Research Tools A-Z

Western History Subject Index (formerly the General Index) card file contains more than seven million entries on four million cards. Developed over the last century, it provides access to newspapers, local histories, biographical works, newsletters and journals.

The WHSI includes abbreviations to a wide variety of indexed sources. While the full title for the abbreviated title or work is sometimes easy to discern -- e.g., RMN for the Rocky Mountain News or DP for the Denver Post -- others are more obscure or refer to materials or collections whose designations or call numbers have since changed. To simplify use of the Index, these abbreviations have been linked to the catalog records for the indexed items. Users may then follow the hyperlink to the Denver Public Library's catalog for a full description of the item and its availability.

A

B

• Burton Scrapbook: Florence Burton Papers (manuscript: WH377)
• Byers. Hist. Colo.: Encyclopedia of Biography of Colorado, by William N. Byers

C

• C917.88 R59r: Rocky Mountain Directory and Colorado Gazetteer for 1871 (This item has been reclassed to: C978.804 W158ro, microfilm)
• C E: The Colorado Episcopalian. (Denver newspaper)
• C of D: The City of Denver (Denver Municipal Facts)
• C.H.: Community Herald (Uncataloged serial: Level B1 - see Special Collections and Archives reference librarian)
• C.M.C.: The Colorado Manufacturer and Consumer
• CBM: Colorado Business Magazine
• CCD: The Daily Register-Call (Central City newspaper)
• CCW Reg Call: Weekly Register-Call (Central City Newspaper)
• CFMC: Colorado Federation of Music Clubs Scrapbooks, 1917-1965 (manuscript: WH318)
• Clips: Clippings file, See Special Collections and Archives reference librarian 
• CR Index: Denver Catholic Register Historical Index, 1913-1939
• Cragin Microfilm Index: Francis Whittemore Cragin Early Far West Notebooks (transcripts)

D

• D.M.F.: Denver Municipal Facts - See also: City of Denver and Denver Municipal Facts 1950s and in the Digital Collections
• DBJ: Denver Business Journal - See also: Rocky Mountain Business Journal
• DBW: Denver Business World
• Denver Com: The Denver Commercial
• Denver: Denver Monthly Magazine of the Good Life in Colorado
• DPL Lookout 1: Music in Denver and Colorado, Malcolm G. Wyer, editor, Dr. Edwin J. Stringham, musical editor (The Lookout from the Denver Public Library; vol. 1, no. 1)
• DPL Lookout 2: Art in Denver, compiled by the Fine Arts Committee of the City Club of Denver (The Lookout from the Denver Public Library; vol. 1, no. 2)

E

• E.A.B.: American Biography: A New Cyclopedia
• Echo: The Echo - see also Mountain Magazine
• ENG. Bull.: Engineers' Bulletin

F

G

• G.A.C.: General Assembly of Colorado (subject, not a title - see Special Collections and Archives reference librarian)
• G.T.W.G.: Glory that was Gold
• Gr. (or Cr.) Southwest: The Great Southwest: A Magazine of Romance, History and Progress (note: some cards have Cr. Southwest)

H

• H.C.B.V.: History of Clear Creek and Boulder Valleys, Colorado
• H.H.C. (or just H): History of the State of Colorado, by Frank Hall and History of the State of Colorado, by Frank Hall (2nd ed.)
• H.U.: Hands Up, by David Cook (4 editions)
• Hafen. Colorado: Colorado: The Story of a Western Commonwealth, by LeRoy R. Hafen
• Hale Scrapbook. Scrapbooks are in Box 14 of Irving Hale Papers

I

• Index Cheyenne: Subject Index of the Cheyenne Daily Leader, 1867-1890, compiled by Mildred E. Nelson

J

K

L

• L.G.: Land Grants Collection, 1820-1946 (manuscript: WH193)
• L.G.M.: Literary Gossip Monger of the Pen Workers

M

• M_: Indicates a manuscript collection
• M_Bishop, E.F. (scrapbook): Bishop, Edward F. (manuscript collection, item no longer available)
• M_Ed Milligan Scrapbook: Milligan, Edward W. papers, 1865-1960 (manuscript collection)
• M. Post: Morning Post, i.e. Denver Morning Post (newspaper)
• MI: Michigan (state abbreviation)
• Mi-Co: Mining collection, Denver Public Library, Special Collections and Archives Department, typed and edited by Mary A. Daze
• Min. Res.: Mineral Resources of the United States (USGS)
• Mining rpt. (or) Mng rpt: Mining Reporter (serial)

N

• News: Rocky Mountain News (Denver newspaper, available on micorfilm - see Special Collections and Archives reference librarian)
• NNN: North Neighborhood News (serial)
• NYT: New York Tribune Scrapbook 1841-1857 (microfilm of manuscript: WH327)

O

• O.T.C.D.: Olden Times in Colorado, by Carlyle Channing Davis
• Occasional Leaflet: Occasional Leaflet, by Colorado Library Association

P

• P: Indicates papers, usually a manuscript collection
• Pam. File or pams.: Discontinued: items either cataloged or moved to clippings file
• PBC: Portrait and Biographical Record of the State of Colorado: Containing Portraits and Biographies of Many Well Known Citizens of the Past and Present
• Post: Denver Post (Denver newspaper, available on micorfilm - see Special Collections and Archives reference librarian)

Q

R

• Rep or Republican: The Denver Republican (newspaper) 
• RM Herald: The Rocky Mountain Herald (Denver newspaper)
• RM Journal: Rocky Mountain Journal (Denver newspaper)
• RMBJ: Rocky Mountain Business Journal - see also: Denver Business Journal
• RMN: Rocky Mountain News (Denver newspaper, available on microfilm - see Special Collections and Archives reference librarian)

S

• S of C: Sketches of Colorado, by William C. Ferril
• S.C.: Sons of Colorado (serial, later title: The Trail)
• S.C.: The Trail (serial)
• S.H.D.: History of Denver, by Jerome Smiley
• S.U.P.: The Pioneer (serial, formerly SUP news), official publication of: National Society, Sons of the Utah Pioneers.
• SC Journal: Straight Creek Journal (Denver newspaper, microfilm)

T

• T.H.P.: True History of Some of the Pioneers of Colorado, by Luella Shaw
• Times: Denver Times (newspaper)

U

V

• V.C.D.: History of the City of Denver, Arapahoe County and Colorado, by William Vickers (microfilm)

W

X

Y

Z

This highly detailed housing survey was researched in the late 1930s as a multi-city collaborative project between the Works Progress Administration and local authorities. Use this research tool and its sample information and index sheets to decide if these maps will provide the information you need, and which sheets you need.

Index to World War I draft registration cards on microfilm (G973.391 W893co Microfilm)

Includes name, rank, cemetery and burial location of each fallen soldier. 

Names of men who were drafted for active service for World War I from Colorado counties, except Denver.

Listing of Colorado's war dead and those missing in action during World War II.