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Chaffee County, Colorado
Genealogy, History & Facts
County Vital Records ∣ County Census Records ∣ County Courthouse and Government Records ∣
County Societies, Family History Resources and County Genealogy Links
Chaffee County, Colorado Facts
When was Chaffee County, CO Created?
Chaffee County was established on February 10, 1879 from Carbonate County.
What is the County Seat of Chaffee County, CO?
The County Seat is located in Salida and the county government website is http://www.chaffeecounty.org/
What counties are adjacent to Chaffee County, CO?
Bordering Counties are Lake County, Park County, Fremont County, Saguache County, Gunnison County, Pitkin County.
Chaffee County, CO Vital Records
Where can find Chaffee County Birth, marriage, Divorce and Death Records?
Chaffee County vital records can be found at the Colorado Office of Vital Records which has copies of birth, marriage, divorce and death records. There is a fee for each copy requested. Please refer to the information to the Statewide Vital Records in Colorado for current fees and application process.
You can search online for Chaffee County Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records. You can also Order Electronically Online or can download an application for Colorado Birth Certificate, Marriage Verification, Divorce Verification, Death Certificate Applications to mail.
Chaffee County, CO Census Records
What Chaffee County, CO census records are available?
There are many types of census records for Chaffee County guide you in researching your family tree. Federal Population Schedules are available for 1870, 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragment), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940.
Chaffee Co. Mortality Schedules can be acquired for 1870 and 1880. Chaffee Co. Industry and Agriculture Schedules is available for 1870 and 1880. Chaffee Co. Union Veterans Schedules can be acquired for 1890. There are free online and printable census forms to aid with your research.
Chaffee County, CO Societies and Family History Resources
What genealogical and historical societies, archives, museums, associations and libraries are available for Chaffee County, CO?
A list of Chaffee County Historical and Genealogical Societies, Libraries, Archives. See also list of Statewide Colorado Archives, Historical & Genealogical Societies.
- Colorado Genealogy Community (plus.google.com)
- Colorado State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
- Buena Vista Heritage Association, 511 E Main St, Buena Vista, CO 81211; Phone:(719) 395-8458
- Chaffee County, Colorado Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com)
- Chaffee County, Colorado Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com)
- USGenWeb Archives for Chaffee County (usgwarchives.net)
Chaffee County, CO Courthouse and Government Records
What genealogical records can I find in the Chaffee County Courthouse?
Researchers frequently overlook the great importance of Chaffee County court, probate, and land records data as a useful resource of ancestry and genealogy information. Buried away in Colorado courthouses and archives everywhere are the ambitions and frustrations of countless Colorado residents.
The possibilities are excellent that your forefathers have left a comprehensive document of at least a number of facets of their lives in the Chaffee County court records. Even if your forebears is not referred to in a Court case, contemplate all of the other procedures that could have lead to him or her to appear in court records. See Also Colorado Corthouse Records Research Guide.
Formerly Lake County until 1879.
- Chaffee County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)
- Address: 104 Crestone Ave, Salida, CO 81201
- Phone: (719) 539-6913
- Chaffee County Clerk & Recorder
- Marriage Records: 1866
- Land Records: 1879?
- Chaffee County Clerk of Courts
- Probate Records: 1879?
- Court Records: 1879?
- Chaffee County Public Health
- Birth / Death Records: 1884–1907
Where can I connect with other Chaffee County, CO Researchers through message boards and forums?
What other genealogical resources are available in Chaffee County, CO?
The following are web links to Genealogy, Records and Resources pertaining to Chaffee County.
Chaffee Co. CO Books, Newspapers & Publications
- Colorado Newspapers Books & Publications Research Guide
- Colorado historical newspaper archives online (newspapers.com)
- Historical Newspapers from Colorado (1859–1978) (genealogybank.com)
- Chaffee County, Colorado Books (amazon.com)
- Search Colorado Obituaries (1985 to current) (genealogybank.com)
- Chaffee County Genealogy Books (books.google.com)
Chaffee Co. CO Birth, Marriage & Death Records
- Colorado Divorce Records, Various Sources 1851 – 2004 (archives.com) Various Public Records Sources
- Colorado Marriage Records 1975 – 2004 (archives.com) Colorado State Public Record Offices
- Colorado, Statewide Divorce Index, 1900-1939 (familysearch.org) Colorado Department of Health card index of divorces in Colorado from 1900-1939. The index is arranged in alphabetical order.
- Colorado, Statewide Marriage Index, 1900-1939 (familysearch.org) Card index created by the Division of Vital Statistics, Department of Health in Colorado. The index is arranged alphabetically by groom’s name providing county, names of husband and wife, age, race, date and place of marriage, certificate number.
Chaffee Co. CO Court, Probate Land and Tax Records
Chaffee Co. CO Census Records
- Chaffee County, CO Census Records Links
- Colorado, State Census, 1885 (familysearch.org)
- Chaffee County, CO Census QuickFacts
Chaffee Co. CO Cemeteries & Church Records
- Chaffee Co., Colorado Graves (findagrave.com)
- Chaffee County Tombstone Transcription Project (usgwtombstones.org)
- Chaffee Co., Colorado Cemeteries (Internment.net)
- Chaffee Co., Colorado Cemetery Books (amazon.com)
- Chaffee County, Colorado Church Books (amazon.com)
Chaffee Co. CO Family Websites, Pictures & Histories
- Colorado Family Group Sheet Project (fgs-project.com)
Chaffee Co. CO General and History Websites
- See Also State History for Colorado
- Chaffee County, Colorado Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
- Arkansas Valley, Colorado History (search.ancestry.com)
- History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado (search.ancestry.com)
- Chaffee County, Colorado Wiki (familysearch.org)
- Chaffee Co. CO Genealogy (kindredtrails.com)
- Family History Library (familysearch.org)
- Chaffee County, Colorado (linkpendium.com)
- Cyndi’s List – United States – Colorado – Counties – Chaffee (cyndislist.com)
- Chaffee County Colorado (genealogytrails.com)
- Chaffee Co. COGenweb (cogenweb.com)
- Chaffee County Genealogy Queries (cousinconnect.com)
- Chaffee Co. Data Collections (search.ancestry.com)
Chaffee Co. CO Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers
- See Also Map of Colorado Links and Information
- Chaffee County D.O.T. Road and Highway Map (dtdapps.coloradodot.info)
- 1895 Chaffee County Map (livgenmi.com)
Chaffee Co. CO Military Records
- Colorado Military Records Research Guide
- Colorado Military Records (fold3.com) offers access to military records, stories, photos, and personal documents belonging to the Colorado men and women who served. Perfect for Chaffee County genealogists, researchers, historians plus much more.
Chaffee Co. CO Schools & Directories
- Colorado City Directories (search.ancestry.com) This database is a collection of city directories for various years and cities in Colorado. Generally a city directory will contain an alphabetical list of its citizens, listing the names of the heads of households, their addresses, and occupational information. Sometimes the wife’s name will be listed in parentheses or italics following the husband’s. Often, dates of deaths of individuals listed in the previous year’s directory are listed as well as the names of partners of firms, and when possible, the forwarding addresses or post offices of people who moved to another town. In addition to the alphabetical portion, a city directory may also contain a business directory, street directory, governmental directory, and listings of town officers, schools, societies, churches, post offices, and other miscellaneous matters of general and local interest.
- R.L. Polk Directory Co.’s Salida city and Chaffee County directory, 1911-1912 (search.ancestry.com)
- R.L. Polk Directory Co.’s Salida city and Chaffee County directory, 1913-1914 (search.ancestry.com)
- The Colorado state business directory: 1876, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1887-8, 1889, 1890, 1894, 1896, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1903, 1906, 1909, 1910, 1920, 1921, 1923 (search.ancestry.com)