Taos County, Colorado Genealogy

United States Colorado  Taos County

The southern part of present-day Colorado east of the Continental Divide was the northern part of Taos County, New Mexico Territory from its creation in New Mexico Territory in 1852 until 1861 when it was one of the four pieces of other territories used to create the new Colorado Territory.


 * 1852 Taos County, New Mexico Territory created as an original county from an old Mexican partido. In theory it extended west to the California border including parts of Arizona and later Nevada
 * 1 February 1860 Mora County, New Mexico Territory was erected from the eastern part of Taos County.
 * 28 February 1861 The northern parts of Taos and Mora counties, formerly New Mexico Territory, were transferred to the newly created Colorado Territory.

A few of the earliest settlers in what is now southern Colorado may have conducted their county business such as recording land deeds in Taos via the Santa Fe Trail. For records of residents from 1852 to 1861 in what later became southern Colorado check Taos County, New Mexico records. From 1 February 1860 to 1861 also check records of Mora County, New Mexico. After 28 February 1861 search the appropriate Colorado counties (at first Conejos, Costilla, Fremont, and Huerfano).

Colorado eventually turned former New Mexico land into parts of these modern Colorado counties:


 * Mora County became:  extreme west Baca, southwest Bent, southern Custer, Huerfano, Las Animas, southern Otero, and southern Pueblo counties
 * Taos County became:  Alamosa, extreme southeast tip of Archuleta, Conejos, Costilla, central Hinsdale, northeast Mineral, Rio Grande, southern Saguache, and far east central San Juan counties