Lake 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

Lake County, Colorado Facts

When was Lake County, CO Created?
Lake County was established on November 1, 1861.

What is the County Seat of Lake County, CO?
The County Seat is located in Leadville and the county government website is http://www.lakecountyco.com/

What counties are adjacent to Lake County, CO?
Bordering Counties are Eagle County, Summit County, Park County, Chaffee County, Pitkin County.

Lake County, CO Vital Records

Where can find Lake County Birth, marriage, Divorce and Death Records?
Lake 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 Lake 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.

Lake County, CO Census Records

What Lake County, CO census records are available?
There are many types of census records for Lake 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.

Lake Co. Mortality Schedules can be acquired for 1870 and 1880. Lake Co. Industry and Agriculture Schedules is available for 1870 and 1880. Lake Co. Union Veterans Schedules can be acquired for 1890. There are free online and printable census forms to aid with your research.

Lake County, CO Societies and Family History Resources

What genealogical and historical societies, archives, museums, associations and libraries are available for Lake County, CO?
A list of Lake 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)
• Leadville Heritage Museum Association, 102 E 9th St, PO Box 962, Leadville, Colorado 80461
• Lake County, Colorado Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com)
• Lake County, Colorado Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com)
• USGenWeb Archives for Lake County (usgwarchives.net)

Lake County, CO Courthouse and Government Records

Lake County Courthouse

What genealogical records can I find in the Lake County Courthouse?

Researchers frequently overlook the great importance of Lake 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 Lake 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.

• Lake County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)
  • Address: 112 W 5th St, Leadville, CO 80461
  • Phone: (719) 486-1410
• Lake County Clerk & Recorder
  • Marriage Records: 1869
  • Land Records: 1861?
• Lake County Clerk of Courts
  • Probate Records: 1861?
  • Court Records: 1861?
• Lake County Public Health Agency
  • Birth / Death Records: 1891–1906 / 1881–1903; at City clerk, Leadville.

Where can I connect with other Lake County, CO Researchers through message boards and forums?

What other genealogical resources are available in Lake County, CO?
The following are web links to Genealogy, Records and Resources pertaining to Lake County.

Lake 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)
• Lake County, Colorado Books (amazon.com)
• Search Colorado Obituaries (1985 to current) (genealogybank.com)
• Lake County Genealogy Books (books.google.com)

Lake 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.

Lake Co. CO Court, Probate Land and Tax Records

Lake Co. CO Census Records

• Lake County, CO Census Records Links
• Colorado, State Census, 1885 (familysearch.org)
• Lake County, CO Census QuickFacts

Lake Co. CO Cemeteries & Church Records

• Lake Co., Colorado Graves (findagrave.com)
• Lake County Tombstone Transcription Project (usgwtombstones.org)
• Lake Co., Colorado Cemeteries (Internment.net)
• Lake Co., Colorado Cemetery Books (amazon.com)
• Lake County, Colorado Church Books (amazon.com)

Lake Co. CO Family Websites, Pictures & Histories

•  Colorado Family Group Sheet Project (fgs-project.com)

Lake Co. CO General and History Websites

• See Also State History for Colorado
• Lake County, Colorado Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
• Arkansas Valley, Colorado History  (search.ancestry.com)
• History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado  (search.ancestry.com)
• Lake County, Colorado Wiki (familysearch.org)
• Lake Co. CO Genealogy (kindredtrails.com)
• Family History Library (familysearch.org)
• Lake County, Colorado (linkpendium.com)
• Cyndi’s List – United States – Colorado – Counties – Lake (cyndislist.com)
• Lake County Colorado (genealogytrails.com)
• Lake Co. COGenweb (cogenweb.com)
• Lake County Genealogy Queries (cousinconnect.com)
• Lake Co. Data Collections (search.ancestry.com)

Lake Co. CO Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers

• See Also Map of Colorado Links and Information
• Lake County D.O.T. Road and Highway Map (dtdapps.coloradodot.info)
• 1895 Lake County Map (livgenmi.com)

Lake 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 Lake County genealogists, researchers, historians plus much more.

Lake 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.
• Leadville, Colorado City Directories, 1882-90  (search.ancestry.com)
• Ballenger & Richards twenty-fifth annual Leadville city directory for 1906  (search.ancestry.com)
• Ballenger & Richards thirty-second annual Leadville city directory for 1913  (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)