San Juan County, Colorado
Historic newspapers, landmarks, and county history layers for genealogists and local historians.
At a glance
SummaryThe National Register of Historic Places includes 11 listed properties in the county, first listed in 1966; 2 are also National Historic Landmarks. Most listings are in or near Silverton, Durango, San Juan.
Summary generated automatically from the source data on this page.
Newspapers
Library of CongressNewspaper directory data for Colorado is not yet loaded on this site. Browse San Juan titles at the Library of Congress.
National Register of Historic Places
NPS NRHP1 of 11 listings mapped; some locations are restricted by NPS to protect sensitive sites.
11 listed properties
| Property | City | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Animas Forks | Silverton | 2011 |
| Cascade Boy Scout Camp | Durango | 1988 |
| Frisco-Bagley Mine and Tunnel | Silverton | 2020 |
| Gold Prince Mine, Mill and Aerial Tramway | Silverton | 2011 |
| Martin Mining Complex | Silverton | 2004 |
| Minnie Gulch Cabins | Silverton | 2011 |
| Placer Gulch Boarding House | San Juan | 2011 |
| Shenandoah-Dives Mill NHL | Silverton | 2000 |
| Silverton Historic District NHL | Silverton | 1966 |
| Silverton Historic District (Boundary Increase) | Silverton | 1997 |
| Sound Democrat Mill and Mine and Silver Queen Mine | Silverton | 2015 |
Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Property links open NRHP nomination files at the National Archives.
County formation
Newberry AHCBSan Juan was formed in 1876 (1876-05-01) from Hinsdale, La Plata.
SAN JUAN created from HINSDALE and LA PLATA. Act passed 31 Jan 1876; took effect 1 May 1876.
Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
Population by decade
CensusSan Juan County population from 1880 to 2020 (Census historical series).
| 1880 | 1900 | 1920 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,087 | 2,342 | 1,700 | 1,439 | 1,471 | 849 | 833 | 558 | 705 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau historical county population (Forstall 1790–1990) and public-domain / CC0 county population series through 2020.
Cemeteries & historical places
USGS GNIS1 cemeteries and 4 historical populated places (ghost towns / former settlements) recorded in USGS GNIS for this county.
Cemeteries — 1 of 1 listed
| Name |
|---|
| Hillside Cemetery |
Historical populated places — 4 of 4
| Name |
|---|
| Animas Forks |
| Beartown |
| Chattanooga |
| Gladstone |
Source: USGS Geographic Names Information System (public domain). Cemeteries from the 2021 NationalFile archive; historical places from GNIS HistoricalFeatures topical extract.
Historical markers
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Search HMdb for San Juan County, Colorado
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