Search the Archives

The most popular archives materials are housed in the annex to the Dillon Schoolhouse Museum. Their locations, not the actual photographs or documents, are now searchable online.  You can have access to the catalogues for the Society’s document collection, map collection and photo collection through the Marmot system.

To search the Society’s archives, go to www.marmot.org.  When Marmot appears, click “Millennium Catalog” in the upper left hand corner.  Then select “Summit County Library.”  Once into the Summit County Library system, use “Keyword Search” to type in the key words of your inquiry.  If your search is successful, you will find the Society’s catalog reference for the item sought.  To then view the full record, click the Book icon, which will then display “Find It.”

To browse the Society’s archives, go to www.marmot.org.  When Marmot appears, click “Millennium Catalog” in the upper left hand corner. Then select “Summit County Library.” Once into the Summit County Library system, use “Keyword Search” and type in one of the following: “summit historical society archives” or “ summit historical society maps,” or “summit historical society photograph.”

To find Summit County or Colorado newspapers go to www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org

To Find the Initial Transfer of Land Title From Federal Lands to Individuals (Homesteaders, Patentees, etc)

Go to www.glorecords.blm.gov
- If you have a potential name, enter it under "Basic" and it will pull up all properties transferred to that name.
- If you do not know of any names, but have a location, then go to "Standard" and enter the data under "Land Description"
- County - summit
- Township NR - enter the number (all those in Summit County will be any of 2 through 8 and all will South, "S").
- Range NR - enter the number (75 through 81 and all will be West, "W").
- Meridian - 6th PM.
- Section NR - All of the above data will come from either a legal description or Section Map. Most specific Township/Range quadrants are divided into 36 sections of a square mile each or 640 acres.
- "Search" will bring up all those transfers in that section organized by name. Note the date and then click on "Legal Land Description" which will give you the legal description of all those parcels transferred to that name. In "Remarks" they clarify those parcels (Lot numbers many times were rather arbitrarily assigned). NE1/4SW1/4 read "the northeast quarter of the southwest quarter" of that section.

If help is needed with this process, it's best to email your data and questions to www.archives@summithistorical.org