Conejos County, Colorado Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Conejos River. The County has Conejos as its seat and the County was created November 1, 1861. The County is located in the south central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Conejos County Courthouse 6683 County Rd 13 PO Box 157 Conejos, CO 81129-0157 Phone: 719.376.5422 Clerk of Courts has probate records; County Clerk has birth, marriage and death records; County assessor has land records.

Populated Places
The following are locations in the 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
 * 1870 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; Colorado Territory Census
 * 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 Presbyterian Church
 * 1743-1970 - U.S., Presbyterian Records, 1743-1970 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Dates vary for each county

Churches of Conejos County Some of the following Conejos church records are available online at Colorado GenWeb 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 following LDS Ward and Branch Records are on microfilm at the Family History Center in La Jara.
 * 1878-1879 Conejos Branch
 * 1894-1908 Eastdale Ward
 * La Jara Ward (see Richfield Ward)
 * 1893-1894 Fox Creek Branch
 * 1892-1897, 1907-1948 Manassa Ward
 * Manassa 1 Ward
 * 1920-1928 Manassa 2 Ward
 * 1934-1942 Morgan Branch
 * 1889-1896 Mountain View Branch
 * 1884-1941 Richfield Ward
 * 1936-1948 Romeo Ward
 * 1888-1948 Sanford Ward

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.

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

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
 * 1861-1936 - U.S. Homestead Records 1861-1936 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images
 * 1862-1908 - Denver Land Office Records, 1862-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index only

Local Histories

 * "Clarinda's Story of San Luis Valley Roots" by Clarinda Knight Sewell, printed Dec. 31, 1983.
 * "Mormon Colonization of the San Luis Valley, Colorado 1878-1900" by Judson Harold Flower, Jr., May 1966. (A Thesis Presented to the Department of History Brigham Young University.)
 * "The Mormons 100 Years in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, 1883-1983" compiled and Edited by: Carleton Q. Anderson, Betty Shawcroft, and Robert Compton, Published by: The La Jara Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The first European known 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 runaway Indian slaves.[2]

Conejos County's name comes from the Spanish word "conejos", 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.


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

Online County Histories
 * Conejos Country. 1984. By Frances Harvey Mead. Colorado Springs, Colo. : Century One Press. Online at: ;.
 * The People of El Valle : a History of the Spanish Colonials in the San Luis Valley. c1997. By Olibama Lopez-Tushar. Pueblo, Colorado : El Escritorio. Online at: ;.
 * We Call It Home. (A history of Sanford and surounding area.) c1977. By Mary June Miller. [S.l.] : Mary June Miller. Online at: ;.

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

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

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 - Browseable images only; District Court records

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
 * 1899-1901 - La Voz Del Valle, Antonito, online at Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection - free.
 * 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

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


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

Obituaries
There is a collection of misc. obituraries from newspaper clippings and funeral programs in the Family History Center in La Jara. To recieve a digital copy call 719-274-4032 or email fhcobituary@gmail.com

Other Records
Public Records

Conejos County Assessor's Office $

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

School Records
North Conejos "Centauri" School District, 719-274-5174

Sanford Public School District, 719-274-5167

South Conejos "Antonito" School District, 719-376-7000

Tax Records
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.

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
 * 1862-2006 - Colorado, County Marriages and State Indexes, 1862-2006 at Ancestry ($), Index and images
 * 1864-1995 - at FamilySearch - Index and images
 * 1900-1939 - Colorado, Statewide Marriage Index, 1900-1939 at Ancestry.com - ($); Browseable images of original index

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

Divorce
Online Records
 * 1851-1985 Colorado, Divorce Index, 1851-1985 at Ancestry - ($); Index only
 * 1900-1939 - at FamilySearch - Browseable images of original index

1899-1915 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.

Archives
1894-1918 Conejos County Probate Cases 1899-1915 Conejos County Divorces 1918-1923' Conejos County Inheritance Tax

Family History Centers

 * Manassa Colorado Family History Center

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

Museums
Sanford Pioneer Museum located at 778 Main St., Sanford, Colorado, Telephone: 719-274-4024
 * Sanford World War II Veteran's Project, for more information contact Wanda Rackham, 208-762-5353 or [mailto:rwrackham@roadrunner.com rwrackham@roadrunner.com]

Jack Dempsey Museum located on Main St. Manassa, Colorado Cumbres &amp; Toltec Narrow Gauge Railroad Antonito, Colorado

Societies
 San Luis Valley Genealogical Society PO Box 1541 Alamosa, CO 81101

Websites

 * Conejos County COGenWeb
 * - 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
 * Conejos County, Colorado Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * The Town of Manassa Project