Are You A Colorado First Family?
The Colorado Council of Genealogical Societies (CCGS) manages the First Families of Colorado Recognition Program through which descendants of Colorado pioneer families receive lineage certificates honoring their Colorado legacy. The certificates are beautiful, very appropriate for framing and commemorating the early families of Colorado.
Hundreds of descendants have submitted proofs of lineage to their Colorado ancestors and received certificates as a result of the First Families of Colorado Recognition Program, which has been in place since 1983 Those who apply for and receive the certificates often include their children and grandchildren as proof of a personal connection to Colorado. The names of these descendants and their pioneer connections can be viewed at the Pioneer List on the CCGS website.
There are three categories of recognition:
- First Family, whereby an ancestor must have been born in, or settled in, the land area of what is now Colorado, before 28 February, 1861.
- Territorial Family, whereby an ancestor must have been born in, or settled in, a territory that is now Colorado, between 28 February 1861 and 1 August 1876.
- Centennial Family, whereby an ancestor must have been born in, or settled in, Colorado at least 100 years prior to the date of Centennial Family application.
To find out more about the CCGS First Families Recognition Program, click here.
For an application, visit the CCGS Family Recognition page here.
Applicants are not required to be current residents of Colorado. Many descendants do not reside in Colorado, but they proudly remember their Colorado legacy. Applicants are permitted to submit paperwork that records the activities and activities of their ancestors in Colorado, such as census records, church records, birth, marriage, and death records.