Cheyenne County, Nebraska Genealogy

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

Description
Cheyenne County is located in the west area of the state. The county was named after the Cheyenne Native American tribe.

County Courthouse
Cheyenne County Courthouse 1000 10th Ave. Sidney, NE 69162-1612 Phone: 308.254.2141 Cheyenne County Website County Clerk has marriage and land records. County Court has probate records. Clerk District Court has divorce records.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for Nebraska starting in 1860. For links to Federal census indexes, see Nebraska Census.

State Census Records


 * 1854 - 1870 - Nebraska, Compiled Census Index, 1854-1870 at Ancestry.com - index ($)
 * 1860 - 1885 - Nebraska State Census Collection 1860-1885 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)
 * 1885 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1885 - Nebraska State Census 1885 at Ancestry.com - index and images ($)

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Online Church Records

 * 1875-1899 - at FamilySearch — index

Court Records
Cheyenne County has both a District and a County Court. The District Court issues writs, files papers delivered to him, endorses papers, and keeps records of court proceedings. The County Court files copies of Land records as well as birth, marriage, and death records.


 * District Court Courthouse 1000 10th Ave PO Box 217 Sidney, Nebraska 69162-0217 Telephone: (308)254-2814
 * County Court Courthouse 1000 10th Ave Sidney, Nebraska 69162-0217 Telephone: (308)254-2141

Land and Property 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
 * 1863 - 1908 - U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images

For more information see Nebraska Land and Property

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Nebraska Gazetteer - database for all known places found in 1890 and 1911 Nebraska gazetteers
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Nebraska - shows boundary changes for Nebraska Counties
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Revolutionary War

 * 1775 - 1783 - at FamilySearch - images only
 * For more nationwide Revolutionary War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

Civil War

 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1948 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1891 - Nebraska Resident Military Roster on June 1, 1891 at Ancestry.com - ($), Roster of Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines of the War of 1812, the Mexico War, and the War of the Rebellion, residing in Nebraska June 1, 1891
 * 1893 - Roster of Nebraska Veterans - list of veterans in 1893
 * For more nationwide Civil War databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

World War I

 * 1917 - 1918 - World War I Drafts 1917-1918 - index only
 * For more nationwide World War I databases, see US Military Online Genealogy Records.

World War II

 * 1940 - 1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1855-1989 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers
 Nebraska Newspapers Online Nebraska Newspaper Catalogs
 * Nebraska Newspapers - contains images of newspapers throughout Nebraska
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Nebraska newspapers
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Nebraska newspapers
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some Nebraska newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
 * Nebraska State Historical Society - catalog of known Nebraska newspapers; lists repositories that have the newspapers
 * 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

Other Records

 * 1870 - 1990 — Nebraska Prisoner Records 1870-1990 — index only

Probate Records
Online Probate Records
 * 1806 – 1989 Nebraska Wills and Probate Records 1806-1989 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Marriage

 * 1855 - 1995 — at FamilySearch — index only
 * 1856 - 1898 — Nebraska Marriages 1856-1898 at Ancestry.com ($), index only

Death

 * 1861 - 1948 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1904-1955 Reclaim the Records: Nebraska Death Index at Archive.org - images of index

Family History Centers

 * Sidney Nebraska Family History Center

Libraries

 * Sidney Public Library 1112 12th Ave. Sidney, NE 69162 Phone: 308-254-3110
 * Dalton Public Library P.O. Box 206 Dalton, NE 69131-0206 Phone: 308-377-2413
 * Nancy Fawcett Memorial Library 724 Oberfelder St P.O. Box 318 Lodgepole, NE 69149-0318 Phone: 308-483-5714 Fax: 308-483-5715 Email: [mailto:nafameli@daltontel.net nafameli@daltontel.net]
 * Potter Public Library 333 Chestnut P.O. Box 317 Potter, NE 69156-0317 Phone: 308-879-4345 Fax: 308-879-4456

Societies

 * Cheyenne County Genealogical Society&#160;(CCGS) P.O. Box 802 Sidney, NE 69162 The society has all Cheyenne County marriage records prior to 1 Jan 1987, cemetery transcription books done in 1998, census films for the county, and a county history with biographies. See their GenWeb site for fees. The collections of the CCGS have been moved to the Sidney Public Library to the B. Seda Heritage Room.
 * Cheyenne County Historical Society P.O. Box 802 Sidney, NE 69162
 * Cheyenne County Historical Society Fort Sidney Complex 6th &amp; Jackson Sts. Sidney, NE 69162 Phone: 308-254-2550

Websites

 * NEGenWeb
 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * - 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