Teller County Genealogy Resources
We hope this page helps you find your El Paso County, Colorado, ancestors and their history.
If you are not local and would like lookups in Pikes Peak Library District's Regional History and Genealogy or other repositories that hold Teller County records, see Research Help. If you know of other useful sources to add to this page or can report a broken link, please let us know.
Teller County was formed March 23, 1899, from El Paso County, Colorado. Bob Womack discovered gold in 1890, which lead to the state's last and greatest mining boom. The county was named after U.S. Sen. Henry M. Teller. The county seat is Cripple Creek. Pikes Peak NewsFinder, an online index at Pikes Peak Library District with some links to document images, includes some Teller County records.
Adoption
- Original Colorado birth certificates and other adoption records are open to all adoptees over the age of 18.
- Access forms to request original Colorado birth certificates.
- Colorado State Archives holds Teller County adoption records 1899–1900 and adoption case files, 1899–1952; the records are available to adoptees and researchers authorized by adoptees; Colorado State Archives Finding Aids Quick Index
- Adoption legislation by state
Cemeteries
- Tombstone Inscriptions of El Paso County and Teller County, Colorado (a PPGS project) <add link>
- Findagrave.com
- Colorado Gravestones
Census Records
- 1885 Colorado State Census. Free at FamilySearch, also on Ancestry ($). Present-day Teller County was then part of El Paso County.
- 1860–1940 federal censuses available for Colorado on FamilySearch, Ancestry ($), HeritageQuest, and Fold3. Before 1900, Teller County was part of El Paso County.
Church Records
- Catholic Church: The Diocese of Colorado Springs maintains within the Office of the Chancellor records for Catholic churches across east Central Colorado. Archivist Raymond Kelley, (719) 636-2345, accepts research requests over the telephone and will provide telephone replies after examining the microfilm and extracting the information as time is available. There is currently no charge for this service. Individuals may not access the microfilm/books to do their own research.
- Cripple Creek-Victor Mining District, Colorado, Catholic Baptisms, 1898-1908 and Cripple Creek-Victor Mining District, Colorado, Catholic Marriages, 1892-1913 by Miralyn Keske are held by PPLD Regional Hisotry and Genealogy.
- St. Peter's Catholic Church, Cripple Creek, Register of the Dead, 1898-1949
Court Records / Law Enforcement
- Teller County Combined Court, Fourth Judicial District; records are subject to redaction.
- Teller County Civil Court, Historical Records Index Search. In addition to the online index, Colorado State Archives holds civil case files, criminal case files, and other court-related records, but a case number is required to access them. See Colorado State Archives Finding Aids Quick Index.
- Teller County Detention Center, current inmate roster.
Directories
In addition to providing names and addresses of residents, city directories also usually offer street guides, information on city, county, and state governments, election precincts, lists of churches and clergy, hospitals and sanitariums, schools and colleges, businesses, labor organizations, clubs, societies, and secret organizations.
- Pikes Peak Library District Regional History and Genealogy, 20 N. Cascade, Colorado Springs, has on microfilm Cripple Creek district directories for 1900, 1902, 1905, 1907-18.
- HeritageQuest has online Cripple Creek district directories for 1900, 1902, 1905. If you hold a Pikes Peak Library District library card, go to this page this page, click on "HeritageQuest," enter user name and password, then click "City Directories."
- El Paso County (Including Teller County) Rural Directory (microfilm reel for the year 1937-38 also contains: 1947, 1949, 1951, 1955, 1962, and 1969; 1972 as book on shelves), Regional History and Genealogy, PPLD.
- The 1963 Colorado Springs city directory includes listings for Cripple Creek. Available at PPLD Regional History and Genealogy.
- Ancestry ($) has Cripple Creek district directories for 1900, 1902, 1905.
Funeral Homes and Mortuaries
- Cripple Creek District Museum holds several mortuary books from 1910 to 1974 that have been indexed. <enter link to PPGS cemetery project page>
History
- Pikes Peak Region History Symposium books for purchase from Clausen Press.
- City of Cripple Creek, timeline of the mining district
- Cripple Creek, Preserve America Community, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
Land and Property Records
- Bureau of Land Management General Land Office homestead records
- United States Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, 1820-1908, FamilySearch
- Teller County land and other documents are available at TheCountyRecorder.com. Records from 1991 are indexed, imaged, and searchable. Records from 1918 to 1990 have been imaged, but are not indexed or searchable except by book and page number.
- Current Teller County property owners; search by name or address.
- Grantor/Grantee indexes and property records may be viewed at Teller County Clerk & Recorder's Office, 101 W. Bennett Ave., Cripple Creek, CO, 80813. Mailing address: PO Box 1010, Cripple Creek, CO 80813. Phone: (719) 689-2951. Also, Woodland Park Branch Office, 800 Research Dr., Suite 200, Woodland Park, CO.
Law
- Colorado Constitution and Revised Statutes
- Colorado Session Laws, 1861-2021: Some legislative actions are on behalf of individuals. Search to see if your ancestors appear.
- Colorado Session Laws, 1993-present
- Colorado House and Senate Journals, 1861-present
- Guide to Colorado's Open Records and Open Meetings Laws
- Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition is dedicated to ensuring the transparency of state and local governments in Colorado by promoting freedom of the press, open courts, and open access to government records and meetings.
- Teller County Ordinances
Maps
- Cripple Creek and surrounding towns, 1894-1919, Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, University of Colorado at Boulder
- Google Maps
Mining
- El Paso County Placer Mine Location Certificates, 1892-1942, Historical Records Index Search, Colorado State Archives
- Mines appear by name in the El Paso County grantor/grantee indexes. Many were on land now in Teller County.
- Colorado State Archives holds Teller County Mining Lode Records, 1899-1900, and Teller County Mining Records Index, 1892-94.
Naturalization
- Colorado State Archives holds naturalization records from the Teller County district court, 1899-41: Colorado State Archives Finding Aids Quick Index
Newspapers
- PPLD Pikes Peak NewsFinder has indexed many Colorado Springs newspapers for various years, some of which may include news from what is now Teller County. It also includes indexes for these Cripple Creek newspapers before 1900: Cripple Creek Crusher 1892-1894, Cripple Creek Journal 1893-1894, Cripple Creek Mail 1890-1898, Weekly Miner 1894-1895, Cripple Creek Prospector 1892-1893, Weekly Cripple Creek Times 1898, Weekly Tribune & Advertiser 1899-1900. Request free copies of articles online from PPLD Regional History and Genealogy. Some article images are linked to the index.
- PPLD Regional History and Genealogy holds microfilm for varying years:
- Cripple Creek papers: Cripple Creek Crusher, Weekly Journal, Weekly Miner, Weekly Mail, Cripple Creek Mail, Weekly Times, Weekly Tribune, Cripple Creek Citizen, Cripple Creek Times 1897-1913, Cripple Creek Evening Star 1900-1904, Cripple Creek Times--Victor Daily Record (aka Times-Record) 1942-1988, Teller County Times Gold Rush, 1984-1987.
- Victor papers: Daily Press, 1900-03
- Woodland Park/Green Mountain Falls paper: Ute Pass Courier, 1964-2007
- High Mountain Sun, 1989-1995. Published in Woodland Park, "Teller County's Hometown Newspaper."
- Colorado Historic Newspapers has online the Cripple Creek Morning Times,aka Morning Times Citizen, 3 Dec 1895 to 15 March 1900. Free.
- Current Teller County newspapers include the Pikes Peak Courier, and The Mountain Jackpot News (1989- ).
- Newspapers held by Regional History and Genealogy, Pikes Peak Library District, Colorado Springs, per Library of Congress.
Obituaries
- Legacy, www.legacy.com
- FamilySearch, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014, index
Occupations and Businesses/Organizations
- Look up Colorado licensed professionals or organizations at DORA, the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies: accountants, medical/dental/mental health/veterinary, trades (plumbing, electrical, barbers/cosmetology), funeral homes, architecture, and more. Includes current, expired, cancelled, and revoked licensees. Searchable by name or portion of name. Licensee mailing address available from occupation download link.
- Colorado business search: includes images of historic and current reports for businesses and nonprofit organizations. Click on "Filing history and documents" to see principles' names and addresses.
Pensions
- Teller County Old Age Pension Lists, 1933-42, 1935-37, Colorado State Archives.
Photographs
- Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Online Catalog, has photos for Teller County. Enter desired place name.
- Pikes Peak Library District Digital Collections
Place Names
Probates/Wills
- Teller County Wills, 1894-1975, have been indexed in Historical Records Index Search, Colorado State Archives; see Colorado State Archives Finding Aids Quick Index
- Teller County Inheritance Tax, 1917-1936, has been indexed in Historical Records Index Search, Colorado State Archives.
- Teller County Court probate records, 1899-1975, are held by the Colorado State Archives; see Colorado State Archives Finding Aids Quick Index. Case numbers should be first acquired from county.
School Records
- Teller County School Censuses, 1892-1960, Colorado State Archives.
Vital Records
>Birth Records
- Birth certificates, State of Colorado
- Birth certificates, Teller County Vital Records Department
- Entries in the Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) include date and place of birth (usually a town or county) and parents' names. You can search on selected fields, including names and place of birth.
>Marriage Records
- Pikes Peak NewsFinder, marriages reported in various newspapers.
- 1858–1939, Colorado Marriage Index, WPA project, with some later, FamilySearch
- If you don't find a marriage where you expect in southern Colorado, look in the "Gretna Green" of Raton, Colfax Co., New Mexico. Many couples in the mid-1900s went there for a fun road trip with their friends and/or to avoid blood tests.
>Divorce Records
- Colorado Statewide Divorce Index, 1900-39
- Colorado Vital Records has a statewide index to divorces, 1900-1939 and 1975-present. Divorce decrees are held in the county courts in which they were filed or an archive.
- MyHeritage.com, available for free at FamilySearch Centers or by subscription, has a database "Colorado Divorces, 1878-2004" with 1.4 million records. It does not appear to have entries between 1940 and 1967.
>Death Records
Death certificates are available for $20 from the state or the Teller County Vital Records Department. Certificates for deaths older than 75 years are public record. Certificates 25 to 75 years old require a simple family tree to demonstrate some kinship to deceased. Certificates for deaths less than 25 years old have more stringent requirements; see instructions on back of form.
- Death Certificates, State of Colorado
- Death Certificates, Teller County Vital Records Department
- Pikes Peak NewsFinder has death announcements and obituaries from area newspapers.
- 1870 El Paso County Mortality Schedule extraction
- 1880 El Paso County Mortality Schedule extraction
- 1885 El Paso County Mortality Schedule, available at U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885, Ancestry.com
- Teller County Coroner's Verdicts, 1908-1912 are held by Colorado State Archives: Colorado State Archives Finding Aids Quick Index.
- Teller County Death Certificates, 1901-1908 are held by Colorado State Archives. As these are older than 75 years, they are public records.
- Teller County Coroner
- The Social Security Death Index is an online searchable database of names of deceased individuals whose deaths were reported to the Social Security Administration. It has been kept since 1962, when operations were computerized. The index includes about 50 percent of deceased persons from 1962 to 1971 and about 85 percent of deceased persons from 1972 to 2005. It also includes a few deaths from 1937 to 1961. Beginning in 2014, rules governing the SSDI changed and online database have not been updated since then.
Voters
- Currrent Colorado Voters at VoteRef.com
Yearbooks
REPOSITORIES
Archives
- Cripple Creek District Museum, 5th and Bennett Ave., Cripple Creek, CO 80813. PO Box 1210, Cripple Creek, CO 80813. Holds family files, mortuary books, newspapers, ephemera, and more.
- Ute Pass Historical Society, 231 E. Henrietta Ave., Woodland Park, CO.
- Colorado State Archives, Denver
- Colorado State Archives Finding Aids Quick Index; Teller County records page 61; court records pages 158-160; education records, page 184.
- Colorado State Archives, Genealogy
- List of Records in Historical Records Index Search, Colorado State Archives
Libraries
- Regional History and Genealogy, Penrose Library, Pikes Peak Library District, Colorado Springs, holds many resources for Teller County. Also has archives.
- Databases available at any PPLD branch library include Ancestry.com Library Edition and Fold3. You may also log on to these databases with your laptop computer from the branch libraries.
- American Ancestors database from New England Historic Genealogical Society may be accessed only on computers at PPLD's Regional History and Genealogy.
- Special Collections, Tutt Library, Colorado College, Colorado Springs.
- Has on microfilm Rocky Mountain News, 1859--Dececember 1964, and Denver Post Jan. 1965--2012.
- Stephen H. Hart Research Center, History Colorado, Denver; has the best collection of microfilmed Colorado newspapers in state.
FamilySearch Centers
Teller County has no FamilySearch Centers. The nearest are in El Paso County. <create link after live>
MISC.
Museums
Cripple Creek District Museum, 5th and Bennett Ave. Cripple Creek, CO 80813. PO Box 1210, Cripple Creek, CO 80813.
Pikes Peak Historical Society Museum, PO Box 823, Florissant, CO 80816; museum is at 18033 Teller Co. Rd. 1.
Ute Pass Historical Society, P.O. Box 6875, Woodland Park, CO 80866; 231 E. Henrietta Ave., Woodland Park, CO.
Societies
Gold Camp Victorian Society, Cripple Creek, is dedicated to the preservation of the mining district's history.
Victor Heritage Society, Victor
Teller County Genealogy Links
Ancestry, Teller County message board
Cyndi's List, Teller County
Genealogy Trails, Teller County
Colorado Genealogist Surname and Subject Indexes; periodical available at PPLD Regional History and Genealogy, among other libraries.
Linkpendium, Teller County
National Register of Historic Places, Teller County
Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (RAOGK), Colorado
RootsWeb, Teller County message board
USGenWeb, Teller County
Wikipedia, Teller County, Colorado
Planning a Trip to Teller County
- Visit Colorado Springs, includes information for Teller County
- Visit Cripple Creek