Big Horn County, Wyoming Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for the Big Horn Mountains which form its eastern boundary. The County is located in the north-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Big Horn County Courthouse 420 W C Street Basin, WY 82410 Phone: 307.568.2357 Big Horn County Website County Clerk has marriage and land records from 1896. Clerk District Court has divorce, probate and court records from 1896.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

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:

Cemeteries
The following web site has additional information on Big Horn county cemeteries.


 * Interment.net Wyoming cemetery records by county.

Territory and State Census Records

 * 1850 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; North Dakota was included in the 1850 Utah Territory Census - How to Use this Collection.
 * 1860 - 1910 - Wyoming Compiled Census at Ancestry.com — ($), index and images
 * 1860 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; Wyoming was included in the 1860 Nebraska Territory Census - How to Use this Collection
 * 1870 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; Wyoming Territory Census - How to Use this Collection
 * 1880 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; Wyoming Territory Census - How to Use this Collection

Federal Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for the state of Wyoming starting in 1890, although no records survived. The 1900 Census is the next Federal Census available. For links to Federal Census indexes, see Wyoming Census.

Church Records
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints


 * Basin, Belfry, Burlington, Byron, Cody, Cowley, Greybull, Ionia, Lovell, Lovell West, Otto

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Funeral Homes

 * Atwood Family Funeral Directors in Basin and Greybull
 * Haskell Funeral Home in Lovell

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 - 1908 - U.S. Homestead Records 1861-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images

Local Histories

 * Big Horn County, Wyoming: the Gem of the Rockies. 1906. by A.S. Mercer. Hyattville, WY: A.S. Mercer Internet Archive


 * Goodbye, Judge Lynch: the End of a Lawless Era in Wyoming's Big Horn Basin. 2005. by John W. Davis. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press. Online at: Internet Archive


 * History of Cheyenne and Northern Wyoming. 1876. by J.H. Triggs. Omaha, NE: Herald Steam Book and Job Printing House. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.


 * Big Horn County at Wyoming History.org

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Wyoming - shows boundary changes for Wyoming Counties
 * Historical Maps and Atlases of wyoming - maps and atlases of Wyoming

Military Records
These collections are unique to Wyoming. You will find nationwide databases for military records on U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records and Wyoming Military Records.

General 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 World War II For further information see Wyoming Military Records.
 * 1914-1946 Wyoming, U.S., Military Service and Veterans Records, 1914-1946 at Ancestry - index and images ($)
 * 1861 -1865 at FamilySearch.— index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1883 List of Civil War Pensioners, Wyoming, 1883 - Index only
 * 1890 at FamilySearch.— index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1917 - 1918 at FamilySearch — Index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * WWII Army and Army Air Force Casualties for Wyoming - Index only

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

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

Probate Records
The bulk of the probate case files from the 1890's to the 1940's have been transferred to the Wyoming State Archives in Cheyenne. Check their website for additional details.

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.

Vital Records

 * 1908 - 1966 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection

Marriage

 * 1839 - 1957 Wyoming, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * Western States Marriage Index - Index, incomplete,over 1,936 marriages 20 Jan 1897 to 13 Nov 1922 list of counties included
 * 1867 - 1941 Wyoming Marriages 1867-1941 at findmypast ($), index.
 * 1877 - 1920 at FamilySearch— Index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1877 - 1920 Wyoming, Marriages, 1877-1920 at MyHeritage ($) — index.
 * 1941-1966 Reclaim the Records: Wyoming Marriage Index at Archive.org - images of index
 * 1941-1969 Wyoming, U.S., Marriage Records, 1941-1969 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

Death

 * Wyoming Death Index at Wyoming State Archives — index (currently contains only A-E, it is a work in progress)
 * 1909-1969 Wyoming, Death Records, 1909-1969 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * Pre 1939-1952 Reclaim the Records: Wyoming Death Index at Archive.org - images of index

Divorce

 * Pre 1941-1952 Reclaim the Records: Wyoming Divorce Index at Archive.org - images of index
 * 1941-1969 Wyoming, U.S., Divorce Records, 1941-1969 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

Family History Centers

 * Basin-Greybull Wyoming Family History Center
 * Burlington Wyoming Family History Center
 * Lovell Wyoming Family History Center

Libraries
Big Horn County Library System

Basin Public Library 430 West C Street PO Box 231 Basin, WY 82410 307-568-2388 Website

Greybull Public Library 325 Greybull Avenue PO Box 226 Greybull, WY 82426 307-765-2551 Email: [mailto:greypublib@yahoo.com greypublib@yahoo.com] Website

Lovell Public Library 300 Oregon Ave Lovell, WY 82431 307-548-7228 Email: [mailto:lovellbranchlibrary@gmail.com lovellbranchlibrary@gmail.com] Website

Museums
Museum at the Bighorns 850 Sibley Circle Sheridan, WY 82801 307-675-1150 Email: [mailto:info@museumatthebighorns.org info@museumatthebighorns.org] Website Facebook Page

Societies
Big Horn County Chapter PO Box 247 Wheatland, WY 82201 Phone: 307-322-4237 Email: [mailto:linda@wyshs.org linda@wyshs.org] Website

Big Horn County Historical Society Website Facebook

Websites

 * Big Horn County at Cyndi's List — a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
 * Big Horn County at Genealogy Trails — transcribed genealogical and historical data
 * Big Horn County at LDSGenealogy - collection of links by state, county, city, and record type
 * Big Horn County at WyoHistory.org; a project of the Wyoming State Historical Society - contains history, pictures, resources and economical information
 * Big Horn County at Wyoming USGenWeb - free on-line data for genealogical research
 * Big Horn County at Wyoming USGenWeb Archives - free online resources for genealogical research
 * - 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.