Laramie County, Wyoming Genealogy

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

Description
The county seat is Cheyenne, the state capital. Laramie County was founded on 1867. The county was named for Jacques La Ramee, a French-Canadian fur-trader. It is located the southeast corner of the state.

County Courthouse
Laramie County Courthouse 309 W 20th Street Cheyenne, WY 82001 Phone: 307.633.4268 Laramie County Website County Clerk has marriage records from 1868 and land records. Clerk District Court has divorce, probate and court records.

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 Laramie 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.
 * 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
 * 1870 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; Wyoming Territory Census
 * 1880 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; Wyoming Territory Census

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


 * Cheyenne

Court Records
Laramie County has a District Court, County Circuit Court, and Municipal Court. District and County Circuit courts are in Cheyenne and municipal courts are in Burns, Cheyenne, and Pine Bluffs. The District Court handles civil matters over $7000 (Judgments, Divorces, Torts, Adoptions, etc.), Criminal Felonies, Juvenile Crimes and Neglect, Paternity and Child Support Enforcement Cases, Probate Matters such as Estates or Involuntary Commitments. The Circuit Court is a limited jurisdiction court. It hears all misdemeanor criminal cases and smaller civil cases. Judges are full time and they must be lawyers. Municipal Court administers the operation of the judicial branch of the City Government according to the ordinances adopted by the City Council.

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

Local Histories

 * History of Laramie County, Wyoming. 1987. By Jean Bastian. Dallas, Tex: Curtis Media Corp;
 * Laramie County [Wyoming] History. 1989. By Jean Bastian, Sharon Field. Dallas, Texas : Curtis Media;
 * Vol. 1
 * Vol. 2
 * Vol. 2

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

Online Collections
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.

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.
 * 1861 -1865 at FamilySearch.— index
 * 1883 List of Civil War Pensioners, Wyoming, 1883 - Index only
 * 1890 at FamilySearch.— index
 * 1917 - 1918 at FamilySearch — Index and images
 * WWII Army and Army Air Force Casualties for Wyoming - Index only

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

Vital Records

 * 1908 - 1966 at FamilySearch — index

Marriage
It is free to look up the database
 * 1839 - 1957 Wyoming, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * Western States Marriage Index - Index, incomplete, over 214 marriages 7 Feb 1868 to 23 Aug 1899 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.
 * Laramie County, Wyoming Marriage Licenses At the bottom of the page is a link to search their hand written database prior to 1985.

Death

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

Family History Centers

 * Cheyenne Wyoming Family History Center

Libraries
Laramie County Library 2200 Pioneer Ave Cheyenne, WY 82001, USA Phone: 307-634-3561 Fax 307.634.2082 Library Director: Carey Hartmann Email: [mailto:chartmann@lclsonline.org chartmann@lclsonline.org] Phone: 307.773.7222 Website

Societies
County, Township and City Societies

Cheyenne Wyoming Genealogical and Historical Society P.O. Box 2539 Cheyenne, WY 82003-2539 Email:[mailto:cghswyoming@gmail.com cghswyoming@gmail.com] "Local research volunteers will give 30 minutes of time to research information located in the Laramie County Library Genealogy Room. Additional time needed to research data outside of the Genealogy Room may be billed per an agreement with the research volunteer." Requests for research should have the word "research" in the subject line of emails or on the envelopes of written requests.

Union Pacific Historical Society 1111 East Lincolnway PO Box 4006 Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001-4849 Telephone: 307–635-5197 Website The Society was founded in 1984 to preserve the rich and colorful history of the railroad from its beginning in 1862 to the present. It is not connected with the railroad, only with preserving history.

Laramie County Historical Society CHEYENNE WY 82003 Website

Laramie Peekers Genealogical Society of Platte County, Wyoming %CindyAnderson 1108 21st Street Wheatland, WY 82201

Websites

 * Laramie County WYGebWeb
 * Laramie County, WY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Wyoming Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * 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.