Today’s state is Colorado. As with many western states, there is somewhat of a dearth of digitized county histories, but there are some good alternatives at the STATE level.

FAQ

1. While every county in the state is listed, links are only provided for titles that no longer fall under U.S. copyright laws. All (almost) links connect to free websites.
2. There are a few instances when a book has been digitized, but is only found on a paid site. In that case, no link is inserted, but a note as to the website where it has been found is given.
3. When a state history has also been found in digital format, it is listed in the STATE section that precedes the county list. I have limited STATE entries to those with county histories/biographical volumes in them.
4. There are a number of counties that DO have histories written, BUT they remain copyrighted material. Therefore, if a county has NONE after its name, it doesn’t mean there is no county history, just that none has been digitized. It’s also possible that the only digitized county history is included in one of the state volumes, so be sure to check those entries.
5. If the book is on FamilySearch, you will need a free account to access it. This list does NOT include town histories.
6. When all fifty states have been completed, I will post a PDF of them all.
7. One last note – it is very possible that a book is digitally available on more than one website. I’ve only included links to one site per book.

COLORADO

STATE – Colorado and its people: a narrative and topical history of the Centennial State, Volume 3, Le Roy R. Hafen, Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York, 1948.
STATE – Colorado and its people: a narrative and topical history of the Centennial State, Volume 4, Le Roy R. Hafen, Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York, 1948. [Volumes 3 & 4: Personal and family history]
STATE – Portrait and biographical record of the state of Colorado: containing portraits and biographies of many well known citizens of the past and present, Chapman Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1899.
STATE – Rocky Mountain directory and Colorado gazetteer for 1871: comprising a brief history of Colorado and a condensed but comprehensive account of her mining, agricultural, commercial and manufacturing interests, climatology, inhabitants, advantages and industries, together with a complete and accurate directory of Denver, Golden City, Black Hawk, Central City, Nevada, Idaho, Georgetown, Boulder, Greeley, Colorado City, Pueblo, Trinidad, etc, S.S. Wallihan & tTO. Bigney, S.S. Wallihan & Company, Denver, Colorado, 1871.
STATE – Who’s who in Colorado: a biographical record of Colorado’s leaders in business, professional and public life, Extension Division, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 1938. [FamilySearch Film 908762, Item 1]
STATE – Sketches of Colorado in four volumes: being an analytical summary and biographical history of the state of Colorado as portrayed in the lives of the pioneers, the founders, the builders, the statesmen, and the prominent and progressive citizens who helped in the development and history of making of Colorado, Volume 1, Will C. Ferril & John Sidney Brown, Western Press Bureau Company, Denver, Colorado, 1911. *Volumes 2, 3, and 4 not found.
STATE – Legislative, historical and biographical compendium of Colorado: embracing information pertinent to the formation of its territorial and state governments, together with a full list of officers and legislators, and interesting biographical sketches, C.F. Coleman, Denver, Colorado, 1887.

ADAMS – NONE
ALAMOSA – NONE
ARAPAHOE – History of the city of Denver, Arapahoe County and Colorado: containing a history of the state of Colorado…; condensed sketch of Arapahoe County; a history of the city of Denver… biographical sketches, O.L. Baskin, Chicago, 1880.
ARCHULETA – NONE
BACA – NONE
BENT – All name index to Bent County [Colorado] history, 1988: with supplementary section on Las Animas pioneers James Sellers and Nancy Corel Dobbins, Barbara Gail Dobbins, B.D. Title, Orange, California, 1996.
BOULDER – History of Clear Creek and Boulder Valley, Colorado: containing a brief history of the state of Colorado…an account of the Ute trouble; a history of Gilpin, Clear Creek, Boulder and Jefferson counties and biographical sketches, Sanford Charles Gladden, O.L. Baskin, Chicago, Illinois, 1880.
BROOMFIELD – NONE
CHAFFEE – NONE
CHEYENNE – Homesteaders and other early settlers, 1900-1930, Volume 2, Western Cheyenne County, Colorado, Kit Carson Historical Society, 1985. *Volume 1 not found.
CLEAR CREEK – History of Clear Creek and Boulder Valley, Colorado: containing a brief history of the state of Colorado…an account of the Ute trouble; a history of Gilpin, Clear Creek, Boulder and Jefferson counties and biographical sketches, Sanford Charles Gladden, O.L. Baskin, Chicago, Illinois, 1880.
CONEJOS – We call it home, Mary June Miller, c1977.
COTILLA – NONE
CROWLEY – The History of Crowley County: this is a collection of general history and family histories of Crowley County, Crowley County Heritage Society Book Committee, c1980.
CUSTER – Historical and descriptive of Fremont and Custer Counties with their principal towns. . ., Binckley & Hartwell, Canon City, 1879.
DELTA – NONE
DENVER – History of Denver: with outlines of the early history of the Rocky Mountain country, Jerome Constant Smiley, Denver Sun, Times-Sun Publishing Company, Denver, Colorado, 1901.
DENVER – Portrait and biographical record of Denver and vicinity, Colorado, Chapman Publishing Company, Chicago, 1898.
DOLORES – NONE
DOUGLAS – NONE
EAGLE – NONE
EL PASO – NONE
ELBERT – NONE
FREMONT – Pioneers of Fremont County, Colorado, Barbara Joan Allen Ahart, Canon City, Colorado, 2003.
FREMONT – Historical and descriptive of Fremont and Custer Counties with their principal towns. . ., Binckley & Hartwell, Canon City, 1879.
GARFIELD – NONE
GILPIN – History of Clear Creek and Boulder Valley, Colorado: containing a brief history of the state of Colorado…an account of the Ute trouble; a history of Gilpin, Clear Creek, Boulder and Jefferson counties and biographical sketches, Sanford Charles Gladden, O.L. Baskin, Chicago, Illinois, 1880.
GILPIN – Early records of Gilpin County, Colorado, 1859-1861, Thomas Maitland Marshall, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, c1920.
GRAND – NONE
GUNNISON – NONE
HINSDALE – NONE
HUERFANO – NONE
JACKSON – NONE
JEFFERSON – History of Clear Creek and Boulder Valley, Colorado: containing a brief history of the state of Colorado…an account of the Ute trouble; a history of Gilpin, Clear Creek, Boulder and Jefferson counties and biographical sketches, Sanford Charles Gladden, O.L. Baskin, Chicago, Illinois, 1880.
KIOWA – NONE
KIT CARSON – NONE
LA PLATA – NONE
LAKE – History of the Arkansas Valley, Colorado, O.L. Baskin & Company, Chicago, 1881.
LARIMER – History of Larimer County, Colorado, Ansel Watrous, Courier Printing and Publishing Company, Fort Collins, Colorado, 1911.
LAS ANIMAS – NONE
LINCOLN – NONE
LOGAN – NONE
MESA – History and business directory of Mesa County, Colorado, Charles W. Haskell, Mesa County Democrat, Grand Junction, 1886.
MINERAL – NONE
MOFFAT – NONE
MONTEZUMA – NONE
MONTROSE – NONE
MORGAN – NONE
OTERO – NONE
OURAY – NONE
PARK – NONE
PHILLIPS – NONE
PITKIN – NONE
PROWERS – Prowers County history, Ava Betz, Powers County Historical Society, Lamar, Colorado, 1986.
PUEBLO – NONE
RIO BLANCO – NONE
RIO GRANDE – NONE
ROUTT – NONE
SAGUACHE – San Luis Valley illustrated, A.R. Pelton, 1891. [FamilySearch Film 1597717, Item 1]
SAN JUAN – NONE
SAN MIGUEL – NONE
SEDGWICK – NONE
SUMMIT – NONE
TELLER – Money mountain: the story of Cripple Creek gold, Marshall Sprague, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1979. Reprint.
WASHINGTON – The pioneer book of Washington county, Colorado, Washington County Museum Association, Akron, Colorado, 1959.
WELD – Under ten flags: a history of Weld County, Colorado, Mary L. Geffs, Greeley, Colorado, 1938.
YUMA – NONE