The Colorado Mountain History Collection (CMHC) is a non-circulating collection of documents, objects, and ephemera relating to the history of Lake County and surrounding areas to aid in research. The Lake County Public Library (LCPL), as holder of these items, regularly assesses the materials to determine if they fit the guidelines of our collection.
1. The condition of the item. If the item is in disrepair (ie: falling apart, moldy, stained, in an obvious state of decay) we will not accept the item.
2. Relevance to Colorado Mountain History. We grade items based on their relevance to our area, a thru e:
a: Item is directly related to Leadville or Lake County.
b: Item pertains to one of our surrounding counties, (ie: Park, Summit, Eagle, Pitkin, Gunnison, or Chaffee).
c: Item relates to mining or mountain expansion in Colorado.
d: Item is Colorado related but not our specific region. This may not be admitted to the collection.
e: Item is completely unrelated to Colorado or the Colorado mountains. This would not be admitted into our collection.
3. Photocopies of ephemera, photographs, or documents will not be accepted for donation.
An appointment must be made with one of LCPL’s Local History Coordinators to discuss donation items.
We will prioritize items based on our grading system, space, and type of care the item needs.
A Deed of Gift form must be filled out to transfer ownership of the items to LCPL.
Lake County Cemetery Records
Lake County Census Indices
Leadville City Directories (1879-1918)
Leadville City Jail Records
Marriage Indices
Divorce & Probate Indices
Digital Photo Collection
This policy will be reviewed every 4 years. The next review is expected in 2028.