In 1882, a large colony of immigrant Russian Jews settled in Cotopaxi, Colorado. They were misled that farming was good in the area. These individuals endured difficult hardships and the settlement lasted less than three years because it was too arid to farm. Many descendants moved on to live in other areas of Colorado, notably in Denver. A KehilaLinks page on JewishGen describes this colony in detail, including surnames.

Urged by Denver Public Library Genealogy Librarian James Jeffrey, JGSCO member Ellen Shindelman Kowitt compiled a surname index to the 1950 thesis written by Flora Jane Satt at C.U. The original, unpublished manuscript is held at the Denver Public Library Genealogy Department. A copy of the thesis and this name index are also available at the JGSCO library at Congregation Emanuel. A webpage about the Russian Jewish Colony in Cotopaxi created by Nelson Moore has the partial text of Flora Jane Satt's unpublished thesis "The Cotopaxi Colony" online. There are also a number of photographs and general information about the settlement.

Cotopaxi Surname Index

Following are the surnames of 123 unique individuals Compiled by Ellen Kowitt and mentioned within the thesis:

Altman, Moses 53; Baer, Esther 16; Bancroft, Hubert Howe 6; Carroll, Mr. J. A. 64; Cremieux, Adolphe 23; Davidson, Gabriel 36; Frazer, Jesse 6, 7; Goodwin, Edwin A. 66; Grimes, Ed 21, 31, 39; Hart, A. S. 10, 35-41, 47, 65; Heilprin, Michael 23-26, 29-30, 36, 44, 46, 50, 52, 62-63; Ignatieff, Nicolas Pavlovich 26-27, 50; Isaacs, Abraham 44; Isaacs, Meyer 28; Kadish, Morris 53; Kohn, G. H. 48; Korpitsky, David 31, 42-43, 53; Korpitsky, daughter #1 of David 31; Korpitsky, daughter #2 of David 31; Korpitsky, daughter #3 of David 31; Korpitsky, baby son of David 31; Kossuth, Louis 23; Levinsohn, Isaac Baer 15-16; McCoy, Charles H. 35, 37-38, 48, 65; Mendelsohn, Moses 15; Milstein, Benjamin Zalman 18-19, 31, 33, 42, 52; Milstein, Hannah 19, 31, 43; Milstein, Henry 31; Milstein, Isaac Leib "Shames" 17, 31; Milstein, Jacob, son of Saul 16-17, 31, 53; Milstein, Jacob, son of Benjamin 19-22, 24-26, 29, 31, 33, 42-44, 53; Milstein, Malka Zalman 16-17; Milstein, Menashe 16; Milstein, Michael "Shames" 31; Milstein, Miriam 52; Milstein, Nettie 21-22, 31, 33, 42-43, 53; Milstein, Saul Baer 17-22, 33, 52-53; Montefiore, Moses 24; Morris, Berel 31; Morris, Helen 31; Morris, Sarah 31; Morris, 54; Moscowitz, Charles 31; Moscowitz, Mrs. Charles 31; Moscowitz, daughter #1 of Charles 31; Moscowitz, daughter #2 of Charles 31; Moscowitz, daughter #3 of Charles 31; Moscowitz, daughter #4 of Charles 31; Moscowitz, 54; Mullins, Miss H. 65; Needleman, Morris "Zedek" 31; Needleman, Mrs. Morris 31; Needleman, daughter #1 of Morris 31; Needleman, daughter #2 of Morris 31; Needleman, daughter #3 of Morris 31; Needleman, daughter #4 of Morris 31; Needleman, 54; Newman, Abraham 31; Newman, Nechama 31; Newman, 54; Ornstein, Mrs. R. 48; Ornstein, Rose 22; Prezant, Charles 31; Prezant, Isaac 31; Prezant, Keile Milstein 31; Prezant, 53; Quiat, Mrs. Hannah Shames 37, 43, 48, 53; Quiat, Philip 53; Radinsky, Mr. Albert Ellis 64, 66; Robinson, Harry 8; Rockafellow, B. F. 6, 60; Rosenstein, A. 8; Rudd, Anson 60; Saleel, E. 8; Saltiel, Emanuel H. prologue, 7-11, 25-26, 29, 33-37, 39-40, 43-49, 51, 59-61, 63-64, 66; Saltiel, J. T. 8; Schneider, Alta 31; Schneider, Samuel 31; Schneider, 54; Schwartz, Julius 30, 33, 35-36, 40-41, 43-44, 59, 63; Shames, Esther Mary 31; Shames, Frieda Raisie 31; Shames, Hannah 31; Shames, Isaac Leib 31, 52; Shames, Michael 31, 52; Shames, Nettie 31; Shames, Rachel 31, 53; Shames, Sarah Bessie 31; Shames, 17; Shradsky, Asna 31; Shradsky, Hyman 31; Shradsky, Max 31; Shradsky, Mindel 31; Shradsky, Samuel 31, 52; Shradsky, Sarah 31; Shradsky, Sholem 31, 52; Shradsky, 54; Shuteran, baby girl 31; Shuteran, Hannah Milstein 31; Shuteran, Max 31, 43; Shuteran, Rachel 31; Shuteran, Solomon 31, 54; Shuteran, 53; Singer, Henry 53; Singer, Mrs. Rachel 37; Singer, Yente 53; Spivak, Dr. 36, 46, 48; Steinel, Alvin 6; Strauss, A. 48; Tarkoff, Mrs. Harry 50, 63; Thomas, Henry 1, 2, 4, 9, 11, 35; Tobias, Bessie 31; Tobias, Max 31, 42; Tobias, 53; Toplitsky, Herschel 31; Toplitsky, Mr. & Mrs. Herschel 42; Toplitsky, Riva Shradsky 31; Toplitsky, 53; Washer/Wesher, Joseph 31, 53; Washer/Wesher, Nettie 31; Witkowski, L. 48; Wulsten, Carl 5, 61; and Zalman, Rabbi of Zhitomir 16.