WYOMING IS THE LEAST-POPULATED STATE in the United States today—a place that many passed through, but not many stayed. Though both desolate and isolated, the state is also beautiful and full of history.
Wyoming attracted settlers looking for opportunity, and (as one of the first states to offer women equal opportunities in government participation, both in voting and serving in office) was especially welcoming to women. The state was a vital location for westward growth, and provided ample land for settlers willing to stay there.
Even if you don’t have roots in Wyoming, your ancestors may have passed through it on their way west. Read on for how to research family in the Equality State.
MOUNTAINS OF HISTORY
Indigenous groups have lived in modern Wyoming for as many as 20,000 years. By the 1800s, the Shoshone were the most prominent in the region, with other notable communities including the Cheyenne (namesake of the state’s capital), Crow, Arapaho, Lakota Sioux, and Nez Perce. Today, the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho live in
