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Office: Goshen County Emergency Management Agency – PO Box 160, Torrington, WY 82240
Services: Countywide planning, preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation for natural disasters (fires, tornados, floods, severe winter storms) and human-caused disasters; residents can sign up for CodeRED, the county’s location-specific emergency notification system
Notes: Torrington Communications Center (436 East 22nd Avenue) handles all fire and 911 dispatch countywide, non-emergency (307) 532-7001; Goshen County has nine fully volunteer-staffed fire departments across nine Fire Protection Districts (Ft Laramie, Hawk Springs, Jay Em, LaGrange, Lingle, Prairie Center, Torrington, Veteran, Yoder), plus Huntley and Chugwater districts.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-26 and US-85 serve Torrington, the county seat, along the eastern edge of Wyoming bordering Nebraska; the Oregon Trail Historic Scenic Byway passes through the county, with more than 650 historic markers and memorials countywide
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Torrington Building Department – (307) 532-4213 | Email: [email protected] | Building Official: Dennis Estes
Services: As of January 1, 2024, updated requirements apply for all residential and commercial building permits within city limits; June 2022 FEMA-mandated flood map updates significantly affect permitting – check your address against current flood zones at msc.fema.gov/portal/home; contractors, landlords, and homeowners working on non-primary residences must register and may require licensed electrical/plumbing/HVAC contractors
Notes: Confirm whether your property falls under city or county jurisdiction for unincorporated Goshen County.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Goshen County Veterans Service Office – Torrington, WY
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Goshen County Library – 2001 East A St., Torrington, WY 82240 | (307) 532-3411 | Fax: (307) 532-2169 | Director: Isabel Hoy | Hours (Fall): Mon 9 AM–6 PM, Tue–Fri 9 AM–5 PM, Sat 10 AM–12 PM (closed Sun); Summer hours extend Mon/Tue/Thu to 7 PM
Services: Holds nearly 43,000 volumes, circulating over 67,000 items annually; maintains special collections on Goshen County history, the Sunrise iron ore mine and company town, and a philosophy/religion collection; hosts a Torrington Artisan Market on-site and community programs (e.g., a rocket scientist’s presentation on the Artemis spacecraft)
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Goshen County is home to one of the most historically significant sites of the American westward expansion – the FORT LARAMIE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, an 833-acre, free, year-round National Park Service site near the confluence of the Laramie and North Platte Rivers; established in 1834 as the fur-trading Fort William by mountain man William Sublette and trader Robert Campbell, it was rebuilt in adobe as Fort John in 1841, then purchased by the U.S. government in 1849 and formally established as a military post; Fort Laramie became THE critical waystation for the era’s great overland migrations – the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails, the Bozeman Trail, the Pony Express Route, the transcontinental telegraph, and the Cheyenne-Deadwood Stage Route all passed through here, making it the only outpost of “civilization” across the 800-mile span between Fort Kearney, Nebraska, and Fort Bridger, Wyoming; tens of thousands of overland emigrants stopped here before continuing west; the site, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1966, is now immaculately restored with a museum, ranger-guided and living history programs (late May–early September), and the visitor center housed in the fort’s original 1884 commissary storehouse; nearby, more than 30 documented emigrant graves survive along the Oregon Trail in Goshen County, including that of a War of 1812 veteran and several cholera victims from the 1849-1852 westward migrations; the Homesteaders Museum in Torrington, housed in the old Union Pacific Train Depot, documents the county’s homesteading history
Notes: Fort Laramie’s genuine, extraordinarily well-documented role as the singular waystation across 800 miles of frontier – connecting the Oregon, California, Mormon, Bozeman, and Pony Express trails – makes Goshen County a remarkably significant piece of American westward expansion history.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Goshen County GIS – accessible via goshencounty.org
Parcel Search: Goshen County Assessor
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Goshen County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Waggin’ Tails Shelter – 436 E 22nd Ave, Torrington, WY 82240 (also listed at 980 E 11th Ave) | (307) 532-5373 | Email: [email protected] | Fax: (307) 532-7067
Services: Municipally owned by the City of Torrington, staffed by one full-time Shelter/Animal Control Officer plus volunteers; over 250 dogs pass through annually; primary service area is Torrington city limits, but the shelter will also provide safe haven for dogs picked up outside city limits; requires adopters to be at least 18 years old; all animals leaving the facility are spayed/neutered and vaccinated (or a refundable deposit is required if too young); heavily dependent on donations despite municipal ownership
Notes: Confirm adoption hours directly, as sources note the shelter operates “Mon–Sun” but specific daily hours vary.
Notes: Contact Goshen County or the City of Torrington directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Goshen County holds an extraordinarily significant place in American westward expansion history – Fort Laramie was the singular waystation connecting the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails across 800 miles of frontier. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, library, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Goshen County County
Goshen County is southeast Wyoming’s Oregon Trail and North Platte River agricultural county – the historic migration corridor that carried pioneer America westward and the irrigated sugar beet and row crop farming that has sustained the county’s economy for over a century define a community where Torrington serves as the regional hub near the Nebraska border.
Torrington (the county seat, population ~6,400) is Goshen County’s governmental and commercial hub on US 26 along the North Platte River, a southeast Wyoming agricultural city whose Oregon Trail heritage, sugar beet economy, and Eastern Wyoming College anchor its community identity.
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Goshen County Assessor at 2125 E. A Street, Torrington, WY 82240, phone 307-532-2263. WY assessed at 9.5% of market value.
Courts & Legal
Goshen County District Court at 2125 E. A Street, Torrington, WY 82240, phone 307-532-4051, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
2125 East A St, Torrington, WY 82240
(307) 532-4051
CLERK OF DISTRICT COURT
2125 East A St, Torrington, WY 82240
(307) 532-4051
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Goshen County Clerk of District Court, Torrington (probate case files – see Probate section above); Goshen County Clerk’s Office (separate office) for recorded deeds, small-estate affidavits, and summary distribution decrees.
Local societies
No dedicated Goshen County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Goshen County Clerk of District Court (Eighth Judicial District) 2125 East A Street, PO Box 818, Torrington, WY 82240 (307) 532-2155
Goshen County is in Southeast Wyoming along the Nebraska border, county seat Torrington. Wyoming has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code – it runs its own probate framework under Title 2 of the Wyoming Statutes (“the Wyoming Probate Code”). Probate is filed with the DISTRICT COURT for the county where the decedent lived, administered day-to-day by that county’s Clerk of District Court. Note that Wyoming counties have TWO separate elected clerk offices relevant here: the Clerk of District Court (handles probate case filings) and the County Clerk (a separate office that records deeds, small-estate affidavits, and summary distribution decrees).
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Wyoming Statutes Title 2 governs probate.
Small Estate Affidavit (Wyo. Stat. §2-1-201) – available when the decedent’s entire estate, including personal property (and, per a 2025 update, mineral interests), does not exceed $400,000 (increased from $200,000 effective July 1, 2025, via 2025 Enrolled Act 85/SF0104), less liens and encumbrances. This estate must consist ONLY of personal property (no real estate) for the pure affidavit-to-County-Clerk route. Available 30 days after death; skips court entirely – filed with the County Clerk, who issues a certified copy the claimant presents to banks or other asset holders.
Summary Procedure (Wyo. Stat. §2-1-205) – for small estates up to $400,000 that DO include real property. Requires filing an Application for Decree of Summary Distribution with the District Court (not just the County Clerk); requires 2 consecutive weeks of published notice; the court issues a decree that gets recorded with the County Clerk to clear title.
Full Probate Administration – required for estates exceeding $400,000 or otherwise not eligible for the small-estate or summary paths. File a Petition for Probate with the Goshen County District Court.
Step 2: filing for administration
File a Petition for Probate with the Goshen County District Court.
Notice must be published for 3 consecutive weeks (Wyo. Stat. §2-7-201).
Once a personal representative is appointed, creditors have 3 months from the date of first publication to file claims (Wyo. Stat. §2-7-703).
The personal representative pays valid debts and expenses, then distributes remaining assets to heirs/beneficiaries.
Close the estate with a final accounting to the District Court.
Wyoming courts are increasingly moving toward e-filing; check with the Clerk of District Court for current e-filing requirements for pro se (self-represented) filers. Visitors to the courthouse should be prepared for security screening upon entry.
Wyoming does NOT have a statutory percentage fee schedule for personal representatives or attorneys – unlike many states. Fees must be “reasonable” and are subject to court approval (Wyo. Stat. §§2-7-803, 2-7-804).
A bond may be required (Wyo. Stat. §§2-3-102, 2-3-111) unless waived by the will or all beneficiaries.
Wyoming does NOT impose a state estate tax, inheritance tax, or state income tax – one of the most tax-friendly states in the country for estate administration. Only the federal estate tax may apply, with a $15,000,000 per-person exemption for 2026.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
2125 East A St, Torrington, WY 82240
(307) 532-4033
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
(307) 532-4051
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Public Health
Goshen County Public Health, 2100 Ballpark Rd, Torrington, WY 82240
(307) 532-4053
DFS Office
Goshen County DFS Office, 2100 Ballpark Rd, Torrington, WY 82240
(307) 532-4051
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Goshen County Public Health – Torrington, WY
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
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County Facts
County Seat: Torrington
Population: 13,000
Public Records
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