Important Historical Events in Albany County

1803 Apr Louisiana Purchase treaty signed

1862 July Likely earliest date of European ranch activity on Laramie Plains – Philip Mandel

1862 July Overland Stage Line relocated to the Laramie Plains on the old Cherokee Trail

1866 Jul Fort Sanders established

1868 Apr First newspaper mention of mining activity on west edge of Laramie Plains

1868 May Union Pacific Railroad arrives and maintenance facilities/depot are constructed

1868 Jul Wyoming Territory created but not yet functional

1868 Dec Albany County created by Dakota Territory Legislative Assembly, Thomas Sears sheriff

1869 Jun Alsop, Creighton and Hutton establish first large cattle ranch

1869 May Wyoming Territory government officially organized, N. K. Boswell sheriff

1870 Mar First women in world history serve on jury in Laramie

1870 Sep First woman in world history votes in general election in Laramie with political rights equal to men

1870 Aug Charles Hutton brings first sheep to Albany County

1872 Oct Territorial Penitentiary opens west of Laramie

1874 Sep Construction begins on UPRR Rolling Mills to manufacture rails

1874 Oct UPRR lays water pipe from springs east of town bringing sanitary water to many citizens

1881 Jun Ames Monument construction begins

1882 May Fort Sanders disestablished, troops moved to Fort D.A. Russell

1886 Mar University of Wyoming, a land grant university, founded

1889 Nov Wyoming State Constitution approved by citizens of Wyoming Territory

1890 July Wyoming admitted to the Union as the 44th state

1898 Sep Laramie Woman’s Club founded

1910 Dec End of most active mining activity near Laramie

1910 Nov UPRR Rolling Mills burn to ground

1912 Jan UPRR places larger roundhouse and turntable into service

1917 Apr America enters World War I, over 1000 Albany County men and women serve

1917 Oct Thornburgh Hotel/UPRR Depot burns to the ground

1924 Oct New UPRR Depot opens south of old location

1928 Apr Laramie pioneers Edward Ivinson and Melville C. Brown die

1940 Sep University enrollment increases to over 2000

1941 Dec America enters World War II, thousands of Albany County men and women serve

1944 Apr Albany County Historical Society founded

1948 Apr Fire destroys much of downtown business district

1955 July Albany County final reduction in size and assumes current shape

1963 Apr UPRR abandons remaining maintenance facilities in Laramie

1968 Apr Laramie Plains Museum Association moves into former home of H. N. Roach

1972 Jun Laramie Plains Museum receives title to Ivinson Mansion and moves collection there

Detailed Timeline

This detailed timeline of Albany County contains items that are not only important but also some that are whimsical as well. Right click on any of the sections for a larger view. Prepared by Kim Viner.