Mesa County, Colorado Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Grand Junction
Organized: February 14, 1883
Parent County(s): Gunnison [1]
Neighboring Counties
Delta  • Garfield  • Grand (UT)  • Montrose  • Pitkin  • San Juan (UT)
See County Maps
Courthouse
ColoradoMesaCourthouse.jpg
Location Map
Colorado Mesa County.png
Adoption

County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

The County was named for the large mesas in the area, including Grand Mesa, the most extensive mesa on Earth.[2] The County is located in the west central area of the state.[3]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Mesa County Courthouse
125 North Spruce
PO Box 20,000-5030
Grand Junction, CO 81502
Phone: 970-257-3640
Mesa County Website

County Clerk has marriage and land records from 1883 County Clerk

Early birth and death records are stored in the courthouse.[4]


County Health Department

510 29 1/2 Road
Grand Junction, Colorado 81504
Website

County Health Department has birth, death and burial records; 1885 census taken[5]


Mesa 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 Major Records[6]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1893 1883 1893 1883 1883 1883 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:[8]

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 Mesa County, 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.[9] See links listed below.

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1890 4,260 —
1900 9,267 117.5%
1910 22,197 139.5%
1920 22,281 0.4%
1930 25,908 16.3%
1940 33,791 30.4%
1950 38,794 14.8%
1960 50,715 30.7%
1970 54,734 7.9%
1980 81,530 49.0%
1990 93,145 14.2%
2000 116,255 24.8%
2010 146,723 26.2%
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.[10] 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

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

  • Fruita
  • Grand Junction


List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records[edit | edit source]

An Index of many Court related cases (marriage, divorce, judgements, liens, etc.) are accessible on the Mesa County, Colorado home page. Through their Online Services: Record --Recorded Documents page. This is not by all means an inclusive list and Mesa County reminds users, "The Mesa County Recorder Office presents the information on this web site as a service to the public. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, no person or entity, including Mesa County, the Clerk or her staff, shall have any responsibility for any inaccuracies or omissions in the data at this site or at other sites to which we link. Use of this site is an acknowledgement of this disclaimer. The official records of the County are located in the Office."

Non-county residents do not have access to all the functions of the website.

There is also a direct link to the search page .

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]

Online Directories

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]

Mesa County Clerk and Recorder: Website

Contact Information

200 S. Spruce Street

Grand Junction, CO 81501

  • (970) 244-1800

Hours

  • 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
  • Monday - Friday
  • (Except holidaysLand 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 Records

For more information see Colorado Land and Property

Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Online County Histories

  • Gateway/Unaweep Canyon at some point in time : a History of the Gateway and the Unaweep Canyon Areas. c2000. Compiled and edited by Jean Moores and James E. Massey. Decorah, Iowa : Anundsen. At various libraries (WorldCat).
  • Route 1 Mack, Colorado : a History of the Communities of Mack and New Liberty. c1997. By Homer C. Likes and Phyllis C. Maluy Likes. Orem, Utah : Likes Pub. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; At various libraries (WorldCat).

Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

Garfield CountyGrand CountyMontrose CountyPitkin CountyDelta CountyGunnison CountyCO MESA.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 newspapers

Obituaries[edit | edit source]

Obituaries printed in the Daily Sentinel can be found on the Mesa County Libraries website. Older obituaries have only the Name, Date published in the Sentinel.

Other Records[edit | edit source]

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 Family History 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 Records

School Records[edit | edit source]

Mesa County School records are held in the Loyd Files Research Library, located in the Museum of the West, 462 Ute (second floor, 5th and Ute) Grand Junction, CO 81501

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.


Colorado State Archives has put the Mesa County Inheritance Tax Records Index for the years 1920-1934 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.

Colorado State Archives, Historical Records Index

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. [11]

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. [11]

Divorce[edit | edit source]

Online Records

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

Listed below are archives in Mesa County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Colorado Archives and Libraries.

The Colorado State Archives has the following records available for Mesa County, Colorado Genealogy in this online database Archives Search. For a full list of online holdings, click here.
(Statewide)
1880-1939 Divorce Index
1883-1900 Mine Accidents, Non - fatal
1897-1920 Horseshoers
1936-1942 Civilian Conservation Corps Enrollments
1966-1968 Vietnam Deaths
1883-1910 Mesa County Probate
1885-1887 Mesa County Persons Subject to Military
1887 Mesa County Persons Exempt from Military
1913-1917 Mesa County Motor Vehicle Licenses
1920-1934 Mesa County Inheritance Tax
1934-1942 Mesa County CCC Enrollments
1950-1970 Mesa County Divorce Cases

Family History Centers[edit | edit source]

Family History 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 family history center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries[edit | edit source]

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

Mesa County Public Library District
530 Grand Ave
Grand Junction, CO 81502
Telehone: 970-243-4783
Website

Museums[edit | edit source]

Museums of Western Colorado

https://museumofwesternco.com/

Societies[edit | edit source]

Listed below are societies in Mesa County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Colorado Societies.
Mesa County Genealogical Society
PO Box 1506
Grand Junction, Colorado 81502-1506

Email: mcgs2019pres@gmail.com
website

Mesa County Historical Society
PO Box 841
Grand Junction, CO 81502
Telephone: 970-260-5226
E-mail:Priscilla.Mangnall@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. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Mesa, Colorado," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesa_County,_Colorado 7/03/2017.
  3. ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, "Mesa, Colorado Genealogy and History", http://genealogytrails.com/colo/mesa/ 7/03/2017.
  4. ↑ The Red Book, American State, County, and Town Sources. Edited by Alice Eichholz. (Ancestry, Provo; 3d ed, 2004.) Colorado article by Birdie Monk Holzclaw and Marsha Hoffman Rising. page 93.
  5. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Mesa County, Colorado. Page 100 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  6. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Mesa County, Colorado. Page 100 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 93.
  7. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
  8. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Mesa County, Colorado," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesa_County%2C_Colorado, accessed 16 May 2017.
  9. ↑ 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; FHL Book 973 D27rb 2004; WorldCat entry.
  10. ↑ William Thorndale and William Dollarhide, Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses (Bountiful, UT: American Genealogical Lending Library, 1985), page 54.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Letter from Colorado State Registrar, Dated September 1, 2011. Policy Number 2011- 08. http://www.colorado.gov
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