The Minutes of the Board of Trustees of the University of Colorado, 1870-1876 chronicles the establishment of the University, donation of land, struggles with the legislature over funding, and efforts to raise funds in the community and beyond. The Minutes identify many of those involved in the building of the first building on the University campus, now affectionately known as Old Main.
Available at: http://www.irongate.com/pages/CU_Trustees_Minutes.html
The Boulder County, Colorado District Court Civil Appearance Docket, 1878-1882 is a a brief synopsis of the cases heard before the District Court.
The majority of cases in this record are civil cases including a few guardianship cases, along with a few criminal cases.
There are quite a number of water rights cases along with a synopsis of who had water rights, for how much water, and in what order.
The first section of this book is a list of cases in the order that they appear in the ledger along with the case number, the primary plaintiffs and defendants in the case, as well as the cause of action, if one was given.
Available at: http://www.irongate.com/pages/Civil_Appearance_1878-1882.html
Boulder County, Colorado District Court Widow’s Relinquishment, Volumes 1 & 2, 1889–1937
December 30, 2015
The Boulder County, Colorado District Court Widow’s Relinquishment, Volume 1, 1889–1926, and Volume 2, 1926–1937 record what household items and other property that were given to the widow as a part of her assignment of property from the estate before any debts were paid.
The records show the names of the deceased, the widow or orphan and the administrators or executors of the estate along with the judges and clerks who recorded each transaction.
Available at: http://www.irongate.com/pages/Widows_Vols1-2.html
Boulder County, Colorado, County Court Probate Record, Vol 1, 1875-1884
December 30, 2015
The Boulder County, Colorado, County Court Probate Record, Vol 1, 1875-1884 records the activities of a decedent’s estate including, the settlement, any guardianship of minors, the names of heirs, who held the will, the witnesses to the will, the bond sureties for the executor, any debtors or creditors to the estate, what claims were pain, what debts were uncollectible and who the deceased’s attending physician was. The record may also include the actual death date of the estate owner, and the birth dates of minors showing whether they were over or under age 14 for the purposes of assigning a guardian.
Available at: http://www.irongate.com/pages/Probate_Vol1.html
Boulder County, Colorado County Court Will Record, Volume A, 1875-1889
December 30, 2015
This record book is made up of pre-printed forms that a clerk could use to record wills. Each record names the deceased, the petitioner who is bringing the will to the probate court, and the names of the witnesses and executors to the will.
The decedent’s date of death is recorded in a section entitled Proof of Death. The will was recorded (copied from the original by the clerk), and signed by the executor, the clerk and the probate judge.
Available at: http://www.irongate.com/pages/Will_Record_VolA.html
Early Land Owners Along the St. Vrain River, Nebraska and Colorado Territories, 1858-1861
December 30, 2015
The Early Land Owners Along the St. Vrain Creek, Colorado Territory, 1860-1861 is comprised of the recorded land records from four different sources of the same area and time period.
The Record Book of Franklin Township Land Claims (along St Vrain Creek), 1860.
The Record Book of Troy District Land Claims (along St Vrain Creek), 1861
The St Vrain’s Land Club’s Land Claims, 1861
The St Vrain County Land Claims, 1858-1861
These original land club claims records are available for research in the Carnegie Branch Library for Historical Research in Boulder, Colorado and the archives of the Denver Public Library in Denver, Colorado.
The men and women in these claims were among the first to build cabins and begin farming and ranching in what is now Boulder and Weld Counties, Colorado.
Available at: http://www.irongate.com/pages/St_Vrain.html
The Boulder County, Colorado, District Court Guardians Bonds, Vol. A, 1876-1902 is a District Court record of the men and women who posted bonds in their roles as guardians for children who were due an inheritance. Often a surviving parent would petition to act as the guardian of their own children, but sometimes guardians were assigned by the court if the child was under the age of 14. Minors over the age of 14 were allowed to choose their own guardians during this period. The journal names the deceased, often details the relationships between the deceased and his or her heirs, frequently gives the ages of the children at the time of the bond hearing and occasionally gives the child’s exact birthdate. The journal also names the guardians, the sureties, the judges who heard the cases, and the clerks who recorded the bonds.
Available at: http://www.irongate.com/pages/guardian_1876.html
The original records of the Boulder City Town Company show the initial land lottery of 11 Aug 1859 along with the sale and transfer of different lots beginning just after the town’s beginning on 10 Feb 1859 until 1864. This map index details the land sales and shows each lot sold or transferred. Because no original survey map of Boulder City exists, a map was created using the plat map of 1864, an 1868 map that shows a partial view of downtown, and the 1871 and 1887 maps that use the old numbering system from the original survey. None of the extant maps shows the entire original survey, but the blocks and block numbers of the created map are almost exactly the same. The two exceptions are an unnumbered block where the courthouse stands currently (between 13th and 14th Streets, and Pearl and Spruce Streets), and an unnumbered block between 16th and 17th Streets, and Hill [now Mapleton] and Bluff Streets. I believe these two lots were intended to be left unnumbered and used as public squares—one for the courthouse, the other for a school, perhaps. This book shows each land sale along with a mini-view of the block in question with the street names along all four sides of the block for reference.
ISBN 978-1-879579-87-3 $15.95 + $4.00 S&H, available here.
Boulder County, Colorado Teachers, 1878-1900
September 13, 2013
New book. Boulder County, Colorado Teachers, 1878-1900: An Annotated Index has been compiled from the annual reports to the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The introduction lists the 66 school districts in Boulder County prior to 1900. This book includes the names, years and school districts where each teacher taught.
Available on Amazon.
Boulder County, Colorado District Court Execution Docket, 1875-1885
September 9, 2013
New book. Boulder County, Colorado District Court Execution Docket, 1875-1885: An Annotated Index is a register of the court asking the sheriff to execute the judgment of the court. It’s an interesting look at the winners and losers of both civil and criminal cases, and the actions taken to satisfy the court’s judgment against the losers.
Available on Amazon.
Boulder Pioneers Project 