LibGuides: History: Colorado History

Frequently Asked Question

What are the differences between websites and library databases?

1. Generally, websites and library databases both can contain:

scholarly information (such as facts, scholarly essays, research results, and research reports), and
non-scholarly information (such as popular opinion and guesswork).

NOTE: Researchers should take the time to verify research results by checking several other reliable sources before using it or acting on it. (See more about how to determine what types of sources are credible at PPLD's LibGuide on Finding Good Information here.)

2. Library databases do not generally use natural language to search, but use specialized wording and symbols. One of the benefits of using library databases is that they give more precise results than websites or web searches, which may include duplicate or irrelevant results.

3. In addition, library databases contain content that is sometimes only available by paying for it. The library pays for access to that information on behalf of the community it serves.

4. Online web searches often do use natural language, but the results may not be exactly what a researcher is looking for.

5. The order of an online result list is also often based on the priorities of the companies who offer the search (usually at no out-of-pocket cost), rather than the priorities of the researcher.

For a more detailed discussion of researching best practices, see PPLD's LibGuide on Information and Media Literacy here.

Colorado History Databases & Recommended Websites

Resources at PPLD's Regional History & Genealogy department, in the 1905 Carnegie Library (located in the Penrose Library)

PPLD Digital Collections
PPLD's Digital Collections features historic photographs, pamphlets, manuscripts, maps, oral histories, films and more that highlight the rich history of the Pikes Peak area. The materials come from the Regional History & Genealogy of the Pikes Peak Library District, housed in the 1905 Carnegie Library in downtown Colorado Springs.

Regional History & Genealogy
Regional History & Genealogy collections at Pikes Peak Library District are held in the 1905 Carnegie Library connected to the Penrose Library in downtown Colorado Springs. The Regional History collection includes books, maps, manuscripts and archives, photographs, oral histories, films and videos, government documents, pamphlets, periodicals, and other materials related to the history of the Pikes Peak region. The Genealogy collection contains extensive family history research materials, covering the entire United States from Colonial times to the present, including books, periodicals, and access to major genealogical databases.

PPLD Databases

For general history databases, see PPLD's General History Research (click here or on the blue General History Research tab at the top of the screen on mobile devices or at the left of the screen on computers).

The Gazette
Colorado Springs’ daily newspaper from April 2, 1988 to present.
Pikes Peak NewsFinder (Local Newspaper Index)
Contains citations and links to full text of: news articles and obituaries from the Colorado Springs Gazette and other area newspaper titles, 1872-present; the Colorado Springs Death Registers, 1872-1920; Colorado Springs church records, ca. 1873-1942; the Colorado Veterans Graves Registration, 1870-1950; and other resources.
Shaping of America, 1783-1815 Reference Library
This collection chronicles and illustrates the important period between 1783-1815 when America forged its place at home and on the international stage.
Westward Expansion Reference Library
This 3-vol. set features volumes dedicated to events, people and insightful primary sources that present an objective yet entertaining look at frontier life.

Research resources located in El Paso County, Colorado.

Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum Featured Collections
"Featured Collections will be updated periodically to reflect CSPM's latest exhibits, research and public programs." (description from website)
Fountain Valley Museum and Historical Society
"The Fountain Valley Historical Society Museum opened on December 6, 2003. The museum has a variety of historical displays such as the history of the beginning in Fountain Valley as well as stories from and about the early settlers. Other collections include the history on the schools, an organ from the Julie Penrose home, an original stage curtain, first fire hose wagon, and many articles on the train explosion." (description from website)
4th Infantry Division Museum (Fort Carson)
"The mission of the 4th Infantry Division Museum is to collect, preserve exhibit and interpret historically significant artifacts related to the history of the 4th Infantry Division from 1917 to present. The museum is responsible for exhibiting and interpreting the history of the 4th Infantry Division and to support post education, training, research, and historical programs." (description from the U.S. Army website)
History & Heritage
From Visit Colorado Springs: "Visit historic landmarks in Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region." (description from website)
Manitou Springs Heritage Center Virtual Museum
"Historic Manitou Springs, Inc., is an educational non-profit based in Manitou Springs, Colorado, at the foot of Pikes Peak, which operates the Manitou Springs Heritage Center and was formed in 1997 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Our mission is to collect, preserve, research, and interpret the history and culture of Manitou Springs and the Pikes Peak Region." (description from the Manitou Springs Heritage Center Virtual Museum website)
Miramont Castle
"Owned and operated by the Manitou Springs Historical Society, our mission is to preserve and restore the architectural integrity of Miramont Castle, and to provide educational experiences and resources not only on the Castle itself, but on the history of Manitou Springs, its indigenous people, and artifacts." (description from the Miramont Castle website)
National Museum of World War II Aviation
"The mission of the National Museum of WWII Aviation is to provide unique educational experiences that promote a deeper understanding of the historical importance of American aviation in World War II and its role in shaping the world we live in today. It does this to preserve and strengthen the best traditions of the American aviation past and inspire new generations of leaders and innovators in the future." (description from website)
Old Colorado City Historical Society Research Resources
"Below you will find a list of online resources focused on helping anyone researching Colorado City and its residents. This list will be updated as more information becomes available online. Most of these sources are free to use, but any requiring subscriptions are marked '$$$'." (description from website)
Palmer Lake Historical Society Special Collections
"We are a 501 (C)(3) educational nonprofit and the only organization dedicated to preserving the history of the Palmer Divide area since 1956. The mission of the Palmer Lake Historical Society (PLHS) is to preserve, protect, promote, and provide access to historical data, artifacts and other items of significance relating to the Palmer Divide area and make resources available to the public primarily through the Lucretia Vaile Museum and annual programming." (description from website)
Peterson Air and Space Museum
"The Edward J. Peterson Air and Space Museum is one of only 12 United States Air Force Field museums. All of our heritage items are part of the United States Air Force’s Heritage collection. We proudly preserve and display these items for everyone—civilian and military." (description from the Peterson Air and Space Museum website)
Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site at Garden of the Gods
"Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site at Garden of the Gods stewards a diverse outdoor museum by engaging, inspiring, and educating guests with the cultural and agricultural stories of those who inhabited the Pikes Peak region from 1775-1909." (description from the Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site website)
Special Collections and Archives at Charles L. Tutt Library, Colorado College
"Colorado College Special Collections maintains collections of rare books, special editions, manuscripts, ephemera, and published and archival material on Colorado, Colorado Springs, and Colorado College." (description from the Colorado College website)
U.S. Air Force Academy History
History of the U.S. Air Force Academy (from U.S. Air Force Academy website)
Western Museum of Mining and Industry
"The Western Museum of Mining and Industry (WMMI) is committed to preserving and interpreting the rich mining history of Colorado and the American West." (description from the Western Museum of Mining and Industry website)

Recommended Websites

For general history websites, see PPLD's General History Research (click here or on the blue General History Research tab at the top of the screen on mobile devices or at the left of the screen on computers).

Amache
"The Amache Preservation Society (APS) maintains the physical site of Amache and is instrumental in its preservation." (description from website)
Atlas of Historical County Boundaries (Colorado)
"A project of the William M. Scholl Center for American History and Culture at The Newberry Library in Chicago, the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries is a powerful historical research and reference tool in electronic form. The Atlas presents in maps and text complete data about the creation and all subsequent changes (dated to the day) in the size, shape, and location of every county in the fifty United States and the District of Columbia. It also includes non-county areas, unsuccessful authorizations for new counties, changes in county names and organization, and the temporary attachments of non-county areas and unorganized counties to fully functioning counties. The principal sources for these data are the most authoritative available: the session laws of the colonies, territories, and states that created and changed the counties." (description from website)
Black American West Museum & Heritage Center
"The Museum is housed in the former home of Dr. Justina L. Ford, first licensed African American female physician in the state of Colorado. While famous for telling the story of the Black cowboys, the museum tells the stories of those early African Americans who came west and performed as miners, soldiers, homesteaders, ranchers, blacksmiths, schoolteachers, lawmen, and every other profession needed to build up and develop the West." (description from Black American West Museum & Heritage Center website)
Chicano & Latino History Project
Includes primary sources. "The Chicano & Latino History Project partners with communities across Colorado to gather, preserve, and incorporate into PreK-12 classrooms the history and culture of local Chicanos and Latinos." (description from website)
The Collection at History Colorado
"History Colorado's incomparable collections—from books and manuscripts to artifacts and photographs—encapsulate the rich history of this state and help us understand the present in the context of the past." (description from website)
Colorado Encyclopedia
"Colorado Encyclopedia is the leading online reference work on the Centennial State, with more than 1,000 entries written and edited by scholars, students, professional researchers, community members, and others. Entries cover everything from the state’s ancient history to wildlife, sports, weather, geology, modern culture, current events, and much more. Approximately 25 percent of all entries include versions re-written at 4th, 8th, and 10th-grade reading levels for greater accessibility to K-12 students. Many entries also come with teacher resources, created according to state educational standards to help educators." (description from website)
Colorado Governors' Biographies
Series from the Colorado Virtual Library/Colorado State Publications Blog. "This site is made possible through grant funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) administered by the Colorado State Library." (description from website)
Colorado Latino History in Video
From the Auraria Library: "There is a rich and varied history of Hispanics/Latinos in Colorado. Some of this history has been captured in film, usually by local filmmakers, and sometimes by major film producers such as the Rocky Mountain PBS. Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15) is a great opportunity to explore the history, culture, and experience of Hispanics/Latinos in Colorado contained within these films." (description from website)
Colorado Resources
From the Colorado Department of Education: "Teaching the Colorado Academic Standards in social studies is supported through a wide array of free instructional resources. This webpage lists just a few of these resources and will be updated regularly." (description from website)
Colorado State Archives
From Colorado State Archives: "Explore Colorado history through our documents, photos, and records." (description from website)
Cripple Creek District Museum
The museum complex contains five historic buildings including the Midland Terminal Railway Depot, the Colorado Trading & Transfer, a replica of the assay office, and two miners' cabins built in 1892 & 1900.
Denver Public Library Digital Collections
"Special Collections and Archives (SCA) Digital Collections supports the mission of the Denver Public Library by enhancing access to primary resources and ensuring the preservation of fragile and deteriorating media." (description from website)
Plains to Peaks Collective
"The Plains to Peaks Collective (PPC) is the Colorado and Wyoming Service Hub of the Digital Public Library of America, or DPLA. The Plains to Peaks Collective helps libraries, archives, and museums share unique digital collections with a wider audience.

"This page features news about the Collective and the digital collections of Colorado and Wyoming." (description from website)
Place Names of Colorado: A Genealogical & Historical Guide to Colorado Sites
PDF copy of original document published in 1999 (from the Colorado Council of Genealogical Societies, Inc.)
Southern Ute Indian Tribe - History
From the website of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Tribal Government headquartered in Ignacio, Colorado.
Tribal Historic Preservation Office
"The Tribal Historic Preservation Office helps the people of our tribe’s historic occurrences, in all aspects within our Culture and History. We welcome input, stories, oral history, and personal encounters with significant sites within our native territories." (description from website)
U.S. Indian Boarding School History
"The truth about the U.S. Indian boarding school policy has largely been written out of the history books. There were more than 523 government-funded, and often church-run, Indian Boarding schools across the U.S. in the 19th and 20th centuries. Indian children were forcibly abducted by government agents, sent to schools hundreds of miles away, and beaten, starved, or otherwise abused when they spoke their Native languages." (description from the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition website)

Colorado History Featured in PPLD's Collection

Mac McCloud's Five Points: Photographing Black Denver, 1938-1975

Available as a print book for checkout

This stunning collection of images celebrates the remarkable career of Burnis "Mac" McCloud, Denver's premiere Black photographer between 1950 and 1980. His remarkable photographs, focused on Denver's Five Points community, captured the ordinary lives of African Americans during a period that witnessed the end of Jim Crow segregation and the beginning of the Civil Rights era.

Assembled from more than one hundred thousand negatives that McCloud left behind, this collection introduces his creative work to the world beyond the Mile High City. Author William Wyckoff also tells McCloud's life story, revealing the challenges to and vitality of Denver's Black community. At a time when much of what McCloud photographed is being swept away by gentrification and urban change, this collection of images preserves a time and place important not only for Denver but for all of Black America.

University of Northern Colorado

Available as an eBook for checkout through Freading and (as featured here) an eBook for checkout through Libby/OverDrive

The University of Northern Colorado began in 1889 as the Colorado State Normal School, an institution dedicated to training the state's teachers. Over the next century the institution grew from a relatively small normal school into an acclaimed state university with several nationally recognized graduate and undergraduate programs. During this period of transformation, the Greeley school experienced several name changes. It was renamed the State Teachers College of Colorado in 1911, followed by the Colorado State College of Education in 1935, then simply the Colorado State College in 1957, and finally, the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) in 1970, in recognition of the institution's broadened mission. UNC's first 100 years saw dramatic changes to the physical and academic environments on campus, including advancements in the fields of education, health, music, theater arts, and human sciences.

Colorado Women

Available as a print book for checkout, for on-site reference at PPLD's Regional History & Genealogy stacks, and (as featured here) as an eBook for checkout through Libby/OverDrive

Colorado Women is the first full-length chronicle of the lives, roles, and contributions of women in Colorado from prehistory through the modern day. A national leader in women's rights, Colorado was one of the first states to approve suffrage and the first to elect a woman to its legislature. Nevertheless, only a small fraction of the literature on Colorado history is devoted to women and, of those, most focus on well-known individuals.

The experiences of Colorado women differed greatly across economic, ethnic, and racial backgrounds. Marital status, religious affiliation, and sexual orientation colored their worlds and others' perceptions and expectations of them. Each chapter addresses the everyday lives of women in a certain period, placing them in historical context, and is followed by vignettes on women's organizations and notable individuals of the time.

Colorado's Deadliest Floods

Available as an eBook for checkout through Libby/OverDrive and (as featured here) an eBook for checkout through Freading

Ranked among the top ten states for both disasters and dry climate, Colorado has a long history of extreme weather. On May 19, 1864, residents of the fledgling gold rush town of Denver awoke to a wall of water slamming into the city with enough force to flatten buildings and rip clothing from its victims. The infamous Big Thompson Canyon flood of 1976 killed 144 residents, tourists and campers. Per the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Coloradoans experienced twenty-two floods with contemporary monetary losses of $2 million or more since the flood of 1864. And as the population continues to grow, the loss of lives, property, crops and livestock may increase. Local author Darla Sue Dollman, who witnessed and survived many of the contemporary disasters, examines the state's most catastrophic flash floods from 1864 to 2013.

Chronicles of Colorado

Available as a print book for checkout, for on-site reference at PPLD's Regional History & Genealogy stacks, and (as featured here) an eBook for checkout through Libby/OverDrive

Over the years, Colorado has attracted its share of literary vagabonds, but none have described the state in such eloquent prose as those who visited the area during its early years. Included in this volume are the impressions of eleven legendary writers, from the hilarious diatribe of a young Rudyard Kipling to the extensive narrative of a mature Walt Whitman. Whether with Horace Greeley in the new-born city of Denver, touring William Palmer's Glen Eyrie with English women's rights advocate Emily Faithfull, or on the trail with Zane Grey outside of Meeker, these essays provide a first-hand look at Colorado as it progressed from a disputed Mexican province to a state on the verge of opening its wilderness for discovery by an eager American public.

La Gente: Hispano History and Life in Colorado

Available as a print book for checkout and for on-site reference at PPLD's Regional History & Genealogy stacks

Informative and provocative, La Gente: Hispano History and Life in Colorado collects eleven essays by a cross-section of Colorado scholars and writers. The book opens with an examination of Spanish-Mexican exploration, conquest, and settlement of the Colorado region. Moving from exploration to biographical sketches, the book profiles the enigmatic Teresita Sandoval, cofounder of Pueblo; provides the turn-of-the-century memoir of vaquero Elfido Lopez; and offers a bilingual version of the autobiography of Pablo Cabeza de Baca, who recalls the values of his youth and his days at Denver's Sacred Heart College, the precursor of Regis University.

Several essays address the employment patterns of the early part of this century, when desperate native-born Hispanos and Mexican immigrants competed by the thousands for jobs at mining and agricultural corporations throughout Colorado. Four essays study particular expressions of this conflict, including the infamous Ludlow coal strike of 1913-1914; Colorado's sugar beet industry, where Mexican immigrants faced constant discrimination; the growth of the state's sugar industry, the collapse of which devastated Mexicans (the preferred labor force in the field); and a New Deal-era experiment in which laid-off miners were trained to weave Río Grande-style blankets, in the process revitalizing a dying folk art.

Finally, four essays encompass the recent political and cultural rebirth of Hispanos, including a study of the origins of the Crusade for Justice, Denver's leading Chicano rights organization of the 1960s, which - based on declassified FBI documents - proves that government agencies tried to suppress the Crusade and its popular leader, Corky Gonzales.

The City and the Saloon: Denver, 1858-1916

First and revised editions available for on-site reference at PPLD's Regional History & Genealogy stacks

During Denver's wild ride from frontier mining town to twentieth-century metropolis, the city's saloons, like those of many other western frontier towns, played a vital role in the development of the city. Now with a new preface, Tom Noel's classic study, The City and the Saloon, is a liquid history of how Denver's bars both shaped and reflected the Mile High City's birth and adolescence.

Plunder of the Ancients: A True Story of Betrayal, Redemption, and an Undercover Quest to Recover Sacred Native American Artifacts

Available as a print book for checkout

After taking an assignment as a supervisor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, agent Lucinda Schroeder felt chafed by the restrictions of her desk job. She'd spent her career making cases against wildlife poachers, smugglers, and people who exploited wildlife for huge sums of money. As a supervisor she wasn't allowed to carry a case load. Her responsibility was to oversee the work of five other agents as they investigated wildlife crimes. But she wanted to be in the middle of the action. Finally, she went undercover again, working to investigate a parrot-smuggling operation--only to narrowly escape disaster after several of her colleagues inadvertently blew her cover. Though she worried that she was losing her gift for undercover work, when she learned of the illegal trade in Native American artifacts and the hunting of eagles for their feathers, she set up another sting operation and called it "Operation Monster Slayer" after the Navajo deity that protected the Navajo from harm only to betrayed once again--this time intentionally. Plunder of the Ancients tells the story of the dangerous life of an undercover agent--and her persistence that led to the recovery of nearly a million dollars' worth of sacred Indian artifacts sold on the black market in Santa Fe in 1996.

Colorado: A Sports History

Available as a print book for checkout and for on-site reference at PPLD's Regional History & Genealogy stacks

Shows how sports history can illuminate the business, politics, class, race, gender, mores and values of a society. In pre-industrial Colorado, sports and games in Indian villages and early mining towns were shaped by work, community life, and even religion. As leisure time increased sport evolved into a more popular recreational activity.