Wyoming Genealogy Trails Wyoming State Facts County Founded County Seat Square Miles Named For Albany 1868 Laramie 4,274 named Albany by a former Albany, New York resident, who was a member of the Dakota Legislature Big Horn 1896 Basin 3,137 the Big Horn or Rocky Mountain sheep which were numerous in that part of the country Campbell 1911 Gillette 4,797 Robert Campbell who was with Ashley's expedition in this part of the country from 1825 to 1835. It was also named in honor of John Campbell, Territorial Governor Carbon 1868 Rawlins 7,897 the vast coal beds which existed within its boundaries Converse 1888 Douglas 4,255 A. R. Converse, a Wyoming banker and stockman Crook 1875 Sundance 2,859 General George Crook, an Indian fighter and soldier Fremont 1884 Lander 9,183 General John C. Fremont, pathfinder and explorer west of the Missouri river Goshen 1911 Torrington 2,226 the biblical "Land of Goshen". Hot Springs 1911 Thermopolis 2,004 the hot springs at Thermopolis Johnson 1875 Buffalo 4,166 formerly Pease County Was named Johnson in honor of E. P. Johnson an attorney of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Name changed by 1879 legislature Laramie 1867 Cheyenne 2,686 Jacques La Ramie, a French-Canadian trapper who was killed by the Indians near what was later known as Fort Laramie Lincoln 1911 Kemmerer 4,069 Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the US Natrona 1888 Casper 5,340 soda ash or natron of the region gave Natrona County its name Niobrara 1911 Lusk 2,626 The Niobrara river. In the Omaha language, the name means "flat" or "broad" Park 1909 Cody 6,943 Yellowstone Park Platte 1911 Wheatland 2,085 the North Platte river Sheridan 1888 Sheridan 2,523 General Phil Sheridan Sublette 1921 Pinedale 4,882 William L. Sublette, a pioneer fur trader Sweetwater 1867 Green River 10,426 the Sweetwater river Teton 1921 Jackson 4,008 from the words "Trois Tetons" meaning three pinacles Uinta 1869 Evanston 2,082 the Uintah Indians and was first spelled with the "h". Washakie 1911 Worland 2,240 Chief Washakie of the Shoshoni tribe Weston 1890 Newcastle 2,398 John B. Weston, who played an important part in bringing the railroad into that area Source: NACO State Facts and Trivia Source: "50states.com" Wyoming's license plates feature a man on a bucking bronco. The horse on the plate has a name, "Old Steamboat". It is named after a bronc that could not be ridden. Wyoming has the lowest population of all 50 United States. Wyoming was the first state to give women the right to vote. The first coal mine in Wyoming was in Carbon in 1867 Wyoming leads the country in coal production in 1994 with 3 million tons per week The largest coal mine in the USA is Black Thunder located near Wright. The JCPenney stores were started in Kemmerer. Yellowstone is the first official National Park (1872) Devils Tower was designated as the first National Monument (1906) The city of Gillette has the largest High School in the state (Campbell County High School) Cody Wyoming is named after William "Buffalo Bill" Cody. The Red Desert in south central Wyoming drains neither to the east nor to the west. The continental divide splits and goes around the desert on all sides leaving the basin without normal drainage. The Wind River actually changes its name in the middle of the stream becoming the Big Horn River at a site at the north end of the Wind River Canyon, where each year the Native Americans hold a ceremony depicting the "Wedding of the Waters." The first Dude Ranch in Wyoming was the Eaton Ranch, near Wolf. The Eatons also came up with the term "dude" The majority of Yellowstone Park lies within the boundaries of Wyoming. HOME Copyright © Genealogy Trails