Mountains

The county seat that moved three times

History and culture Custer County county seat rosita silver cliff westcliffe

Most Colorado counties pick a county seat and keep it. Custer County moved its seat of government three times in its first half-century, and the path follows the fortunes of each town.

When the county formed in 1877, the seat sat at Ula, an early valley settlement that is a ghost town today. In 1878 the seat moved to Rosita, the busy silver camp of the moment. As newer strikes pulled people toward Silver Cliff, that town won the seat in 1886 after a hard-fought contest. Then, as mining faded and the railroad town of Westcliffe grew steadier, the seat moved a final time to Westcliffe, where it remains.

Why this matters today: the records, deeds, and court files for an old property may have been kept in different towns depending on the year. It also explains why a small county has several former “capitals,” some of them now quiet sites or ghost towns. The current county offices and the official record are in Westcliffe.

For the documented dates of each move and where older records now live, start with History Colorado and the Custer County offices.

Sources

Official or primary sources used for this note. Local details can change, so confirm before acting.

Reviewed: June 12, 2026 History Colorado custercounty-co.gov

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