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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Orchard Valley (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Orchard Valley. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Name Variations for Orchard Valley ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Orchard Valley: Orchard Vly. (or less commonly used: Orchard Vally. or Orchard Vlly.)

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the east contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Orchard Valley is located in Laramie County.

To see how the shape of Wyoming's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Laramie County: Larimer (CO), Weld (CO), Banner (NE), Kimball (NE), Albany, Goshen & Platte.

Below are the counties that are near Orchard Valley. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Orchard Valley:

  • Laramie County     (The home county of Orchard Valley)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Orchard Valley, with the one closest to Orchard Valley listed first.
    • South Greeley
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Greeley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Greeley
      • South Greeley is located in Laramie County
    • Cheyenne
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Speer
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Speer. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Speer
      • Speer is located in Laramie County
    • Ranchettes
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ranchettes have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ranchettes
      • Ranchettes is located in Laramie County
    • Hillsdale
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Islay
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Islay. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Islay
      • Islay is located in Laramie County
    • Carpenter
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Burns
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Egbert
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Egbert have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Egbert
      • Egbert is located in Laramie County
    • Horse Creek
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Albany County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Orchard Valley, with the one closest to Orchard Valley listed first.
    • Buford
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Sherman ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sherman. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sherman
      • Sherman is located in Albany County
      • Sherman has also been known as:
      • Old Sherman
  • Larimer County (CO)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Orchard Valley, with the one closest to Orchard Valley listed first.
    • Bulger
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bulger have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bulger
      • Bulger is located in Larimer County (CO)
    • Wellington
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wellington have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wellington
      • Wellington is located in Larimer County (CO)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 9,620 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wellington <2>
    • Waverly
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waverly
      • Waverly is located in Larimer County (CO)
    • Livermore
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Virginia Dale
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Virginia Dale. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Virginia Dale
      • Virginia Dale is located in Larimer County (CO)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Virginia Dale <2>
  • Weld County (CO)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Orchard Valley, with the one closest to Orchard Valley listed first.
    • Carr
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Carr. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carr
      • Carr is located in Weld County (CO)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Carr <2>
    • Dover
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dover. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dover
      • Dover is located in Weld County (CO)
    • Nunn
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nunn have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nunn
      • Nunn is located in Weld County (CO)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 497 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nunn <2>
    • Hereford
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hereford have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hereford
      • Hereford is located in Weld County (CO)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hereford <2>

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Orchard Valley, see our County-by-County Page for Orchard Valley.

Cemeteries Near Orchard Valley ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Orchard Valley.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Orchard Valley covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Orchard Valley, with the one closest to Orchard Valley listed first.

  • Lakeview Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Olivet Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Olivet Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Olivet Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Olivet Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Beth El Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Beth El Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Beth El Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Frances E. Warren Air Base Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Cheyenne Memorial Gardens
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Mountain View Memorial Park
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
  • Barnes Family Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Barnes Family Cemetery
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for the Barnes Family Cemetery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2534089 <4>
  • Hillsdale Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
  • Gethsemane Gardens Cemetery
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Buckeye Ranch Cemetery
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Carpenter Cemetery
    (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<5>

While we didn't find Orchard Valley in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Orchard Valley.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Orchard Valley, with the one closest to Orchard Valley listed first.

  • Cheyenne
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Archer
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Archer have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Archer
    • Archer is located in Laramie County
  • Borie
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Borie have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Borie
    • Borie is located in Laramie County
  • Silver Crown
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silver Crown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Crown
    • Silver Crown is located in Laramie County
  • Carr
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Carr. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carr
    • Carr is located in Weld County (CO)
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Carr <2>
  • Arcola
    (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Arcola have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arcola
    • Arcola is located in Laramie County
  • Hecla ‑ Historic
    (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hecla have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hecla
    • Hecla is located in Laramie County
  • Hillsdale
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
  • Dover
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dover. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dover
    • Dover is located in Weld County (CO)
  • Islay
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Islay. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Islay
    • Islay is located in Laramie County
  • Burns
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
  • Buford
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (5 more) ...
    • Virginia Dale
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Virginia Dale. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Virginia Dale
      • Virginia Dale is located in Larimer County (CO)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Virginia Dale <2>
    • Livermore
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Egbert
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Egbert have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Egbert
      • Egbert is located in Laramie County

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Orchard Valley. See our List of 1890's Communities around Orchard Valley.

Newspapers Published in Orchard Valley ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 90 newspapers that have been published in the area around Orchard Valley.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Orchard Valley, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Orchard Valley.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Orchard Valley:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Orchard Valley. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Laramie County: www.webgate.co.laramie.wy.us/

The official website for State of Wyoming: https://www.wyo.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<4>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<5>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Orchard Valley, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Orchard Valley) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Orchard Valley. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 41.0966, Longitude: -104.8194       In this case, the coordinates for Orchard Valley have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025