COGenBlog

A database listing patients and personnel from the Colorado State Insane Asylum was recently posted to the Pueblo County USGenWeb website.

The database was compiled over the past two years by a dedicated group of volunteers, headed by Jean Griesen as the volunteer coordinator. Karen Mitchell, coordinator of the Pueblo County GenWeb pages, has done a nice job of weaving the history of the Hospital and Legislation with the data.

Historic newspapers, census, interviews, and researcher contributions were used to assemble the more than 11,886 entries. Each entry in the database has the source noted.

Thanks to Karen and all the volunteers for making this outstanding resource available to Colorado researchers.

Today’s Denver Post has an article “U.S. war records available to masses,” which describes recent agreements between the National Archives and Ancestry.com. The story also mentions an offer which allows anyone to search Ancestry’s military databases free, beginning today through 31 May 2008.

To access the free records, visit < www.ancestry.com/military/ >. You will need to sign up for a free account to see individual records.

Thanks to subscriber Gerald Sherard for letting us know about this story.

Julie Miller’s monthly column is in the 13 April 2008 edition of the Broomfield Enterprise. The topic for April is “Probate records more than a will.” The column discusses the genealogy information that can be found in wills and probate records.

Since our earlier post, Arphax Publishing has released more Colorado counties in their series of Family Maps books. This week’s releases include a Deluxe Edition* for Ouray County. Here is a list of all the Colorado counties currently available for sale:

Crowley County, Colorado: Homesteads Edition
Pueblo County, Colorado: Homesteads Edition
Custer County, Colorado: Homesteads Edition
Otero County Colorado, Deluxe Edition
Bent County, Colorado, Deluxe Edition
Logan County, Colorado, Deluxe Edition
Ouray County, Colorado, Deluxe Edition

* Deluxe editions “allow comprehensive research for the physical location of the underlying land, are quite a bit longer than Homesteads editions, but [are] a little more expensive.” For more information about the differences between the two editions see these FAQs at the publisher’s Web site: “What’s the difference …” and “Why do you have TWO …“

The September edition of Denver Public Library’s Manuscript Collection News is now available at the DPL Web site.

Some highlights from this issue are:

• Captain Hildreth Frost Papers (WH144)
• Adelaide French (WH155). Miss French was an active genealogist; in 1994 she was inducted into the Colorado Council of Genealogical Societies’ Memorial Hall of Fame (David S. Vogels Award).

• Louisa Ward Arps Papers (WH1234). Papers and photographs from 1880 to 1985.
• Jane Silverstein Ries (WH1785). Denver’s first woman landscape architect.
• 10th Mountain Division: America’s Alpine Warriors Exhibit

• Western History (7 items)
• Conservation Collection (2 items)
• 10th Mountain Division (7 items, all personal papers of veterans)

Past issues are also available. The July News, which includes a description of the Byers Family Collection (”Hidden Treasures”), is available here; the August News has a condensed description of the procedures the library uses to process donations, and is available here.