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| History | Family Files | News Papers | Schools | Churches |
| Community Organizations | Cemeteries | Buildings | Tapes | Miscellaneous |
| Links |
| Dolores County Historical Society 409 N. Main Street Dove Creek, CO 81324 Voice: (970) 677-2283 Fax: (970) 677-2815 Email: dchistory@centurytel.net Mailing Address: Dolores County Historical Society c/o Audrey Garchar, County Historian 10059 Hwy 491 Dove Creek, CO 81324 |
| The Dolores County Historical Society is all volunteer. Our office is located in a vault in the courthouse basement. We can be contacted at the above phone, which is the Dolores County Extension Office and they will forward the call. Since we are not in the vault everyday, it may be up to 2 weeks before we reply to any e-mal request. Click on the various headings above to find out what all. |
| History |
| Dolores County was created by passage of Colorado House Bill 111 on February 10, 1881. Dolores County was created from a part of Ouray County. It was surrounded by San Miguel on the north, San Juan county on the east and La Plata County on the south (Montezuma County had not been created until 1885) and Utah Territory on the west. The town of Rico having been incorporated in 1879 became the county seat. Rico was a thriving mining town until the Silver Crash in 1893. Much of the population moved on even though some mining continued. The railroad was a part of Rico from the 1890s until it left out in the early 1950s. However, with the continued increase of people moving into the western part of the county, Rico lost its status of country seat to Dove Creek in 1945. The Dove Creek area has started being settled around 1912 with ranchers and farmers moving into the area. The western part of the country was one of the last areas in the United States to be homesteaded. The Stokes Brothers build a store around 1914-1916 (which was used as the courthouse from 1945-1953. There was a post office and many businesses in the early 1920s, but the Town of Dove Creek was not incorporated until 1939. Rico & Dove Creek are the only incorporated towns in the county. However, there were other settlements and post offices in various locations over the years. Some of them are Dunton - near Rico; Cahone southeast of Dove Creek, Squaw Point & Bug Point southwest of Dove Creek, Northdale, molding west of Dove Creek; Disappointment Valley, Lavender & Cedar; Burns, Egnar & Slick Rock in San Miguel County, Cedar Point, and Summit Point in San Miguel County Utah. |
| Family Files |
| These files consist mostly of news items, pictures and other printed items on various families in the county. Most are families from the west end of the county and some from Rico. However, we are adding more on families from Rico, Cahone, Dunton and Disappointment. We are having some families from adjoining areas of Montezuma & San Miguel counties in Colorado and San Juan County in Utah. |
| News Papers |
| Bound volumes of the Dove Creek Press from 1940- present. Some Rico newspapers from 1894 and some from early 1900s to 1937. (Rico Item, Rico Dove Creek News) The Dove Creek Press keeps 3 copies a week for us, which we usually clip items for the family files. We also have some newspapers from surrounding towns. You can access historic newspapers in Colorado, including Rico, by going to www.ColoradoHistoricNewspapers.org. |
| Schools |
| Pictures of students, teachers, and old school buildings.
Dove Creek school annuals from 1949 1976 School Reunion memorabilia & guest registers Three notebooks of information compiled on the Rico Schools. School organization scrapbooks. (Future Homemakers of America) |
| Churches |
| Information of various churches in the county. There are pictures of most of them. Links to some history articles are: www.ricochurtch.org/history.htm (History on the Rico Community Church) www.familysearch.org click on library, then library catalog, place (Rico, Colorado) This has information from the Catholic Church |
| Community Organizations |
| Minutes and scrapbooks of several past and current organizations. Some of these are the Civic Club, Dove Creek Homemakers, interstate Womens Club, sororities Beta Sigma Phi. |
| Cemeteries |
| We have some plats on hand and are updating them as time permits. Graves on private land are noted & pictures taken when permission has been received from the landowner. Some of the following cemeteries can be found at www.usgwarchives.net or www.findagrave.com. A list of known cemeteries follows: Rico- there are two cemeteries located 2 miles south of Rico along Hwy 145. They are located on both sides of the highway. Snow & mudslides have gone thru both cemeteries. Headstones that were recovered were replaced to the best of the knowledge of those repairing the damage. www.familysearch.org click on library, then library catalog, then place (Rico, Colorado) Dunton Disappointment Valley Nash Cemetery located in S33-T42N-R14W N.M.P.M; South Side of Disappointment Creek Rd, 3 ½ miles E of the old Lavender Post Office. Lavender Cemetery located in N2 of S33 T42N R 15 W N.M.P.M. on hill north side of Disappointment. Rhinehart Cemetery Cahone Cemetery east on road R for 1 mile then north on Road 14 for 1 mile, then east a short distance on Road P. Cemetery is next to the Cahone Church. Dove Creek Cemetery earliest grave was 1918, located on the southwest side of town of Dove Creek, Peel Cemetery located ½ miles west of Hwy 141 on County Road A. Lies on the south side of Road A. Cemeteries not in the county but have connections with families within the county. Urado Cemetery located southwest of Dove Creek on Bug Point, Utah. Cedar Point Cemetery located southwest of Dove Creek at Cedar Point, Utah Burns Cemetery located northwest of Dove Creek in San Miguel County, CO. Located west of Hwy 141 on County Road 3H and intersection of County Road H1. |
| Buildings |
| Buildings and site surveys from around the county that was completed under a grant from the Colorado Historical Society. This includes homes, business and other structures. Some buildings in Rico & Dove Creek and other historic sites are on the National or State Historic Registers. They can be found at www.coloradohistory-oahp.org. Click on listings for county For a walking tour of historic Rico buildings & sites, go to www.ricocolorado.org, click on visitor information, then click on walking tour. |
| Tapes |
| Over one hundred oral history interviews done with local pioneers of which most were done in the 1980s. Many of these interviews had a matching article printed in the Dove Creek Press. This included residents from across the county. |
| Miscellaneous |
| 1885 Colorado State Census book for Dolores County (most of these people lived in the Rico area.) U.S. Department of Justice, Immigration & Naturalization Service Form 35 (Old 1-IP) Immigration Cards. Various old county records and documents- tax records, location certificates, vouchers, time sheets, court records, district court records. Old maps county, school districts, railroad & highway right-of-way, old assessor maps, Dolores Project (McPhee Reservoir) Map. Various building plans Negatives from a local photographer, that took school pictures, weddings, etc, over a period of about 40 years. Books Session Laws of Colorado 1935 1954; Colorado Brand Books; Colorado Yearbooks 1920s, 1930s, 1950s, & 1960s. Other items individuals have donated such as bottles of vanilla found in the old VFW hall, pictures of individuals & buildings, calendars, old date or record stamps from county offices, old hand, stamped coins, etc. Clippings from area newspapers Draft registrations (1917) for World War 1 can be found at www.rootsweb.com |
| Links |
| Other links where Dolores County Information may be found are: www.usgenweb.com www.access.genealogy.com/colorado www.usgwarchives.net Census info for 1910 of Rico Precinct 1, Dunton, Lavender, Rico www.rootsweb.ancestry.com www.cogenweb.com www.ricocolorado.org |