)
 * Nortonville (old settlement Northeast of Sanford)
 * Ortiz (settlement Southwest of Antonito)
 * Paisaje (old settlement)
 * Richfield (settlement East of La Jara)
 * Romero (Town, Hwy 285)
 * San Acacio (settlement, Hwy 142 East of Manassa)
 * San Antonio (settlement Southwest of Antonito)
 * San Miguel (old settlement Southwest of Ortiz in New Mexico)
 * San Rafael (old settlement West of Antonito)
 * Sanford (Town, Hwy 136)
 * Track City (old settlement Northwest of Antonito)

Neighboring Counties

 * Alamosa
 * Archuleta
 * Costilla
 * Rio Arriba County, New Mexico
 * Rio Grande
 * Taos County, New Mexico

Cemeteries

 * Antonito Cemetery (Northwest side of Dahilia and 19th St.)
 * Assembly of God Cemetery (In church yard in Antonito)
 * St. Joseph Church-Capulin Cemetery
 * Gomez-Capulin Cemetery (North of Capulin)
 * Capulin Cemetery (Hwy 15)
 * Conejos Cemetery (South side of Conejos)
 * Fox Creek Cemetery (North side of Fox Creek)
 * La Jara Cemetery (US Hwy 285, North of La Jara)
 * Las Mesitas Cemetery (West of Mogote)
 * Los Cerritos Cemetery (Southeast of Manassa, just east of the Manassa Cemetery)
 * Los Sauces Catholic Cemetery "Gate To Heaven" (In the foothills West of Los Sauces)
 * Los Sauces Pinacostal Cemetery (Westside of Los Sauces, just south of Main Cemetery)
 * Lobatos Cemetery (East of Antonito)
 * New Manassa Cemetery, (Southeast side of "M" Mountain)
 * Old Manassa Cemetery, (South end of Fifth Street, at the foot of "M" Mountain, Manassa)
 * Martinez Cemetery
 * Mogote Cemetery
 * Nance Cemetery, (West and South of the Old Manassa Cemetery)
 * Ortiz Cemetery
 * New Ortiz Cemetery
 * San Antonio Cemetery
 * Sanford Cememtery, 1881-current, (South of Sanford on County Rd. 19) (for burial info. call 719-274-5261)
 * Sowards Cemetery, (West of the Old Manassa Cemetery at the foot of "M" Mountain)
 * Valdez Cemetery

Church
Existing LDS Wards and Branches:


 * La Jara 1 Ward
 * Fox Creek Branch
 * Manassa 1 Ward
 * Manassa 2 Ward
 * Manassa 3 Ward
 * Sanford 1 Ward
 * Sanford 2 Ward
 * San Luis Branch

Catholic Churches:


 * Lady of the Valley in La Jara
 * Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Conejos
 * St. Anthony in Los Sauces (Special Mass once a month)
 * St. Augustine in Antonito
 * St. Joseph’s Parish in Capulin
 * St. Teresa in Manassa
 * St. Andrew in La Jara (closed and replaced with Lady of the Valley)
 * In Lobatos
 * In Romeo
 * In Ortiz
 * In San Antonio
 * In Sanford (closed and replaced with Lady of the Valley)

Other Churches:


 * Conejos Canyon Community Chapel (26727 Hwy 17)
 * Presbyterian Church in San Rafael
 * Presbyterian Church in Antonito
 * Seventh Day Adventist in Antonito
 * United Church in La Jara (522 Walnut)

The folowing LDS Ward and Branch Records are on micro film at the Family History Center in La Jara.


 * Conejos Branch 1878-1879
 * Eastdale Ward 1894-1908
 * La Jara Ward (see Richfield Ward)
 * Fox Creek Branch 1893-1894
 * Manassa Ward 1892-1897, 1907-1948
 * Manassa 1 Ward
 * Manassa 2 Ward 1920-1928
 * Morgan Branch 1934-1942
 * Mountain View Branch 1889-1896
 * Richfield Ward 1884-1941
 * Romeo Ward 1936-1948
 * Sanford Ward 1888-1948

Divorce
The Colorado State Archives has put a name only index to the Conjeos County Divorce Records for the period 7/13/1899 to 9/20/1915 on-line.

Land

 * 1878 - current, Grantee &amp; Grantor books, Conejos County Clerk, 719-274-5422.
 * Land records 1936 - current, ibid

History

 * Misc. Family Collection in Family History Center, La Jara, Colorado, 719-274-4024

Maps
Town of Sanford map is located at the Town Hall, 719-274-4024. Other town maps are located in the local phone book.

Military
The Colorado State Archives has put an Index to the Conejos County World War II Enlistments on-line.

Mortuary
The records of the "Rogers Family Mortuary" and the "Romero's Funeral Home" are in the process of being entered into a database. This database is located at the Family History Center, located in La Jara, Colorado, at 719-274-4032. This database includes records from the Brown &amp; Lorton Undertaking Co. (1926-1928) and the Lorton &amp; Miracle Mortuary (1929-1939); more records are being entered at this time. For more information on this project contact, Marilee Vannoy, 719-274-5261.

Newspapers
The following are on microfilm located in the Family History Center, located in La Jara, Colorado. 719-274-4032.


 * The Antonito Ledger (June 1892 - Oct 1972)
 * The La Jara Chronicle (Oct 1904 - Dec 1911)
 * The La Jara Enterprise (April 1914 - April 1917)
 * The La Jara Gazette (April 1916 - Dec 1982)
 * The Conejos County Citizen (Jan 1983 - Oct 1993)
 * The Conejos County Citizen (July 1996 - Oct 1997)

Taxation
Colorado State Archives has the Conejos County Inheritance Tax Records Index (1918-1923) online

Vital Records
Colorado Vital Records Search


 * Conejos County Old Vital Records, are kept in the Alamosa County Courthouse, 719-589-6681.

Societies and Libraries
Conejos County Library District 17703 Hwy 285 La Jara, CO 81140 Phone: (719) 274-5858 conejos.colibraries.org/

Family History Center

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Manassa Colorado Family History Center

Websites

 * Conejos County COGenWeb
 * Conejos County, Colorado Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Conejos County, Colorado Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)