Prowers County, Colorado Genealogy - FamilySearch

United States Colorado Prowers County

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

Colorado Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Lamar Organized: April 11, 1889 Parent County(s): Bent [1] Neighboring Counties Baca • Bent • Greeley (KS) • Hamilton (KS) • Kiowa • Stanton (KS)See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

Contents

• 1 County Information
  • 1.1 Description
  • 1.2 County Courthouse
  • 1.3 Prowers County, Colorado Record Dates
  • 1.4 Record Loss
  • 1.5 Boundary Changes
  • 1.6 Populated Places
  • 1.7 History Timeline
• 2 Resources
  • 2.1 Bible Records
  • 2.2 Biographies
  • 2.3 Business, Commerce, and Occupations
  • 2.4 Cemeteries
  • 2.5 Census Records
    • 2.5.1 State and Territory Census Records
    • 2.5.2 Federal Census Records
  • 2.6 Church Records
  • 2.7 Court Records
  • 2.8 Directories
  • 2.9 Emigration and Immigration
  • 2.10 Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
  • 2.11 Funeral Homes
  • 2.12 Genealogies
  • 2.13 Guardianship
  • 2.14 Land and Property Records
  • 2.15 Local Histories
  • 2.16 Maps and Gazetteers
  • 2.17 Migration
  • 2.18 Military Records
    • 2.18.1 Online Collections
  • 2.19 Naturalization and Citizenship
  • 2.20 Newspapers
  • 2.21 Obituaries
  • 2.22 Other Records
  • 2.23 Periodicals
  • 2.24 Probate Records
  • 2.25 School Records
  • 2.26 Social Security Records
  • 2.27 Tax Records
  • 2.28 Vital Records
    • 2.28.1 Birth
    • 2.28.2 Marriage
    • 2.28.3 Death
    • 2.28.4 Divorce
• 3 Research Facilities
  • 3.1 Archives
  • 3.2 FamilySearch Centers
  • 3.3 Libraries
  • 3.4 Museums
• 4 Societies
• 5 Websites
• 6 Research Guides
• 7 References

County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

Prowers County was created 11 Apr 1889[2] and was named for John Wesley Prowers, a leading pioneer in the lower Arkansas River valley region. Its county seat is Lamar. It is located in the southeast area of the state.[3]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Prowers County Courthouse300 S Main StreetLamar, CO 81052-2857Phone: 719-336-4337Prowers County Website County Clerk has marriage, land and some death records 1889;District Court has divoce and court records.  County Court has probate records.[4]

Prowers 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]

Records	Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
Dates	1891	1889	1889	1889	1889	1889	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]

1889 April 11 Prowers County was created from Bent County. County seat: Lamar[6] Colorado Individual County Chronologies - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county Colorado Historical Borders - Map at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; Also at: mapofus.org - animated maps illustrating Colorado county boundary changes

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
Lamar
Towns
Granada Hartman	Holly	Wiley
Unincorporated communities
Bristol	Koen

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]

Tombstone Transcriptions Online

• Find a Grave
• BillionGraves
• USGW Tombstone Transcription Project
• Interment.net

Tombstone Transcriptions in Print

• FamilySearch Catalog
• WorldCat

List of Cemeteries in the County

• Find a Grave
• BillionGraves
• Colorado Cemeteries by County

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

Historical Populations[9]
Census	Pop.	%±
1890	1,969	—
1900	3,766	91.3%
1910	9,520	152.8%
1920	13,845	45.4%
1930	14,762	6.6%
1940	12,304	−16.7%
1950	14,836	20.6%
1960	13,296	−10.4%
1970	13,258	−0.3%
1980	13,070	−1.4%
1990	13,347	2.1%
2000	14,483	8.5%
2010	12,551	−13.3%

State and Territory Census Records[edit | edit source]

• 1860 United States Census, 1860 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index & images; Colorado was included in the 1860 Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Utah Territories Censuses — How to Use this Collection
• 1870 United States Census, 1870 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index & images; Colorado Territory Census — How to Use this Collection
• 1885 Colorado State Census, 1885 at FamilySearch - Index and images
• 1885 Colorado State Census, 1885 at Ancestry - ($), Index and images

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

• 1692-1942 Colorado, Church Records, 1692-1942 at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection

Presbyterian Church

• 1743-1970 U.S., Presbyterian Records, 1743-1970 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Dates vary for each county

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]

• 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

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

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

• Peacock Funeral Home in Lamar
• Valley Memorial Chapel in Holly and Lamar

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.

• The homestead years: Prowers County, Colorado FS Catalog Collection

Online Land Indexes and Records

• Colorado DPA Land Records - Index only; Choose Record Type, and search either "Land Patents" or "Land Records."
• Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
• 1796-1907 U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
• 1863-1908 U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry - - index & images ($)
• 1862-1908 Denver Land Office Records, 1862-1908 at Ancestry - ($), index only
• Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

For more information see Colorado Land and Property

Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Online County Histories

• Prowers County Heritage Collection. 1993. Edited by Dawn Woolliscroft, Ava Betz. Lamar, Colo : Lamar Daily News. At various libraries (WorldCat).
• Prowers County History. 1986. By Ava Betz. Lamar, Colorado : Prowers County Historical Society. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; At various libraries (WorldCat).

Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

Click a neighboring county for more resources

• 1889 Prowers County, Colorado land ownership map, 1889 FS Catalog Collection
• Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Colorado - shows boundary changes for Colorado Counties
• Colorado Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library
• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

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

• Colorado State Archives Veterans Grave Registration Index at the Colorado State Archives website - Index only; In the Record Type field, select, Military - Grave

Civil War

• Colorado Civil War Casualties Index at the Colorado State Archives website - Index only; In the Record Type field, select, Civil War Casualty
• 1861-1865 Colorado State Archives Volunteers Transcript of Record Index (1861-1865) at the Colorado State Archives website - Index only; In the Record Type field, select, Transcript of Record

Spanish-American War (1898)

• 1898 Colorado Volunteers in the Spanish American War, 1898 - at the Colorado State Archives website - Index only; In the Record Type field, select, Span-Am War Soldiers

World War I

• 1916-1919 Colorado State Archives Denver War Risk Insurance Applicants, 1916-1919 - at the Colorado State Archives website - Index only; In the Record Type field, select, War Risk Insurance
• 1917-1922 Colorado State Archives World War I Civilian Service Questionnaires, 1917-1922 - at the Colorado State Archives website - Index only; In the Record Type field, select, WWI Questionnaire
• 1917-1918 Colorado Soldiers in WWI, 1917-1918 at Ancestry.com — ($), index

World War II

• 1940-1945 Colorado, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index & images — How to Use this Collection

Vietnam War

• 1966 & 1968 Colorado State Archives Vietnam War Casualties - June-December 1966 & January-December 1968 - at the Colorado State Archives website - Index only; In the Record Type field, select, Vietnam Deaths

For further information see Colorado Military Records.

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

Online Records

• 1868-1990 Colorado, State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1868-1990 at Ancestry ($); Index and images
• 1876-1990 Colorado Naturalization Records, 1876-1990 at FamilySearch — index & images; District Court records — How to Use this Collection

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

For more information, see Colorado Newspapers.

• 1800s-Current Colorado, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

Colorado Newspapers Online

• Colorado Online Historical Newspapers online - in the Colorado Historic Newspaper Collection by the Colorado State Library
• Colorado Newspapers at Ancestry.com - ($)
• GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Colorado newspapers
• Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Colorado newspapers
• Chronicling America - contains images of some Colorado newspapers; searching tips

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

• 1933-1936 Prowers County Old Age Pensions at Colorado State Archives - index, select record type for search

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

• 1875–1974 Colorado Wills and Probate Records 1875-1974 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

School Records[edit | edit source]

1942-1945 Colorado State Archives Index to the Prowers County Amache School Teachers and Personnel for the period 1942-1945. This is an Index to the records of the teachers who were approved and hired at the Center.

Social Security Records[edit | edit source]

• 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

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.

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. [11]

Marriage[edit | edit source]

Online Records

• 1784-2007 Colorado, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
• 1809-2011 Western States Marriage Index, 1809-2011 - Index, incomplete, list of counties included
• 1853-2006 Colorado Statewide Marriage Index, 1853-2006 at FamilySearch.org - Index and images — How to Use this Collection
• 1858-1939 Colorado Marriages 1858-1939 at Denver Public Library - index
• 1862-2006 Colorado, County Marriages and State Indexes, 1862-2006 at Ancestry ($), Index and images
• 1864-1995 Colorado, County Marriages, 1864-1995 at FamilySearch - Index and images — How to Use this Collection
• 1900-1939 Colorado, Statewide Marriage Index, 1900-1939 at Ancestry - ($); Browseable images of original index
• 1975 - 2004 Colorado, Marriages, 1975 - 2004 at MyHeritage - index & images ($)

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

• 1851-1985 Colorado, Divorce Index, 1851-1985 at Ancestry - ($); Index only
• 1861-1941 Denver Public Library Colorado Divorce Index 1861-1941 at Denver Public Library - index
• 1878-2004 Colorado, Divorces, 1878 - 2004 at MyHeritage - index ($)
• 1900-1939 Colorado Statewide Divorce Index, 1900-1939 at FamilySearch - Browseable images of original index — How to Use this Collection

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

• See Colorado Archives and Libraries for more resources.

• Inventory of the county archives of Colorado, no. 50, Prowers County (Lamar) FS Catalog Collection

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 holdings1880-1939 Divorce Index 1883-1900 Mine Accidents, Non - fatal 1897-1920 Horseshoers 1936-1942 Civilian Conservation Corps Enrollments 1966-1968 Vietnam Deaths 1933-1936 Prowers County Old Age Pensions

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

• La Junta Colorado FamilySearch Center
• Pueblo Colorado FamilySearch Center
• Aguilar Public Library - an affiliate library
• Pueblo City-County Library District - an affiliate library

Libraries[edit | edit source]

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

Holly Public LibraryTony Garcia DriveHolly, CO 81047719-537-6520Email: [email protected] Lamar Public Library102 East Parmenter StLamar, CO 81052719-336-4632Email: [email protected]

Museums[edit | edit source]

Big Timbers Museum7515 US Hwy 50Lamar, CO 81052719-336-2472Email: [email protected]

Societies[edit | edit source]

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

Prowers County Genealogical Society407 E Olive StreetLamar, CO 81052719-336-4072Email: [email protected] Prowers County Historical Society7515 US Hwy 50Lamar, CO 81052719-336-2472Email: [email protected]

Websites[edit | edit source]

• Prowers County CO Trails to the Past
• Linkpendium
• USGenWeb Archives
• USGenWeb Archives (backup site)
• FamilySearch Catalog - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records

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. ↑ Colorado: Individual Chronologies, Colorado Atlas of Historical County Boundaries, https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/CO_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm
3. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Prowers County, Colorado," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Prowers_County,_Colorado&oldid=1228233854 (accessed June 14, 2024).
4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Prowers County, Colorado. Page 100 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), Prowers County, Colorado. Page 100 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), 93.
6. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002).
7. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Prowers County, Colorado," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prowers_County,_Colorado, accessed 18 May 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. ↑ Source: "Wikipedia.org".
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