Douglas County, Colorado Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Castle Rock
Organized: November 1, 1861
Parent County(s): Original county[1]
Neighboring Counties
Arapahoe • El Paso • Elbert • Jefferson • Park • Teller
See County Maps
Courthouse
ColoradoDouglasCourthouse.jpg
Location Map
Colorado Douglas County.png

County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

Douglas County was created 1 Nov 1861[2] and was named in honor of U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas. Its county seat is Castle Rock. It is located in the central area of the state.[3]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Douglas County Courthouse
301 Wilcox St
Castle Rock, CO 80104-2454
Phone. 303-660-7446
Douglas County Website

County Clerk has marriage records from 1867 and land records from 1864[4]

Douglas County, Colorado Record Dates[edit | edit source]

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[5]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1894 1867 1894 1861 1864 1861 1860
*Statewide registration for births in 1910 and deaths in 1910. General compliance by 1920.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

Populated Places[edit | edit source]

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[7]

Cities
Towns
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places
Ghost towns


History Timeline[edit | edit source]

Resources[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

Biographies[edit | edit source]

Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries of Douglas, Colorado online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Colorado Cemeteries for more information

Census Records[edit | edit source]

In 1860, present-day Colorado was enumerated in the Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Utah Territories. Colorado Territory was created in 1861 and was enumerated as such in the 1870 Census. A state census was taken in 1885 for Colorado.[8] See links listed below.

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1870 1,388 —
1880 2,486 79.1%
1890 3,006 20.9%
1900 3,120 3.8%
1910 3,192 2.3%
1920 3,517 10.2%
1930 3,498 −0.5%
1940 3,496 −0.1%
1950 3,507 0.3%
1960 4,816 37.3%
1970 8,407 74.6%
1980 25,153 199.2%
1990 60,391 140.1%
2000 175,766 191.0%
2010 285,465 62.4%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

State and Territory Census Records[edit | edit source]

Federal Census Records[edit | edit source]

The 1880 Census was the first Federal Census for Colorado after it became a state in 1876.[9] 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[edit | edit source]

Church records vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Colorado denominations, view the Colorado Church Records wiki page.

Online Church Records

Presbyterian Church


List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records[edit | edit source]

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.

Directories[edit | edit source]

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

Genealogies[edit | edit source]

Guardianship[edit | edit source]

Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.

See Colorado Land and Property for additional information about early Colorado land grants.

After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse, where current records are also housed.


Online Land Indexes and Records

For more information see Colorado Land and Property

Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Douglas County History Research Center - website

Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

Denver CountyArapahoe CountyJefferson CountyTeller CountyEl Paso CountyElbert CountyCO DOUGLAS.JPG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration[edit | edit source]

Military Records[edit | edit source]

Online Collections[edit | edit source]

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

Civil War

Spanish-American War (1898)

World War I

World War II

Vietnam War

For further information see Colorado Military Records.

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

Online Records

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

For more information, see Colorado Newspapers.

Colorado Newspapers Online


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

Obituaries[edit | edit source]

Other Records[edit | edit source]

Pension Records

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

Probate records have been kept by the county courts. Colorado probate records include bonds, affidavits, letters, claims, appraisals, fee accounts, minutes, judgments, dockets, calendars, case files, and wills. The FamilySearch Library does not have copies of probate records from Colorado.

You may obtain copies of documents from the clerk's office in the county courthouse.


Online Probate Indexes and Records

School Records[edit | edit source]

Social Security Records[edit | edit source]

Tax Records[edit | edit source]

Colorado tax records complement land records and can be used as supplements to censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the records. To find tax records in the FamilySearch Catalog, do a Place Search for the county.


1911-1944 Colorado State Archives has put the Douglas County Inheritance Tax Records Index for 1911-1944 on-line.

Vital Records[edit | edit source]

Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Vital Records Section Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred.

For some online statewide indexes, see the FamilySearch Historical Record Collections for Colorado.

Birth[edit | edit source]

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. [10]

To obtain a recent birth certificate for yourself or a near relative, contact the Tri-County Health Department by calling 303-220-9200 or visiting:
6162 S. Willow Drive #100
Greenwood Village, CO 80111

Marriage[edit | edit source]

Online Records

Death[edit | edit source]

Death records may become public records when 75 years have elapsed after the date of death. [10]

To obtain a recent death certificate for yourself or a near relative, contact the Tri-County Health Department by calling 303-220-9200 or visiting:
6162 S. Willow Drive #100
Greenwood Village, CO 80111

Divorce[edit | edit source]

All divorces and divorce records are handled by the Douglas County Courts, Colorado Judicial District 18. Please contact their office directly at 720 437-6200.

Online Records

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

Colorado State Archives
1313 Sherman St., Room 1B-20
Denver, CO 80203
Request a Record
Telephone: 303-866-2358
Website

Contains online database Archives Search. See Colorado State Archives for a full list of online holdings
1880-1939 Divorce Index
1883-1900 Mine Accidents, Non - fatal
1897-1920 Horseshoers
1936-1942 Civilian Conservation Corps Enrollments
1966-1968 Vietnam Deaths

FamilySearch Centers[edit | edit source]

FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

  • FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
  • FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries[edit | edit source]

Listed below are libraries in Douglas County. For state-wide library facilities, see Colorado Archives and Libraries.

Douglas County Libraries
100 South Wilcox Street
Castle Rock, CO 80104
303-791-7323
Email: help@dclibraries.org
Website
Facebook

Museums[edit | edit source]

Societies[edit | edit source]

Listed below are societies in Douglas County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Colorado Societies.

Castle Rock Colorado Genealogical Society
PO Box 1881
Castle Rock Colorado 80104
Email: info@crcgs.org
Website

Columbine Genealogical And Historical Society
PO Box 2074
Littleton CO 80161-2074
Email: ColumbineGenealogy@gmail.com
Website

Highlands Ranch Genealogical Society
PO Box 631441
Highlands Ranch, CO 80163
Email: hrgenealogy8@gmail.com
Website

Historic Douglas County, Inc.
Box 2032
Castle Rock, Colorado 80104
Website

Parker Genealogical Society of Colorado
Email: parkergenealogical@gmail.com
Website

Roxborough Area Historical Society
6237 Roxborough Dr
Roxborough, CO 80125
Email: roxboroughhistory@gmail.com
Website

Websites[edit | edit source]

Research Guides[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
  2. ↑ https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/CO_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm
  3. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Douglas County, Colorado," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Douglas_County,_Colorado&oldid=1220418102 (accessed June 2, 2024).
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Douglas County, Colorado. Page 98 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  5. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Douglas County, Colorado. Page 98 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 92.
  6. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
  7. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Douglas County, Colorado," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_County,_Colorado, accessed May 16, 2017.
  8. ↑ William Thorndale and William Dollarhide, Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses (Bountiful, UT: American Genealogical Lending Library, 1985), page 51-54; Alice Eichholz, ‘’Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County and Town Sources,’’ 3rd ed. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 2004), 86. Free online version; FS Library Book 973 D27rb 2004; WorldCat entry.
  9. ↑ William Thorndale and William Dollarhide, Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses (Bountiful, UT: American Genealogical Lending Library, 1985), page 54.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Letter from Colorado State Registrar, Dated September 1, 2011. Policy Number 2011- 08. http://www.colorado.gov
v • d• e
Links to Colorado-related articles
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