Denver County, Colorado Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for James W. Denver. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Denver County Courthouse 1437 Bannock Street Ste 200 Denver, CO 80202 Phone: 303-630-3012 Denver County Website

The county clerk has marriage records from 1902 and land records from 1859. The clerk of the district court has divorce records from 1967, probate and court records from 1858.

Clerk and Recorder's Office City and County Building 1437 Bannock Street, Rm 391 Denver, CO 80202 Phone: 720-865-8400

City of Denver Vital Records 605 Bannock Street, Rm 302 Denver, CO 80204 Phone: 303-436-7351

Populated Places
Denver is the state capital of Colorado, as well as a consolidated city-county. This means that the City of Denver and the County of Denver have the same government and jurisdictions. The only city in Denver County is Denver. There are, however, several neighborhoods within the City of Denver.

Bible Records

 * Moffat Family Bible Records at Denver Library
 * Carver Family Bible Records at Denver Library

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 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

'Dutch Reformed Church'' 1955-1974 U.S., Selected States Dutch Reformed Church Membership Records, 1701-1995 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Montclair Reformed Church in Denver, 1955-1974 Lutheran Church List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Various Dates U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Records, 1875-1940 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Various churches for various dates in Denver
 * FamilySearch Places

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 Numerous records are available at [https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/archives/archives-search Colorado Archives. Denver County Old Age Pension Records] 1933-1936. An Index compiled from the offical record of the applications granted by the Denver 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
Online Directories
 * 1862-1923 Denver, Colorado, City Directories at Fold3 - ($), Images only, various dates
 * 1866-1979 U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 at Ancestry - ($), Index and images, Denver City Directories, various dates
 * 1887 Denver City Directory 1887 at MyHeritage — images, ($)

Funeral Homes

 * A Better Place Funeral and Cremation Service in Denver
 * All-States Cremation in Denver
 * All Veterans Funeral and Cremation in Denver
 * Burns-Curl Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Denver
 * Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services of Colorado in Denver
 * Clearly Mortuary Services in Denver
 * Colorado Burial and Cremation in Denver
 * Colorado Mortuary Service in Denver
 * Encore Funeral and Cremation Services in Denver
 * Envision Cremation in Denver
 * Fairmount Funeral Home, Cemetery and Crematory in Denver
 * Feldman Mortuary in Denver
 * Garcia Family Funeral Homes in Denver
 * Harwood Cremation and Funeral in Denver
 * Horan and McConaty Cremation and Burial in Denver
 * Hoy-Baker Funeral Home in Denver
 * Latina Funerals and Cremation in Denver
 * Mile High Mortuary And Cremation Service in Denver
 * Morningstar Cremation Providers in Denver
 * Pipkin Braswell Funerals - Cremation - Receptions in Denver
 * Rose Cremation Society in Denver
 * Shalom Funeral Service in Denver
 * Shannon and Malone Chapel of Peace Funeral Home in Denver
 * Stork-Bullock Family Mortuary in Denver
 * Transition Mortuary of Peace in Denver
 * Taylor Funeral and Cremation Services in Denver
 * Trinity Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Denver
 * Two Rivers Cremation in Denver

Land and Property Records
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 - ($), index and images
 * 1862-1908 Denver Land Office Records, 1862-1908 at Ancestry - ($), index only
 * 1862-1917 Denver Lot and Block Index 1862-1917 at Colorado State Archives - index, select record type for search

Local Histories
Online County Histories
 * History of Denver, with Outlines of the Earlier History of the Rocky Mountain Country. 1971, digitized 2013. Evansville, Indiana : Unigraphic. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust; Vol. 2 - 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: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * 1914-1917 Denver War Risk Insurance Applications at Colorado State Archives - index, select record type for search

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 newspaper


 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

Obituaries

 * Colorado, Denver Obituaries at MyHeritage, index ($)

Other Records
Pension Records
 * 1933-1936 Denver Old Age Pension 1933-1936 at Colorado State Archives - index, select record type for search

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1860-1934 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1873-1986 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1875–1974 Colorado Wills and Probate Records 1875-1974 at Ancestry.com — ($); Index and images
 * 1900-1920 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1900-1925 (*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1900-1946 (*); Clerk of the County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1910-1942 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

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
1909-1912 Colorado State Archives has put the Denver County Inheritance Tax Records Index for the years 1909-1912 on-line.

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.
 * 1875-1909 Denver Birth Index 1875-1909 at Colorado State Archives - index, select record type for search

Marriage
1858-1939 The Colorado Genealogical Society and the Denver Library have compiled a free Marriage Index in a scanned PDF format listing 456,000+ marriages conducted between 1858 and 1939, cross listing the names of both bride and groom, with the date and place of marriage and the license number. Accessible free online at: Colorado Marriages

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
 * 1858-1939 Colorado Marriages 1858-1939 at Denver Public Library - index
 * 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 - ($); Browseable images of original index
 * 1940-1974 Denver Public Library City and County of Denver Marriage Application Index 1940-1974 at Denver Public Library - index
 * 1975 - 2004 Colorado, Marriages, 1975 - 2004 at MyHeritage - index & images, ($)

Death
Death records may become public records when 75 years have elapsed after the date of death.
 * 1870-1909 Denver Death Index 1870-1909 at Colorado State Archives - index, select record type for search

Divorce
All divorces and divorce records are handled by the Denver County Courts, Colorado Judicial District 2. Please contact their office directly at 720-865-8301.

Online Records
 * 1851-1985 Colorado, Divorce Index, 1851-1985 at Ancestry - ($); Index only
 * 1861-1941 Denver Public Library Colorado Divorce Index 1861-1941 at Denver Public Library - index
 * 1878 - 2004 Colorado, Divorces, 1878 - 2004 at MyHeritage - index ($)
 * 1900-1939 at FamilySearch - Browseable images of original index - How to Use this Collection

Archives
1862-1917 Denver Lot and Block Index 1870-1909 Denver Death Index 1875-1909 Denver Birth Index 1909-1912 Denver Inheritance Tax 1914-1917 Denver War Risk Insurance Applications 1933-1936 Denver Old Age Pension

FamilySearch Centers

 * Arvada Colorado FamilySearch Center
 * Aurora Colorado FamilySearch Center
 * Boulder Colorado FamilySearch Center
 * Brighton Colorado FamilySearch Center
 * Columbine Colorado FamilySearch Center
 * Denver Colorado FamilySearch Center
 * Denver Colorado North FamilySearch Center
 * Front Range Colorado FamilySearch Center
 * Highlands Ranch Colorado FamilySearch Center
 * Littleton Colorado FamilySearch Center
 * Zuni Colorado FamilySearch Center


 * Douglas County Libraries - Highlands Ranch - an affiliate library
 * Douglas County Libraries - Lone Tree - an affiliate library
 * Douglas County Libraries - Parker - an affiliate library
 * Douglas County Libraries - Rampart Range - an affiliate library
 * Napier Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Denver Public Library 10 W Fourteenth Ave Prkwy Parkway Denver, CO 80204 720-865-1111 Email: [mailto:info@denverlibrary.org info@denverlibrary.org] Website Facebook Stephen H. Hart Research Center History Colorado Center 1200 North Broadway Denver, CO 80203 303-866-2305 Website

Museums
Black American West Museum 3091 California St Denver, CO 80205 720-242-7428 Email: [mailto:bawmhc@gmail.com bawmhc@gmail.com] Website Facebook History Colorado Center 1200 North Broadway Denver, CO 303-447-8679 Website Lakewood Heritage Center 801 S Yarrow St Lakewood, CO 80226 303-987-7850 Email: [mailto:hca@lakewood.org hca@lakewood.org] Website Facebook

Societies
Denver, South Park & Pacific Historical Society PO Box 371373 Denver, CO 80237-5373 E-mail:[mailto:dspphs@gmail.com dspphs@gmail.com] Website W.I.S.E. Family History Society (Wales, Ireland, Scotland, England) PO Box 40658 Denver, CO 80204-0658 Email: [mailto:info@wise-fhs.org info@wise-fhs.org] Website Facebook

Websites

 * Denver City and County, Colorado Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Denver County Genealogy (Colorado Genealogy)
 * Denver Public Library (Genealogy &amp; Obituaries Database)
 * - 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