Huerfano County, Colorado
Land Patents Page

Contributed by Karen Mitchell.
NOTICE All data and photos on this website are Copyrighted by Karen Mitchell. Duplication of this data or photos is strictly forbidden without legal written permission by the Copyright holder.
To search the database:

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This index offers researchers a source of information on the initial transfer of land titles from the Federal government to individuals. In addition to verifying title transfer, this information will allow the researcher to associate an individual (Patentee, Assignee, Warrantee, Widow, or Heir) with a specific location (Legal Land Description) in time (Signature date).

To Obtain Certified Copies of Land Patents:
To request a certified copy of a patent, you may e-mail david_sileo@co.blm.gov. In your e-mail, please refer to the BLM Serial Number.

Or write to:
Colorado State Office
2850 Youngfield St.
Lakewood, CO 80215
phone 303-239-3600
Give them the information you obtained and they will send you a copy of the homestead. You can do this over the phone by using a credit card.

You can request even more information by sending this information to:
Old Military & Civil Records (NWCTB)
National Archives and Records Administration, Room 11E
Washington, D.C. 20408
phone 202-501-5400

Bureau of Land Management Colorado Offices:
Colorado State Office Ann Morgan, Director 2850 Youngfield Street Lakewood, Colorado 80215 303.239.3600 FAX 303.239.3933

Anasazi Heritage Center Lou Ann Jacobsen Ball 27501 Highway 184 Dolores, Colorado 81323 970-882-4811 FAX 970-882-7035

Grand Junction Field Office Catherine Robertson 2815 H Road Grand Junction, Colorado 81506 970-244-3000 FAX 970-244-3083

Front Range Center BLM/USFS Donnie Sparks 3170 East Main Street Caņon City, Colorado 81212 719-269-8500 FAX 719-269-8599

Little Snake Field Office John Husband 455 Emerson St. Craig, Colorado 81625 970-826-5000 FAX 970-826-5002

Uncompahgre Field Office Allan Belt 2505 S. Townsend Avenue Montrose, Colorado 81401 970-240-5300 FAX 970-240-5367

Royal Gorge Field Office Levi Deike 3170 East Main Street Caņon City, Colorado 81212 719-269-8500 FAX 719-269-8599

Northwest Center Vacant 2815 H Road Grand Junction, Colorado 81506 970-244-3000 FAX 970-244-3083

Southwest Center BLM/USFS Mark Stiles 2465 S. Townsend Avenue Montrose, Colorado 81401 970-240-5300 FAX 970-240-5368

Saguache Field Office BLM/USFS Tom Goodwin 46525 Highway 114 PO Box 67 Saguache, Colorado 81149 719-655-2547 FAX 719-655-2502

Kremmling Field Office Linda Gross 1116 Park Avenue P.O. Box 68 Kremmling, Colorado 80459 970-724-3437 FAX 970-724-9590

San Juan Field Office USFS/BLM Calvin Joyner 15 Burnett Court Durango, Colorado 81301 970-247-4874 FAX 970-385-1375

La Jara Field Office BLM/USFS Carlos Pinto 15571 County Rd T5 La Jara, Colorado 81140 719-274-8971 FAX 719-274-6301

White River Field Office John Mehlhoff 73544 Highway 64 Meeker, Colorado 81641 970-878-3601 FAX 970-878-5717

Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area StateParks/BLM Dave Taliaferro 307 West Sackett PO Box 126 Salida, Colorado 81201 719-539-7289 FAX 719-539-3771

Glenwood Springs Field Office Anne Huebner 50629 Hwys 6 & 24 (ZIP 81601) P.O. Box 1009 Glenwood Springs, CO 81602 970-947-2800 FAX 970-947-2829

Gunnison Field Office Barry Tollefson 216 N. Colorado Gunnison, Colorado 81230 970-641-0471 FAX 970-641-1928

History of the BLM
The BLM's roots go back to the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. These laws provided for the survey and settlement of the lands that the original 13 colonies ceded to the Federal government after the War of Independence.
As additional lands were acquired by the United States from Spain, France, and other countries, Congress directed that they be explored, surveyed, and made available for settlement. In 1812, Congress established the General Land Office in the Department of the Treasury to oversee the disposition of these Federal lands.
As the 19th century progressed and the Nation's land base expanded further west, Congress encouraged the settlement of the land by enacting a wide variety of laws, including the Homesteading Laws and the Mining Law of 1872.
These statutes served one of the major policy goals of the young country-- settlement of the Western territories. With the exception of the Mining Law of 1872 and the Desert Land Act of 1877 (which was amended), all have since been repealed or superseded by other statutes.
The late 19th century marked a shift in Federal land management priorities with the creation of the first national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges. By withdrawing these lands from settlement, Congress signaled a shift in the policy goals served by the public lands. Instead of using them to promote settlement, Congress recognized that they should be held in public ownership because of their other resource values.
In the early 20th century, Congress took additional steps toward recognizing the value of the assets on public lands and directed the Executive Branch to manage activities on the remaining public lands. The Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 allowed leasing, exploration, and production of selected commodities such as coal, oil, gas, and sodium to take place on public lands. The Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 established the U.S. Grazing Service to manage the public rangelands. And the Oregon and California (O&C) Act of August 28, 1937, required sustained yield management of the timberlands in western Oregon.
In 1946, the Grazing Service was merged with the General Land Office to form the Bureau of Land Management within the Department of the Interior. When the BLM was initially created, there were over 2,000 unrelated and often conflicting laws for managing the public lands. The BLM had no unified legislative mandate until Congress enacted the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA).
In FLPMA, Congress recognized the value of the remaining public lands by declaring that these lands would remain in public ownership. Congress also gave us the term "multiple use" management, defined as "management of the public lands and their various resource values so that they are utilized in the combination that will best meet the present and future needs of the American people."
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