Wyoming Genealogy

From the Big Horn County Court House in central Basin, drive about 2 miles to the west on Hwy 30 toward Otto. The cemetery is on the north side of the road. You can’t miss it. It is a very well-kept and well organized cemetery on a nice hill overlooking the town. To the East are the beautiful Big Horn Mountains. The date given in this database is the date of death, provided by the Atwood Funeral Home in Basin. N 44 23.220 W 108 03.778 NAMELOTBLOCKDATEAbigt, Bessie G.10E(sp4)July 23, 1985Abigt, Fred W.10E(sp4)March 17, 1969Abrahams, Thomas M.3137September 6, 1954Ackerman, Clarence…

Bonanza was named because oil was discovered seeping from a spring here in 1887. Oil was so good it could be burned in lamps without refining. Promoters thought they had found a “bonanza,” but it did not prove so and rigs pulled out in 1890. Deeper drilling has now brought back the Bonanza oil field, but the town remains a ghosttown. If you visit the cemetery, you’ve seen everything. The Bonanza Cemetery is located about 8 miles west of Hyattville at the junction of Hwy 31 and Road 31 1/2. Turn left or south on the dirt Road 31 1/2…

In the states adjoining Wyoming were a number of forts that played a part in the military history of the state. Among these may be named Fort Hall, Idaho, Uinta and Thornburg, Utah; Sedgwick (first known as Fort Rankin), Colorado; C. F. Smith and Custer, Montana and Robinson and Sidney in Nebraska. Forts in Wyoming Camp AugerFort BridgerCamp CarlinFort CasperFort ConnorFort FettermanFort HalleckFort Philip KearnyFort LaramieFort MackenzieFort McKinneyFort RenoFort D. A. RussellFort SandersFort StambaughFort Fred SteeleFort WalbachFort Washakie

On January 13, 1899, Francis E. Warren, United States Senator from Wyoming introduced a bill for the creation of a Government military post near the City of Sheridan. The necessity for such a post had been brought to the attention of President McKinley the year before and an executive order had been issued for the establishment of temporary barracks under the supervision of Gen. E.V. Summer. In the debate on the Warren bill the fact was brought out that there were over twenty-three thousand Indians upon the various reservations tributary to the proposed fort. These included the Fort Benton, Standing…

On October 12, 1876, Fort McKinney was established on the northwest bank of Powder River, three miles above and south of the site of old Fort Reno. It was first called “Cantonment Reno” On July 18, 1877; the location was changed to the north bank of Clear Creek, a short distance west of the present City of Buffalo and about two miles above the crossing of the old Bozeman Road. The old site was then used as a depot. The mane of Fort McKinney was given to the post on August 30, 1877, after the removal. The first substantial buildings…

Soon after the discovery of gold in the South Pass region in 1867, a request was made for troops to protect the miners from Indian depredations. The request was ignored for a time, but in June 1870 a small military station was established in Smith’s Gulch, near Atlantic City and given the name of Camp Stambaugh. Two years later it was garrisoned by two companies, which were quartered in four large log buildings. The presence of these troops kept the Shoshone and Bannock Indians from a possible outbreak. On January 27, 1878, Gen. Philip H. Sheridan recommended the removal of…