Research Tools A-Z

Use the Name Lookup Index to determine if a person was a member of the 10th Mountain Division, and the company or Regiment with which he served.

Schedules of population, agriculture, manufacturers and mortality for the 1885 Colorado State Census.

The Denver Directory of 1887 arranged alphabetically by name.

The Denver Directory of 1887 arranged by address.

Statistical Abstract of Denver in 1887 containing listings of the data by occupation, race, gender and employer.

Jasper King's 1933 aerial photographic survey of Denver, georeferenced by the City and County of Denver. The best way to view them is to use ESRI's website with transparency settings. 

Formerly known as America's Newspapers.

Full-text of the Denver Post, the Denver Rocky Mountain News and hundreds of newspapers nationwide. Denver coverage from June 1989. Other papers' coverage varies.

Henry H. Mitchell asserts in Black Church Beginnings: The Long-Hidden Realities of the First Years that “The survival of African influences, and the largely self-directed course of rich African American religious history, as it developed in the earliest decades of the churches explains the roots of the black American church.”   

During the times of slavery in America, African slaves established and relied heavily on their churches. For African slaves, religion was a means of deliverance from the misery of slavery. In African American history, “the church” has long been at the center of black communities. The black church established itself as the greatest source of African American religious and secular development. Black communities differed from region to region, the same as urban black communities differed from rural ones. These dissimilarities were reflected in their respective community churches.

Whether Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Pentecostal, Muslim or Catholic, the black church has been relied upon to address specific issues that affect their congregations. Regardless of their denominational differences, black churches have always represented their religion, community, and home. They have functioned as the institutional center for mobilization and were well established social and political power bases for African Americans. Black churches have also been contributors to the process of racial equality, economic and educational development for its congregations.

Since the mid-1860's black churches in Colorado have created a legacy of religious thought and practice where prolific and complex histories have evolved.  Zion Baptist Church the oldest black church in Colorado was established in 1865.  In 1866, Zion Baptist Church at 21st and Arapahoe Streets also held classes for school children. In 1868, Shorter African Methodist Episcopal Church opened its doors as the second oldest black church in Denver.  Until 1873 Shorter A.M.E. Church operated a school for African American children at 19th and Stout Streets when desegregation of Denver Public schools ended.   

In the 1890 Census, according to Wallace Yvonne McNair in Crossing Over Jordan: A History of the Black Church in Colorado, Denver had a black population of 3,045.  In the early 1890's, the Five Points Neighborhood was the home of five black churches.  A listing of early historical black churches in Colorado, include the following:

Denver

• Zion Baptist Church (1865)
• Shorter A.M.E. Church (1868)
• The Colored Methodist Episcopal Church (1870)
• Sacred Heart Catholic Church (1880)
• Wesley Methodist Church, founded as Beckwourth Chapel (1882)
• Campbell Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church (1886)
• Epworth United Methodist Church (early 1890s)
• Central Baptist Church (1891)
• The Church of the Holy Redeemer (1892)
• St. Stephen Missionary Baptist Church (1900)
• Scott Methodist Church (1904)
• People’s United Presbyterian Church (1906)
• Macdeonia Baptist Church (1917)
• New Hope Baptist Church (1922)
• Father Divine (George Baker) Peace Movement (1940s?)

Central City

• St. James Methodist Church (1859)

Colorado Springs

• Payne Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church (1875)

 St. John’s Baptist Church (1897)

Dearfield

• Turner Chapel (1920?)

La Junta

• Mt. Zion Baptist Church (La Junta, Colorado

ARCHIVES HIGHLIGHTS

Centennial celebration, 100 years of Progress, Shorter Community A.M. Church.htm

Churches and Schools Collection, 1895-2004. – C MSS ARL139

Mt. Zion Baptist Church (La Junta, Colo.) Records, 1923-1991, by Mt. Zion Baptist Church (La Junta, Colo) – C MSS ARL120

People’s Presbyterian Church records, 1906-2000, by People’s Presbyterian Church (Denver, Colo.) – C MSS ARL38

Scott United Methodist Church Records, 1901-2005, by Scott United Methodist Church (Denver, Colo.), creator.  – C MSS ARL212​

DIG DEEPER

Central Baptist Church, Denver, Colorado, 1891-1941: outline program and Souvenir history.

Macedonia Baptist Church: 75th anniversary 1917-1992 by Macedonia Baptist Church (Denver, CO)

Pictorial and historical church directory, 1979-1980 : Macedonia Baptist Church, Martin Luther King Boulevard and Adams Street, Denver, Colorado ; John B. Morris, pastor. by Macedonia Baptist Church (Denver, Colo.)

New Hope Baptist Church: we’ve come this far by faith

Shorter Community A.M.E. Church 125th anniversary, April 1993

They came to Colorado-- with the dust of slavery on their backs : information about Zion Baptist Church, its members, and societal affiliations ... 1863-1999 – Vols. 1-9 by Pigford, Clementine Washington.

DPL DIGITAL COLLECTION 

Beautiful, beautiful, zion! : the majesty of God's power and grace, First Chronicles-Chapter 20, Verse 11. by Pigford, Clementine Washington. 

School census data from 1920-1964, listing students, date of birth, residence, dates attended, and parent / guardian.

Data Tables (PDF)

• 1920-1929
• 1930-1939
• 1940-1949
• 1950-1959
• 1960-1964

Complete data in one spreadsheet is also available as a text CSV file. To download, right-click on the link and save file, then load as a CSV into your favorite spreadsheet application.

A comprehensive genealogical resource repository for family history research with more than 1 billion searchable names from America and beyond.

Available only in the Central Denver Public Library.

Index to life insurance files of insured and beneficiaries 1901 to 1907. American Woodmen’s Life was founded in Denver, Colorado in 1901 as a Fraternal Benefit Society established to provide life insurance for the “un-insurable” Black Community. The register shows in chronological order the name of the insured, “camp and state” of residence, age, name of beneficiary or beneficiaries, and their relationship to the insured. States covered in this first ledger include Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indian Territory [Oklahoma], Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, South Carolina, Texas, and Washington, D.C. This register represents the first of 40 ledgers. The company went out of business in 1993.

Images of the U.S. Federal Census from 1790 forward, the American Genealogical Biographical Index, immigration lists and over 9,000 more databases. 

Index of Arapahoe County Coroner reports, including death and inquest dates.

Finding Aids provide detailed information on papers and materials in the archives collections. The Library's archives include material on the American West, particularly Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Region; on the twentieth-century environmental conservation movement in the United States; and on the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division of World War II. In addition, the Blair Caldwell African American Research Library archives provide important documents regarding the integral role and history of the African Americans in the Rocky Mountain West. 

This document contains a transcription of a history and Auraria neighborhood description, presumably written by William N. Byers. It was first published in January and February 1860 editions of the Rocky Mountain News Weekly.

Historical map of Denver, Colorado. Included is a listing of all Additions and Subdivisions until the year 1905.

Index to biographical information on people from all time periods, geographical locations, and fields of endeavor.

List of the 105 prints and title page from the Birds of America from Original Drawings from John James Audubon. This is the reissued or partial edition from 1860. Some of the plates in this addition are printed together on one page instead of individually. The original edition printed between 1827-1838 contained 435 prints.  

Minus Collections usually consist of one folder only.

Lists newspapers and academic journals in print and on microfilm in the research archives.

Serving Clear Creek County from 1874-1913, these records list names, death date, and record citations. More information on sources can be found in the introduction to this index.

This fillable and interactive PDF form can be used to organize and guide building history research.

Calvary Cemetery Listings are an index to lot purchases in Denver’s first Roman Catholic Cemetery from 

1889 to 1893.

Churches listed by denomination for the years 1859, 1866, 1873, 1875, 1880, 1885, 1890, 1900,  1905, 1910, 1916, 1920, 1925, 1930 and 1940.

Denver City Directories date from 1873 and are arranged by name of resident or business name. Many also list occupations. Denver Householder Directories date from 1924 and are arranged by address and show owners, residents, and business names.

Meeting minutes from the Denver City Council meetings, 1850-1876. 

Selected Print Sources Available to the Researcher in the Special Collections and Archives Department of the Denver Public Library.

List of Colorado veterans who served in the United States on land or sea during the Civil War.

Index of pioneers taken from Annals of Clear Creek County, Colorado by J. S. Randall. Listing includes the pioneer's name, place and year of birth, residence or place and date of death.

The clipping files are a large collection of articles of local interest which have been gathered from a variety of newspapers. The articles range in date from the early 1900's to the present. They are available for use on-site in the Library. The subject heading of Biography includes a list of the clippings of notables and lesser known persons.

An index to biographical newspaper clippings available at the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library.

The clipping files are a large collection of articles of local interest which have been gathered from a variety of newspapers. The articles range in date from the early 1900's to the present. They are available for use on-site in the Library. The subject heading of Denver includes a list of the clippings of local history, events, festivals, clubs, organizations, associations and the like.

The clipping files are a large collection of articles of local interest which have been gathered from a variety of newspapers. The articles range in date from the early 1900's to the present. They are available for use on-site in the Library.

An index to obituary newspaper clippings available at the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library.

An index to newspaper clippings by subject available at the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library.

The clipping files are a large collection of articles of local interest which have been gathered from a variety of newspapers. The articles range in date from the early 1900's to the present. They are available for use on-site in the Library. The subject heading of Towns includes a list of Colorado town, city, community and county clippings.

List of Colorado voters, boundaries, and poll locations in the 1861 territorial election.

A directory of prospector arrivals, removals, deaths, marriages, children, property, mines, and ranches with names of old towns, mining camps, gulches, mountains, rivers, creeks, and other matters relating to the setting of their lives in the Pikes Peak Region.

The Colorado Book Review comprises a growing collection of book reviews of non-fiction books about Colorado. In many cases these are the only reviews available for the titles they cover. These reviews (as well as the Center's resource guides) can be browsed in our digital library. You can also view just 2021 reviews, 2020 reviews or 2019 reviews.

Colorado Chronology – a guide to its use by Roger L. Dudley

This is a chronology of events related to Colorado, its people, events, and growth. It will guide you to other sources of information. Entries have been arranged chronologically, and are searchable.

Less is more when searching. When searching for when a fire occurred search on “fire,” not “housefire” or “grassfire” to eliminate fewer items. The same is true of searching for a person. Usually searching on only a last name will give you better results. Use of initials was very common, so adding a first name or middle initial may or may not lead you to all the information about a particular individual. For example, William Newton Byers went by William N., and W.N. Byers, but it’s not always the name someone went by, but how others referred to them.

The intent of this work is to provide you with various sources to which you can refer. The dates may differ and no effort has been made to determine the “correct” date – only to give you the range of sources to check for yourself. Use this resource as a starting place, not the final answer for your research.

The Colorado Directories Index is a compilation of the Denver Public Library’s collection of City Directories and Telephone Books that is organized by municipality and county; as well as by year. 

Descriptions of the mines, mills and the mining and milling corporations of Colorado. Arranged alphabetically by counties.

An index to Colorado divorces listing the names of the plaintiff and defendant, the county, date and court where the divorce was granted, and the docket number.

Complete listing of all Colorado general highway maps held by Denver Public Library. These detailed maps show roads, railroads, canals, structures (including whether they're farm structures, abandoned, etc.), gates, and much more. The library holds sheets published between 1939 and 1980.

Great starting point to direct your research into the deep history of Hispanic influence in Colorado. In addition to regional treatments, this bibliography addresses Spanish exploration, Mexican land grants, art and architecture, and more -- providing a glimpse into the diverse experiences of Hispanics in the state, and a jumping off point for further research into all of these areas.

A service of the Colorado State Library, the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection (CHNC) currently includes more than 2 million digitized pages, representing more than 553 individual newspaper titles published in Colorado from 1859 up to 2020.

An index to over 456,000 marriages cross listing the names of both bride and groom, the date and place of marriage, and the license number.

Indexes of mining accidents occurring in Colorado from 1884 to 1981. Includes first and last name, county, name of mine, date of accident, and type of accident.

From the earliest days to ghost towns, this partially annotated guide helps you begin any research into Colorado's rich history of mineral extraction. Chapters devote space to regional issues, and to the important roles played by technology, unions, women, and minorities.

Short bibliography intended as a starting point for further research into topics relating to Native Americans in Colorado. Topics covered include treaties, wars, migrations, and water and land deals in the 20th century.

This is a list of recent non-fiction titles about all aspects of Colorado, compiled by the Colorado Book Review at Denver Public Library and updated several times per year. If you know of a title that should be here but is not, please contact Tom Noel (Tom.Noel@ucdenver.edu).

Statewide index of approximately 50,000 non-Denver obituaries mostly from the 1970s through 1990. Researchers may request a copy of the full-text obituary through the Special Collections and Archives Department. Full obituaries are accessible in C MSS WH1317.

Full-text obituaries taken from Colorado newspapers. Transcribed from seven reels of microfilm held by the Genealogy Collection, this resource covers many non-Denver deaths for the years 1934-1963. This transcription and the microfilm it was derived from are neither exhaustive nor all-encompassing. 

A Genealogical & Historical Guide to Colorado Sites.

Henrietta Bromwell, local historian and genealogist, indexed local, county and regional Colorado histories, newspapers, magazines and early land records. In 4 volumes and 2 supplements.

Index of funeral notices, obituaries, and news articles from the leading weekly newspaper serving the African American community from 1904 to 1954.

Listed by name, residence, duty/license/article, month/year, frame number, division number, and microfilm roll number.

Location of the burial place of each fallen soldier given.

Index to draft registration cards on microfilm. This index was created without the benefit of reels 34 through 38 of the set World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards: Colorado, covering all or part of counties starting with P, R, S, T, and W.  The content of those reels is available on various genealogical databases. Denver Public Library holds reels 1-40, which are available for review during library open hours.

Index to draft registration cards on microfilm.

Position in list of names Indicates the probability of immediate service in army.

List of burials at Crown Hill Cemetery from 1908-1950.

Detailed data from 1924-1961. Name index for students in Custer County, Colorado schools from 1893-1964. Includes name, place of birth, date of birth, school district, parent or guardian, and years attended.

Historical background and a list of current cemeteries.

Contents listing to ease the navigation of Denver Assessor Lot Indexes, microfilmed from holdings at the Colorado State Archives. This listing includes volume and page numbers alongside Subdivision names, which can be used to locate grantor/grantee records often unavailable in either the Grantor/Grantee Records, 1859-1884, or the Denver Assessor Records Index Map + Records, late 1800s-1950s.

The Master Property Record cards show the chain of ownership of Denver property by Parcel Number, from the late 1950s to the early 1980s.  The Parcel Number can be found on the Denver Assessor’s Office Real Property Search website. Try searching them by address or parcel number. If you have trouble finding the card online, please see our tutorial or ask for assistance at the Special Collections and Archives Reference Desk.

The Assessor Records provide an index to City of Denver Grantor/Grantee information and can give you a chain of ownership of Denver property. The Assessor Volumes cover the time period from the late 1800’s to the 1950’s. Earlier records are on microfilm and more recent records are on cards arranged by Parcel Number.

Indexes and transcriptions compiled by Charles O. Brantigan for searching the Denver building permit application log books, 1889-1892 and 1900-1914 (WH1145).

Building permit application log books (1889-1892, 1902-1914) and building permits (1915-1955) organized by street address.

NOTE: Permits available in digital collections are listed in the Denver Building Permits guide. If your address is not yet available, contact Special Collections and Archives to see if your permit is available.

Denver City Directories date from 1873-1923, though there are some years that are not digitized, and are arranged by name of resident or business name. Many also list occupations. 

Denver Grantor Grantee Records

The Grantor Grantee deed books are the legal documentation concerning property transfers. These may give additional information about the property transfer.

1859 - 1860: Grantee and Grantor

1859 - 1861:  Grantee

1861 - 1867: Grantee Book 1, Grantee Book 2 and Grantor

1867 - 1868: Grantee and Grantor

1870 - 1872: Grantee and Grantor

1872 - 1874: Grantee and Grantor

1874 - 1875: Grantee and Grantor

1875 - 1877: Grantee and Grantor

1877 - 1878: Grantee and Grantor

1880 - 1881: Grantee and Grantor Book 1, Grantor Book 2

1881 May - Dec.: Grantee and Grantor

1882 Jan. - Sept.: Grantee and Grantor

1882 Oct. - 1883 June: Grantee and Grantor

1883 July - Dec.: Grantee and Grantor

1884: Grantee and Grantor

Denver Householder Directories date from 1924-1937, and are arranged by address and show owners, residents, and business names.

An index to Denver marriages cross listing the names of both bride and groom, the license number, and the license numbers and dates covered in the volume.

Use the Assessment Index Map to help understand the parcel card numbering system. The Assessment Index Map divides the City and County of Denver into 14 map areas. On the map are instructions on how to locate a map area by parcel/schedule number. 

A listing of Denver Mayor's speeches, Inaugural and State of the City, 1859-2019.

Generally, Denver Mayors made an Inaugural Address upon being sworn into office. However, not all did so (or at least their message has not been found). The length of the Address varied from just two sentences to multiple pages of typed text. The Address shifted from the City Council’s meeting to separate public outdoor events.

Published by the City and County of Denver from 1909 until 1931 the Denver Municipal Facts contains a wealth of general information about the City of Denver, from politics and elections to sewer lines and public health.

Index to the Denver Municipal Facts.

Denver Obituary Project

Index of obituaries and funeral notices that appeared in the Denver Post or Rocky Mountain News: 1913, 1914, 1915-1919, 1920-1924, 1925-1929, 1930-1934, 1935-1939, 1940-1944, 1945-1949, 1950-1954, 1955-1959, 1960-1964, 1965-1969, 1970-1974, 1975-1979, 1980-1984, 1985-1989, 1990-1994, 1995-1999, 2000-2004, 2005-2009, 2010-2014, 2015, 2016. 2016 is our last year of indexing. Obituaries after 2016 are available with a library card from America's Obituaries and Death Notices.

If a representative's request for papers pertaining to an organization or group is accepted, all names of persons will be redacted unless the Library receives the Affidavit of Release (Form 2.3.6) from each individual stating that they give permission to the Denver Public Library to release their names. All other names will be redacted.

Declaración jurada de exoneración de responsabilidad y petición de copias de archivos de inteligencia del Departamento de Policía de Denver.

Requests for Police Department Intelligence records pertaining to a group or organization require an Affidavit of Representation including notarization. The representative is required to attest to the fact he or she is an authorized representative of the group or organization. The signature on the form must be witnessed and attested to by a notary public.

To request records pertaining to an individual, customers must fill out this application and present a legally acceptable photo identification card that includes birth date, which will be copied and attached to the application. Please allow 30 days for response/certified letter.

Declaración jurada de representación para solicitar copias de los archivos de inteligencia del departamento de policía de Denver.

Contains names, crimes, punishments, and dates for crimes committed from May, 1895 through August, 1904. Case number and reference to Colorado State Archive files where the information came from are included.

Index of all deaths published in the Rocky Mountain News, the Denver Post, and other newspapers for the years 1944-1959.

In the late 1800s Denver was booming and like any city suffering growing pains, had to deal with a conflicting mix of address numbering and street names. Two pivotal ordinances in 1897 and 1904 made significant changes to street naming conventions in the Denver area. Addressing problems were addressed earlier in 1887. The Denver Sanborn map volumes for 1903/1904 provided both old and new names, while the 1887 Sanborn atlas shows both old and new addresses. The documents below are a transcribed version of the ordinances with links to the original document.

• Ordinance 16 (1897) -- west of the Platte
• Ordinance 19 (1904) -- East Denver

This index is a compilation of Denver Tramway and Regional Transportation District employees with service dates and badge numbers or seniority rankings at four time points: 1944, 1963, 1964, and 1996. Employment start dates for people listed in this index begin in 1891.

Indexed list of residents displaced during the development of the Auraria campus. Compiled by Denver Urban Renewal Authority (DURA). Held by Auraria Library.

The names of the men and women from Denver who lost their lives during WWI. List taken from the article, “Hail, Heroes! Hail!” which appeared in the Denver Post, November 11, 1920.

Genealogical compilation on Fred Keechler and his wife, Clara Bowman (Bormann), who married in 1876. Lists descendants and major family events.

Genealogical compilation on William S. Burch and his wife, Nancy Jane Harper, who married in 1878. Lists descendants and major family events of the Burch, Harper, and Adams families.

Contains a selection of photographs, maps, broadsides, architectural drawings and other documents from the collections of the Western History/Genealogy Department.

Browse PDF images of New York Times and Wall Street Journal issues from January 2008 to two months ago. Browse by newspaper title and exact date. Use New York Times Current or Wall Street Journal Current to search by topic.

An index to Douglas County marriages listing the names of the bride and groom, the license number, the date of application and the date of marriage.

Name index for students in Douglas County schools from 1879 to 1946, with detailed tabular data from 1922-1946. Includes name, place of birth, date of birth, school district, parent or guardian, and years attended.

Detailed school census information for 1920-1946, with name index for students in Eagle County, Colorado schools from 1882-1960. Includes name, place of birth, date of birth, school district, parent or guardian, and years attended.

Name index for students in Elbert County schools from 1924 to 1961. Includes name, place of birth, date of birth, school district, parent or guardian, and years attended.

Includes digitized archival material from the following Conservation Collections:

• American Bison Society Records (CONS4)
• Velma Johnston (Wild Horse Annie) Papers (CONS80)
• Rosalie Edge Papers (CONS29)
• Roger W. Toll Papers (CONS220)
• United States Forest Service Collection (CONS74)
• Bureau of Land Management Records (CONS10)

Search original historical documents about public land management, wildlife conservation, and individuals and organizations who shaped the American conservation movement.  

Available with library card or at any DPL location.

The Fairmount Sexton Records 1891–1953 are arranged in rough “alphabetical order” by age, sex, race, date of burial, and other information.

Recorded are the names of the men and women from Denver who lost their lives in service to their country during the European War, 1914-1918.

Index to registers by this mortuary. Registers are available for in library use only and require staff retrieval.

A Directory of their arrivals, removals, deaths, marriages, children, property, mines, and ranches, with names of old towns, mining camps, gulches, mountains, rivers, creeks, and other matters relating to the setting of their lives in the Pike's Peak Region.

Detailed inventory of known Colorado fire insurance maps held by Colorado institutions and the Library of Congress. Includes introduction and guide to the history of fire insurance mapping in Colorado, how to use the inventory, and where you can find fire insurance maps in the state, including links to online maps.

This index lists member name, number, and years of membership, and is associated with archival collection WH2326. First Baptist Church of Denver records, 1864-1996, held in Denver Public Library's Special Collection and Digital Archives Department.

This Index catalogs the membership records of the First United Presbyterian Church of Denver, 1893-1900. The sources of the Index, Membership Roll and Communicants Register 1893-1900 (Communicants) and First United Presbyterian Church Membership Roll Revised and Transferred 1904 (Membership Roll), are located in the Manuscript Collection of the Special Collections and Archives Department of the Denver Public Library titled Green Mountain Presbyterian Church of Lakewood, Colo., C MSS WH1023, box 8.

"Lest We Forget

The ox team; the covered wagon; the long trek; the hair-breadth escape from hostile Indians; the log house; the forts for defence [sic]; the many privations, these brief personal sketches will remind us of our obligation to the Old Pioneer"

Index and description of the records of the Society of Colorado Pioneers.

Lists date of death, name, cause, and other information from 1898-2000.

Grand County, Colorado, School Census Records, 1930-1964, showing student names, date of birth, school district, residence, years attended, and parent / guardian names.

Donald E. Oehlerts prepared this convenient reference tool listing newspapers published in Colorado from 1859-1963, and which Colorado institutions held copies of these as of the early 1960s.

Regularly updated list of currently available Denver building permit documents available in our Digital Collections.

Compilation of articles and obituaries published in the Gunnison News-Champion between 1935 and 1945, all dealing with people, societies, organizations, and companies in the Gunnison area through 1945. Includes table of contents and index.

The Gunnison News-Champion printed many articles between 1935 and 1945 of historical interest in Gunnison County. This work is a transcription of many of these articles.

The material has been divided into 3 sections: 1. People; 2. Pioneer organizations and meetings with lists of those who attended; and 3. Articles of early history of the area including towns, explorers, Indians, mines and quarries, smelters, ranches and railroads.

This is a guide for dating sheets published in either the 1877 or 1881 editions of Geological and geographical atlas of Colorado and portions of adjacent territory, produced by Ferdinand V. Hayden and his party of surveyors.

Search by name of deceased or keyword in a growing list of newspapers, including the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News. Coverage varies by newspaper, generally 1990 and later.

Detailed school census information for 1920-1946, with name index for students in Hinsdale County, Colorado schools from 1891-1964. Includes name, place of birth, date of birth, school district, parent or guardian, and years attended.

History Colorado’s Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (OAHP) and the Creating Communities Project have combined resources to highlight different historic buildings within the boundaries of specific neighborhoods. These buildings are just a small sample of the historic buildings located throughout the Denver area.

Essay (23 pages) authored by Larry Borger in 2021 on Denver's City Ditch, which first opened in 1867. Running for 26 miles it ran from the South Platte River in what is now Douglas County, through Littleton, Englewood, Washington Park, Denver Country Club, and City Park.

A history of Denver, Denver Methodism and The University of Denver (Colorado Seminary) divided into four sections: Section I (1876-1884), Section II (1884-1890), Section III (1890-1900), and Section IV (1900-1912). Transcribed by Ruth Moore.

Index to registers of burial by this mortuary. Registers are available for in library use only and require staff retrieval.

This document contains a list of the volumes in the Hull family genealogy collection (WH2409). All volumes are available for researchers to use within the library's special collections research room. Contact the Special Collections and Archives Department if you have questions about this collection.

Colorado Mining Directory includes mine name, county and page. 

Transcription of an index originally typed by Bonnie Garramone in 1985 for Marcello Gandolfo's book 'Gil Italiani nel Colorado: libro dedicato agli italiani, 1899-1900.' This index includes the transcription along with the original typed version.

Search WorldCat to find items Denver Public Library does not own and and place a request. You can also submit a purchase suggestion by filling out a blank request form.

The index is composed of a number of columns of information, most taken directly from the IJN obituary, but many also supplemented from different sources. Associated cemetery (burial) information is also included when that information could be identified 

in the obituary.

Gerald Sherard's introduction to Camp Amache, including a brief history and short guide on how to interpret archival records held by the National Archives and Records Administration.

Detailed school census information for 1920-1946, with name index for students in Kiowa County, Colorado schools from 1900-1964. Includes name, place of birth, date of birth, school district, parent or guardian, and years attended.

Index to residents of the old ladies home from 1897 to 1980.

Search the Denver Public Library Catalog

Detailed school census information for 1920-1946, with name index for students in Lincoln County, Colorado schools from 1915-1964. Includes name, place of birth, date of birth, school district, parent or guardian, and years attended.

Search or browse the full text of these major newspapers

• New York Times, June 1980-current
• New York Times Historical, 1851-2013
• Wall Street Journal, January 1984-current
• Chicago Tribune, January 1985-current
• Los Angeles Times, January 1985-current
• Washington Post, January 1987-current

Summary of the map collection development guidelines followed by Special Collections and Archives.

A StoryMap that reveals findings of a 2022 grant-funded review of 144,000 Denver land records from 1931-1935. Explicit racism was identified in over 300 real estate deeds. This interactive map shows the modern address of each restriction and provides details about the restriction itself.

Covering the period from 1869-1889, this document attempts to provide a comprehensive list of individual sheet maps produced by the U.S. Geographical Surveys West of the 100th Meridian, in addition to the annual and final reports, and other compilations and materials. Also includes links to digitized historic maps and documents, major archival resources, and a summary of those sheets held by Denver Public Library.

A related story map is also available.

Index lists name, residence, arrival date, from which state, date born, and date died. 

Membership roster as well as past commanders, 1899-1930. Digitization of these directories is ongoing, and they will be made available as they are completed.

Names of the mine owners/operators, mine or mill name, mining company name, page, county, and type of mine (metalliferous or coal).

Title of report, years, call numbers and more.

Personal information, dates of persons killed or injured, mine and more.

Mine name and location, date of disaster, number of deaths and more.

Personal information and dates of persons killed, mine name and location, cause of death and more. Index compiled by Jerry Sherard. Updated June 2023

Index to Henderson, Hollister, and Canfield mining histories. Names of mines, mining companies, mining districts, lodes, veins, claims, and tunnels are indexed with page number.

Lists student names, place of birth, date of birth, school, grade, school district, and name of parent or guardian.

Explore the lives of your ancestors and discover your family's history.

Colorado state naturalization records from 1867-1964, including names of individuals, spouses, counties, and citations to official records. Primary source for the data, originally created at the county level, comes from microfilmed records at the Colorado State Archives. Some original print records were returned to the county. All location information in the tables refer to the Colorado State Archives.

Data is not included for Boulder, Denver, Fremont, Las Animas, and Pueblo counties. References to sources for that data are provided in the appendix at the end of the document.

Naturalizations created in the district courts of Denver and Pueblo, Colorado, including:

• Federal District Courts. Declaration of Intentions, 1877 - 1952
• Denver, Colorado. Naturalizations, 1906 - 1950
• Pueblo, Colorado. Declarations of Intentions, 1906 - 1949
• Pueblo, Colorado. Naturalizations, 1912 - 1949
• Pueblo, Colorado Soldier's Petition for Naturalization, 1918 - 1928

This index references microfilm reels available in the Special Collections and Archives Department: Naturalization records created by the United States District courts in Colorado, 1877-1952 [microform].

List of members of the Grand Army of the Republic from Nebraska, compiled by Gerald Sherard. Includes name, unit and GAR Post if available for the entire state, but does not include all names, being a partial extract of some records.

New York Times full text from June 1980-current. Search by keyword or browse by date.

Contains full-text and images in PDF format of the New York Times from 1851 to three years before current year.

National Register of Historic Places documentation for historic cemeteries in Park County, Colorado. This includes town cemeteries, community cemeteries, and family cemeteries. This links to a History Colorado page with the full documentation.

Includes student names, place of birth, date of birth, school district, parent or guardian, and years attended for 1908-1942, and 1950-1964.

This book is a guide to the identification and dating of all the known types of black and white 19th century photographs on all bases. It includes common commercial types as well as rarities and home-made varieties. The aim was to make this a self- sufficient reference for such readers as educators, students, historians, collectors, museums, photographers, antique dealers, and individuals seeking to identify and date family photographs.​

Short biographies of early Colorado pioneers. Includes index and list of sources.

A directory of places in Colorado. Includes town/location name, county, type, notes, whether in the 1949 and/or 1996 atlas, seat, section/township/range, and reference. 

Dos and Don'ts for handling books. With pictures!

This index was created by Roger Dudley to capture the names and subjects found in Public Service Company publications from 1929 to 2019. The index indicates if photographic images are included in articles.

Railway employee records for Colorado, Volume III. Listed is the employee’s name, occupation, birth date, birthplace, railroad, and archive box number containing the employee record, file number, and remarks. These records are housed at the Colorado Railroad Museum Library.

List of some 1400 names of pioneers who arrived in Colorado prior to February 26, 1861. Names organized alphabetically and include short biograhpies.

Members of the Grand Army of the Republic from Colorado who were buried in the G.A.R. burial ground at Riverside Cemetery. Includes those buried and later removed from Calvary [Catholic], Hebrew, and Old City [Mount Prospect] cemeteries, in Denver.

Index to over 5240 burial records in Riverside cemetery.

The index includes date of burial, name of deceased, age, location of burial and some additional information.

The Robinson Atlas will help you to date the construction of a building and give you a picture of neighborhood development. These maps also show the legal description of your building, which is necessary for locating many historic building records.

The Rocky Mountain News Digital Collections contains 300,000+ born digital photographs published from the 1990s to 2009. These include images of the Broncos, Colorado Rockies and other profession sports teams; events such as the visit to Denver by Pope John Paul II; the Oklahoma City trial; as well as the Rocky’s Pulitzer Prize photos.

Index to registers of burial by Rogers and Nash Mortuary.

Historic maps of Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico cities and towns from the late 19th to mid 20th centuries, reproduced in black-and-white. These are useful for viewing the underlying map beneath printed updates. Help

This collection contains over 705 individual scores for a large variety of music for many different instruments and vocal parts. Dating from the 1890s into the 1960s, genres include cowboy ballads, movie theme songs, two-steps, foxtrots, polkas, tangos, waltzes, piano studies and rags, choral pieces, school marches, Christmas and religious music, Spanish, Mexican, Native American, and Hawaiian songs, military and patriotic pieces, romantic classics and parlor music. Many titles are about Colorado and Denver, and many other western states are included.

Published in 1901, Smiley’s History of Denver was originally compiled for the Denver Times. Jerome Smiley’s book gives a very detailed early history of Denver and the region. Beginning with the development of local geological formations, Smiley takes the reader through prehistoric inhabitants, Spanish and French exploration of the area, fur traders and trappers, early settlers, the growth of Denver, and finally Denver’s prospects for the future.

Locate a death certificate, find an obituary, discover cemetery records, track down probate records.

An index to articles from the monthly publication of the pioneer society Sons of Colorado. The title of the publication was later changed to The Trail.

An index to obituaries of Colorado pioneers that appeared in the monthly publication of the pioneer society Sons of Colorado. The title of the publication was later changed to The Trail.

Special Collections and Archives' YouTube channel presents a welcoming introduction video to the department and how to do research here, numerous oral histories and other features highlighting some of our collections.

Index of articles including profiles and obituaries of pioneers that was published 1908-1929 by the Sons of Colorado.

This collection of photographic prints was assembled and arranged by various librarians at the Denver Public Library as a way to increase the accessibility of images prior to the use of computer databases. The collection contains items dating from around 1870 to 2000, with the bulk of the materials dating between 1900 and 1980. Photographs have been arranged into series by subject and then arranged alphabetically. Subjects include: Biographies, Denver, General Subjects, Railroads, States and Cities, and Visual Materials. The Visual Materials index is a new addition covering previously unindexed resources from a collection of late 19th and early 20th century illustrations (mostly woodcuts) and photographs.

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

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.

The Zion Baptist Church was founded on November 15, 1865. Zion's members have played sterling roles in our city, state, and nation. They have been ex-slaves, laborers, politicians, preachers, teachers, writers, musicians, artists, lawyers, doctors, activists, and many other folk. In many cases they have been the first to act upon and reach for opportunities that traditionally had been denied our people. This resource documents and celebrates the marriages and anniversaries of the members of the church both past and present.