Daily Ancestorcol.
Col. in older records can mean colored, a label clerks used for Black and mixed race people; in military papers it means colonel.
In nineteenth and early twentieth century registers, tax lists, directories and vital records, col. after a name was short for colored, a label used for Black and mixed race people. City directories sometimes marked entries with (col.).
It reflects the clerk's view, not the person's own, and it was applied unevenly. The same abbreviation before a name in a military record is Col., colonel, so read the context.
As seen in a recordEntry in a nineteenth century city directory
Jackson, Henry (col.), laborer, h. 22 Water
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Daily Ancestor. "col.." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/abbreviations/col. Last checked 2026-10-01.