Converse County, Wyoming Genealogy

United States Wyoming Converse County

Guide to Converse County, Wyoming ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

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Description
Founded in 1888. The County Seat is Douglas. Converse County is located in the center east area of the state. Converse County was named for A.R. Converse, a banker and rancher from Cheyenne, Wyoming.

County Courthouse
Converse County Courthouse 107 N 5th Street PO Box 990 Douglas, WY 82633 Phone: 307.358.2244 Converse County Website

County Clerk has marriage, land, military discharge and tax records from 1888 and poll records from 1930; Clerk Court has divorce, probate and court records from 1888

Converse County, Wyoming Record Dates

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 * width="91%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" colspan="7" | Beginning Dates for Major County Records
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Birth*
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Marriage
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Death*
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Court
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Land
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Probate
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Census
 * width="13%" align="center" | *
 * width="13%" align="center" | 1888*
 * width="13%" align="center" | *
 * width="13%" align="center" | 1888
 * width="13%" align="center" | 1882
 * width="13%" align="center" | 1889
 * width="13%" align="center" |
 * colspan="7" | *State birth and death records began in 1909. Limited compliance until 1922.
 * }
 * width="13%" align="center" |
 * colspan="7" | *State birth and death records began in 1909. Limited compliance until 1922.
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Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Wyoming - shows boundary changes for Wyoming Counties
 * Wyoming Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

For animated maps illustrating Wyoming County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Wyoming County Boundary Maps" (1848-1965) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.
 * Parent County: created 9 March 1888 from Laramie and Albany counties
 * County Seat: Douglas 

Populated Places

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State Census Records

 * 1860 - 1910 Wyoming Compiled Census, 1860-1910 at Ancestry Index ($)

Federal Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for Wyoming starting in 1850. For links to Federal census indexes, see Wyoming Census.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records
 * Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
 * 1796 - 1907 - U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
 * 1861 - 1936 - U.S. Homestead Records 1861-1936 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Wyoming - shows boundary changes for Wyoming Counties
 * Historical Maps and Atlases of wyoming - maps and atlases of Wyoming

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Converse County, Wyoming Genealogy for European and African American settlers included:


 * Platte River
 * Oregon Trail 1830s to 1890s from western Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon
 * California Trail 1846 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California
 * Mormon Trail 1846 to 1869 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah
 * Bozeman Trail 1863 from Fort Fetterman near Douglas, Wyoming to Virginia City, Montana

Military Records
Civil War No known military units were raised specifically from Wyoming as it did not become a state until 1890. However men from the territories that became Wyoming fought in other units during the Civil War. World War I For further information see Wyoming Military Records.
 * 1861 -1865 at FamilySearch.— index
 * 1890 at FamilySearch.— index
 * 1917 - 1918 at FamilySearch — Index and images

Newspapers
 Wyoming Newspapers Online Wyoming Newspaper Catalogs
 * Wyoming Newspapers.
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Wyoming newspapers
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Wyoming newspapers
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some Wyoming newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
 * U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper

Marriage

 * Western States Marriage Index - Index, incomplete, list of counties included
 * 1867 - 1941 Wyoming Marriages 1867-1941 at FindMyPast ($), index.
 * 1877 - 1920 at FamilySearch— Index
 * 1877 - 1920 Wyoming, Marriages, 1877-1920 at MyHeritage ($) — index.

Death

 * Wyoming Death Index at Wyoming State Archives — index (currently contains only A-E, it is a work in progress)

Family History Centers

 * Douglas Wyoming Family History Center
 * Glenrock Wyoming Family History Center

Websites

 * Converse County, WY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Wyoming Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Wyoming Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * GenWeb
 * Lookups (GenWeb)
 * Wikipedia
 * - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.