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Collection of Cattle Brands from 1890-1950

August Fanselau A.N. Corliss John Wahl Dobler Bros. Andreas Adolf Fred Bauder Fred Bamesberger August Adolf Gottlob Amman Schaal Brothers Herman Amman Andreas Baltzer Chris Stahlecker Chris Kramer Shorty Schlichenmayer Strobel Brothers Christian & Jacob Allan Adolf If you know of other settlement brands, please let me know.. E-Mail Please note:  I only have a limited record of the brands from Kit Carson County, Colorado.  For other Colorado brands, try looking at the State Brand Board or the Colorado Cattlemen's Association. From the Division of Brand Inspection, Colorado Department of Agriculture The records in this office only go back to 1899. Prior to 1899, each county in Colorado did their own brand recording. If someone is looking for information on a brand from 1899 to current, they can contact this office (Division of Brand Inspection) at (303) 294-0895 or   c a r a . w e l l s @ a g . s t a t e . c o . u s.   Any brand information prior to 1899, they would need to try to contact the county to see if the old records are available. In the early 1970's the Kit Carson County Cattlemen's Association sponsored a printed paper napkin were area ranchers could have their cattle band printed on the napkins for a small fee.  These napkins were then used for Cattlemen's Association events and packages were given to each of the ranchers that had their brand printed.   [See all brands PDF]

Back in the fall of 1857, a freighter ran an experiment in order to determine whether or not oxen could be wintered in Colorado and survive. The success story with these oxen spread rapidly. The following fall, 1858, just over a hundred years ago, a number of far-sighted cattlemen, seeing Colorado's potential, established their foundation herds in Colorado Territory.

Nine years later these pioneers, along with other cattlemen organized the State Association, 1867. The major purpose stimulating this organization was to obtain improved quality through more research in management practices, better breeding, and the further development of what was to become one of Colorado's great industries-the production of feeder cattle.

Many of the leaders in early day history who have helped build up the state have held offices in the State Colorado Association, as the cattlemen played a great part in the development of the state.

This new organization, founded back in Territorial Days in 1867, was called the Colorado Stockgrowers Assn. Some thirty brands were recorded at that time.

Before this time brands had been used, each person deciding on his brand and then proving to others it was his. The first brand law was passed in Colorado in 1872. Then in 1879 the state set up and established the brand law and the brand inspection law. The statutes were published in two languages, Spanish and English.

The first brand inspectors were employed by this board in 1879. They were stationed at railway shipping points, on cattle trails and in several eastern markets. Today in 1958 there are forty-five full-time brand inspectors and twenty-five part-time men and they have inspected 2,377,456 head of cattle during the last fiscal year in Colorado.

Each county had to have its own brand letter before the brand. Such as:

Livestock brands were recorded in the county clerks' offices from 1866 to 1885, when all the brand recording was transferred to the office of the Secretary of State. By 1885 the state system was adopted. In 1899 the brand registration and recording was placed under control of the Cattlemen, in the office of the State Board of Stock Inspection Commissioners, and taken out of political office.

In 1899 Colorado introducd [sic] a system of publishing brands that has been adopted by the other western states. All brands are listed under the first character, starting with the letters in alphabetical order, followed by the numbers, geometrical figures and finally miscellaneous brands listed at the end.

The State Brand Book, first published by the Secretary of State Office, showed brands on record from 1885-1888. There were 13,228 brands at that time. In 1938 there were about 30,000 brands on record in the state brand office in Colorado.  Prior to the 1957 brand assessment there were 51,058 brands on record.

All county newspapers in the range days ran on or two pages of brands with the owner's name and address and range.  This was given in addition to a year's subscription to the paper.