Longmont, Boulder County, Colorado Genealogy

United States Colorado  Boulder County  Longmont  Burlington

Longmont was founded in 1871 as a colony by Chicago-Colorado Colony group. They purchased a square mile of land just north of Burlington Colorado, and divided it into house lots and parks, etc. -- an early planned community. It was named for Long's Peak, a tall mountain visible from town, which in turn was named for Stephen Long, who led an exploratory expedition through the area in 1820.

Longmont is located in the northeast corner of Boulder county, and a small portion of current Longmont is in Weld county.

In Burlington, Boulder County, Colorado, the first gold rush settlers arrived in 1858 and the town became a post office in 1862 because the stagecoach stopped there. The little community later merged with Longmont and yielded the town name in 1873. The current Burlington Colorado is in Kit Carson county.

Churches
Longmont had ten houses of worship by 1903. In 1920 Dr. Harry Huntington, Methodist minister emeritus, compiled the following list of local churches with their dates of organization. Current contact information is added where known.

First United Methodist, 1871 350 11th Avenue, Longmont CO 80501 303 776-3523

Central Presbyterian, 1872 402 Kimbark Street, Longmont CO 80501 303 776-6833

First Congregational, UCC, 1872 1500 9th Avenue, Longmont CO 80501 303 776-4940

St Stephens Episcopal, 1881 1303 S. Bross Lane, Longmont CO 80501 303 776-1072

St John the Baptist Catholic, 1882 323 Collyer Street, Longmont CO 80501 303 776-0737

Ryssby, 1878 merged with First Lutheran see below (Ryssby is 6 miles west of Longmont, so Dr. Huntington probably did not count it among the ten.)

First Lutheran, 1887 803 3rd Avenue, Longmont CO 80501 303 776-2800

First Baptist, 1890 701 Kimbark Street, Longmont CO 80501 303 776-1128

First Christian, 1891 10345 Ute Hwy, Longmont, CO 80504 303 776-5897

Bethlehem Lutheran, 1901 1000 15th Avenue, Longmont CO 80501 303 776-3290

Christian Science, 1902 701 Delaware Avenue, Longmont CO 80501 303 678-0400

Longmont Bible Chapel, 1905 Current contact information is unknown.

Longs Peak United Methodist, 1907 1421 Elmhurst Drive, Longmont CO 80503 (303) 776-0399

Early Churches in Nearby Communities
United Methodist, Erie, 1867

United Methodist, Niwot, 1870

Congregational UCC, Lyons, 1889

U. Methodist, Hygiene, 1903

Rinn United Methodist, 1905

Lyons United Methodist, 1907

Mead United Methodist, 1907

Cemeteries
Mountain View Cemetery - 620 11th Avenue Longmont, Colorado USA 80501 303-776-1036

Has more than 22,000 interments. The Longmont Genealogical Society recently added their information to www.FindaGrave.com. For more information than on that site, contact LGS, they have a book and CD of interment information. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~colgs/ Burlington Cemetery - South Sunset Street Longmont, Colorado 80501 303-532-9086

Has about 250 interments. All interments, except possibly some very recent ones, are on www.findagrave.com. The Longmont Genealogical Society also has a Burlington Cemetery page at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~colgs/burlington_cemetery.htm. It contains some history of the Cemetery and links to online photos of some of the gravestones.

Ryssby Cemetery - 9000 N 63rd St Longmont, Colorado 80503

Is the churchyard of a Lutheran church built by early Swedish immigrants. Contact the Longmont Genealogical Society for more information They have a book and CD of interment information, which includes many obituaries.

Foothill Garden of Memory - 14241 N. 107th Street Longmont, Colorado 80504

Is owned and operated by Carroll-Lewellen Funeral Services. The burials are more recent and there are about 6,000. The Longmont Genealogical Society has recently worked with Carroll-Lewellen to record the burials and photogragh the gravestones. This book is available for purchase at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~colgs/foothillsgardenof%20memorycemetery.htm Many of the burials are listed on www.findagrave.com.

Newspapers
In Longmont, Colorado the local paper is the Longmont Times-Call. A name and subject card index exists at the Longmont Public Library for both the Times and the Call, and the merged Times-Call until February 2008. The paper began an online edition in 2004, and further card indexing is not deemed necessary. There are plans to extend the online archive back to 1990. Microfilm of the paper is also located at the library, and that continues to be updated.

To access this information, the Longmont Public Library has microfilm and readers available at no charge except for copies. From a distance, possibly the most thorough local helper would be the Longmont Genealogical Society, reachable at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~colgs/.

Newspaper holdings at the Longmont Public Library, 409 4th Avenue Longmont, CO 80501 General Information Desk: (303) 651-8470

This is an excellent public library with very helpful staff. Modern microfilm readers are available next to the newspaper film drawers, and the card index is also right there. The librarian at the Periodicals desk shows new patrons where to find the film and how to use the readers.

The earliest Longmont newspaper on microfilm is Longmont Press for August 8, 1872. There are a few preserved editions of this publication through the 1870s, and the Longmont Ledger has regular preserved copies beginning September 8,1879 and continues into 1940.

Some early Longmont Ledger extractions for birth, marriage, and death entries are indexed here: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~colgs/ledgerindex.htm

Other Early Newspapers on Microfilm
The Boulder County News was published from October 12, 1869 until November 8, 1878. This newspaper is available on microfilm at the Longmont Public Library and is available upstairs with the other newspapers on microfilm. Here is a name index for this newspaper: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~colgs/bouldercountynews.htm

Burlington Free Press May 5, 1871 (Burlington was a small community just south of the colony that became Longmont in 1871. They merged with Longmont and yielded the name Burlington in 1873, and Burlington, Colorado is now the name of a town on the Kansas border.)

Lyons Recorder from December 12, 1890 to October 23, 1942 (some missing) (Lyons is a small community founded in 1880 and 12 miles west of Longmont.)

Valley Home and Farm June 29, 1878

Colorado Press February 21, 1872 and July 24, 1872

Real Estate Bulletin April 1879

Newspaper Card Index at the Longmont Public Library
Card index exists by name and subject for the following: Longmont Ledger 1879-1935 Times-Call 1927 – 1977 and 1978 – February 2008 (now available online) (The genealogist for the Longmont Genealogical Society states that the card index for the Ledger skips some names in the community news sections.)

Societies, Libraries and Museums
To have someone search old Longmont records, contact the Longmont Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 6041 Longmont, CO 80501 http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~colgs/

The St Vrain Historical Society has information about early settlers. P O Box 705, Longmont, CO 80502, phone 303 776-1870 or website http://www.stvrainhistoricalsociety.org/

Longmont Museum and Cultural Center 400 Quail Road Longmont, CO 80501 303 651-8374

Museum has some genealogical resources including old photographs available for purchase. http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/museum/research/photos.htm

Longmont Museum &amp; Archives - Research Resources

On the second floor of the Longmont Museum &amp; Cultural Center is the Longmont Archives. The Archives contains photographs, letters, diaries, maps, business records, ledgers, and more.

Archives Hours are by appointment only.

Call: 303 651-8969

The Museum and its staff are dedicated to the preservation of the heritage of Longmont and have many resources that may provide genealogical information for those with ancestors who lived in this area. If you are interested in learning more about their extensive archives or their collection of over 12,000 photographs, call 303-651-8969, or email Erik Mason, Curator of Research and Information.

City Directories
Available on Ancestry.com with paid subscription: The Longmont city directory, 1912-13 : with the Longmont rural routes, the towns of Mead, Lyons, Hygiene, Niwot and Highland Lake.

Other directories are available at the Longmont Public Library, 409 4th Avenue, Longmont CO 80501 303 651-8470.