Unraveling the history of Weld County

Published on March 03, 2022

Story by Shaley Dehner, Communication Specialist for Weld County.

Weld County has a vast history. Much of this history has been preserved via physical artifacts and the Weld County History website, which, until this past month, had developed a few digital cobwebs. The Public Information Office decided it was time to dust off and revamp the website so the public can enjoy the grand history of this county.

In 1859, Weld County didn’t exist — the area was formerly known as St. Vrain County in the territory of Colorado. On November 1, 1861, the Colorado Territorial Legislature established Weld County, named after Lewis Ledyard Weld, then Secretary of the Colorado Territory, and commissioner record books began to be filled with handwritten minutes from board meetings. The first, and oldest, county document is aptly named the St. Vrain County Record Book, which highlights the history of claims and meetings during the time Weld County was known as St. Vrain County. The first meeting notes are from October 12, 1859, and span almost a decade through 1866. This book will enamor history buffs with its beautifully handwritten script and interesting entries such as how livestock were claimed by owners in 1864, a petition to add a wagon road from Julesburg to Ft. Lupton and read about the first table that was built for the Clerk of the District Court.

The St. Vrain County Record Book isn’t the only historic gem found on the history website. Feast your eyes on articles telling of businesses of old that might or might not still be in operation today and ghost towns to how school days played out and various industries and much, much more. There’s something for everyone to discover!

View the history website by visiting https://history.weldgov.com.