Wyoming Genealogy

Wyoming Genealogy is being developed as a genealogical and historical resource for your personal use. It contains information and records for Wyoming ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Specifically, it provides sources for birth records, death records, marriage records, census records, tax records, court records, and military records. It also provides some historical details about different times and people in Wyoming history.

Wyoming’s Pioneer Ranches

New Wyoming Genealogy

Al Houston, Pioneer Indian Fighter, Hunter and Guide

Albany County
Al Houston, a pioneer who arrived in Denver in 1857, became a notable hunter and guide in Wyoming. He provided game for the Overland Stage Company and Union Pacific crews while settling along the Laramie River. Known for his remarkable skills, he used one of the first repeating Winchester rifles, surprising attacking Indians. Houston also led numerous hunting trips, garnering respect as a sharpshooter and guide. He moved frequently, seeking good land, and eventually retired to California, where he passed away in 1915. His legacy as a skilled hunter and guide remains significant in Wyoming history.

Clashes Between Cattle and Sheep Owners on the Laramie Plains

Albany County
The Laramie Plains experienced relatively few violent conflicts between cattle and sheep ranchers compared to other Western areas. Notably, incidents involved pioneer ranchers Creighton, Hutton, and Alsop, who managed both livestock. Two significant events were reported: the suspicious death of Mr. Lubber in 1876 and the 1904 Albany County Sheep Raid, where masked men killed 300 sheep amid disputes over grazing rights. Ultimately, ranchmen expressed frustration over trespassing claims, but the early ranchers often ran both sheep and cattle, mitigating potential conflicts.

Organization of Wyoming Stockgrazers Association in Laramie in 1871

Statewide
On April 14, 1871, key pioneers from Laramie and Cheyenne convened to establish the Wyoming Stock Graziers Association, later known as the Wyoming Stockgrowers Association. The meeting aimed to form a permanent society to promote quality livestock, prevent stock theft, and support small ranchers through cooperative efforts. Notable figures included Ora Haley, George Fox, Dr. Latham, and Charley Hutton, who contributed significantly to the livestock industry in Wyoming. The association’s first constitution was adopted, with annual meetings to follow, cementing Laramie’s role as a hub for Wyoming’s cattle industry.

Dr. H. Latham, U. P. Surgeon and Laramie Plains Booster

Albany County
Dr. H. Latham, a Union Pacific Railroad surgeon, played a prominent early role in the development of the Laramie Plains in the 1870s, both as a medical professional and as an enthusiastic promoter of the region’s livestock potential. Arriving in Laramie with the railroad, he invested in cattle operations, helped organize the area’s first Stock Grazing Association, and authored an influential pamphlet advocating the economic viability of year-round grazing on the Western plains. Though his own ventures ultimately failed, and he left for Japan in 1873 to pursue an academic career, his writings and advocacy significantly influenced the growth of…

Marks and Brands of Albany County Wyoming, 1871-1880

Albany County

From Original Books in the Office of County Clerk of Albany CountyBy A. S. “Bud” Gillespie and R. H. “Bob” Burns These brands were entered in the order filed, and the figures give the month, day, and year on which they were filed. The list is a kind of Who’s Who of Albany County Livestock Raisers, some of which became well established through the years and others whose names disappear from the tax rolls in a few years. These rugged men all had one thing in common, namely an unbounded faith in the future of the livestock industry on the…

Laramie Plains First Area to Produce Range Cattle

Albany County

Atop the world are the Laramie Plains, an extensive plateau situated on top of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of around 7,000 feet above sea level. They extend some hundred miles north and south from the Colorado line to Laramie Peak, and are some fifty miles wide from the crest of the Laramie Mountains (Black Hills) on the east, to the Medicine Bow Mountains on the west. The plains, along with the rivers and mountains, all bear the name Laramie, from Jacques LaRamie, an early day French trapper who was killed by Indians in 1820 near the mouth of…

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