Taos County, Colorado Genealogy

United States Colorado  Taos County

The southern part of present-day Colorado east of the Continental Divide, that is parts of Archuleta, Conejos, Rio Grande, Mineral, Hinsdale, San Juan, Saguache, Alamosa, Costilla, Los Animas, Huerfano, Custer, Pueblo, Otero, Bent, and extreme western edge of Baca counties were part of Taos County, New Mexico Territory from its creation in New Mexico Territory in 1852 until 1 February 1860 when the eastern half of Taos County was split off as Mora County.


 * 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
 * 1854 Rio Arriba County absorbed the western part of Taos County in New Mexico Territory.

A few of the earliest settlers in what is now southeastern Colorado may have conducted their county business in Taos via the Santa Fe Trail. For records of residents in what later became southwestern Colorado from 1852 to 1860 check Taos County, New Mexico records. From 1860 to 1861 also check records of Mora County, New Mexico. After 1861 this part of New Mexico was transferred to Colorado and record keeping shifted to the appropriate Colorado counties.