Colorado County Evolution


This page created by Don Stanwyck from the research and maps made by Lee Zion for the CoGenWeb Project.
Copyright 2003 -  The COGenWeb Project.  All Rights Reserved.

The following maps trace Colorado from just before the Colorado Territory was created through today, showing the evolution of the county borders.

Before Colorado Territory, 1860-1861

Original 17 Counties, 1861-1866

Colorado Territory was established by Congress on February 28, 1861. The first Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Colorado convened on September 9, 1861. They quickly enacted laws establishing the seventeen original counties.  At that time Conejos County was called Guadalupe County, but within a couple years had become known by its current name.

1866, Saguache and Las Animas Counties added

1870, Greenwood County created, other county lines redrawn

The creation of Greenwood county to finally cover the Cheyenne Reservation also brought with it several other changes. Greenwood took part of Huerfano county, and Pueblo also took a bit of Huerfano county. Huerfano county took the southern half of Fremont county as a consolation for losing so much of the eastern part of the state.
Bent County was created, but its boundaries are not shown on the map.
August 20, 1870
“ At a mass meeting of the democracy of Bent county, held at the court house in Las Animas City, on Saturday, August 13th, Wm. B. Jack was chosen chairman and Robert K. Vandiver, secretary. The following nominations were made; R. K. Vandiver, county clerk; R. M. McMurray, county commissioner for district number one; Joseph Graham, county commissioner district number two; and Riely Higby, county commissioner for district number three; John W. Pravens, treasurer; John Moiling, sheriff; Charles L. Rite, probate judge; Moses. R. Tate, Assessor; George Bicknell, coroner. The following county committee was chosen, L. Craig, R. K. Vandiver, Jesse Nelson, Charles L. Rile, and Joseph Graham. “


“At a republican county convention held at Kit Carson, county seat of Greenwood county, Colorado territory, on the 2d of July, 1870, Theron W. Johnson was chosen president and M. F. Stiles secretary. The following gentlemen were chosen to cast the vole of the county in the territorial convention: Louden Mullen, J. F. Buttles and E. F. Jones, (if so many delegates are allowed) but if only one is allowed Louden Mullen to cast the vote of said county, with full power of substitution.”

February 14, 1870

We complete our abstract of the laws and resolutions which passed the legislature, and were signed by the governor:

ACTS INCLUDE: Establishing the counties of Bent and Greenwood, in the southeastern part of the territory. Kit Carson is made the county seat of Greenwood county, and Las Animas of Bent county.

 

 

1872, Platte County created

1874, 2 Counties removed, 6 Counties created

In 1874, Greenwood and Platte Counties were abolished, La Plata, Hinsdale, Rio Grande, Elbert, and Grand Counties were created, Greenwood’s area was divided between Bent and Elbert.


February 7, 1874

A few days ago the legislature passed a bill dividing Douglas county, erecting from one portion of it the county of Elbert. This necessitated the appointment of county officers by the governor, it being some months before the regular election will take place. The governor has therefore selected the following named gentlemen to serve as county commissioners: Joseph F. Grogan, Henry Wendling and George Aux. Mr. Bonnifield, who was a commissioner in Douglas county, being now in Elbert county, retires from the Douglas county board, and Mr. P. Van Wormer is appointed to the vacancy. The following are remaining officers of Elbert county: Treasurer, A. L. Gleason; sheriff, Alexander Barron ; clerk and recorder, E. P. Clark; assessor, D. C. Maxon ; superintendent of public schools, Frank F. Willard; coroner, John Mather.


February 13, 1874
“Enlargement of Bent County. The bill dividing Greenwood county, annexing the Southern portion to Bent, and the northern to the new county of Elbert, has become a law. The north line of Bent County is as follows : Commencing on the Eastern boundary line of Colorado at its intersection with township line between townships 13 and 14 , thence west on said township line to the range line between ranges 59 and 60 . The bill provides that all property belonging to Greenwood county shall hereafter ‘ belong to Bent county . The County Commissioners of Bent and Elbert counties have power to adjust, settle, and equitably divide all matters of revenue and indebtedness which may be necessary to adjust and settle on account of the abolishing of Greenwood county. By this change Bent county gets about one hundred additional miles of railroad, besides settlements up Sand Creek, Horse Creek and on Steel’s Fork. The taxable wealth of Bent will be more than doubled by this addition. As far as we can learn, the change is entirely agreeable to the inhabitants of Greenwood .

 

1876, Colorado becomes a State, San Juan County created

Colorado was admitted as the 38th state of the Union on August 1, 1876.

1877, Gunnison, Routt, Custer, and Ouray Counties created

1879, Chaffee County created

1881, Dolores and Pitkin Counties created

1883, 6 Counties created

In 1883, Garfield, Eagle, Mesa, Delta, Montrose, and San Miguel Counties were created.

1885, Archuleta County created

1887, Logan and Washington Counties created

1889, 13 Counties created

In 1889 the legislature was very busy. The following counties were created: Montezuma, Rio Blanco, Morgan, Sedgwick, Phillips, Yuma, Lincoln, Kit Carson, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Prowers, Otero, and Baca.  3D Map of Vernon

1893, Mineral County created

1899, Teller County created

1902, Arapahoe County split up

The Arapahoe county split created Denver and Adams Counties, and sent parts of what had been Arapahoe County to Washington and Yuma Counties. Due to some legal wrangling some of the final results of this act were not officially in place until 1906.

1908, Park gets a piece of Jefferson County

1909, Jackson County created

1911, Crowley and Moffat Counties created

1913, Alamosa County created

The Present

A proposal on the November, 1998 ballot to make the town of Broomfield into the city and county of Broomfield was voted on by the people of Colorado - it passed. This created, effective 2001, a small county (much smaller than Denver) that covers the corners of what were Jefferson, Boulder, Weld, and Adams Counties. The map now looks like: