Author Archives: ahcadmin

Remembering “The Wyoming Trip”

Fifty years ago, I turned 12 years old, and America turned 200. Today, with America reaching 250, and me at the ripe old age of 62, I look back with fading memory on my participation, for the Great State of Wyoming, … Continue reading

Posted in American Heritage Center, American history, Wyoming, Wyoming Culture | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Engineering Building Cornerstone Placed 100 Years Ago

On the morning of April 30, 1926, a ceremony was held on campus to commemorate the laying of the cornerstone of the new Engineering Building. The event was so special for the university, morning classes were dismissed so that all … Continue reading

Posted in 20th century, Ross, Nellie Tayloe, University Architecture, University of Wyoming | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Need for a Hero: Comics in World War II

The Golden Age of Comics Comic books have been around since the beginning of the 19th century, but with World War II on the rise, America was in need of a hero—a super hero. The Golden Age of Comics is … Continue reading

Posted in Comic book history, Comic Book Villains, Marvel Comics, Propaganda, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

2026 Wyoming History Day Contest Results

The American Heritage Center hosted the 2026 Wyoming History Day State Competition on Monday, April 20, 2026, at the Coe Library and Wyoming Union on the campus of the University of Wyoming. Students completed year-long research projects inspired by the … Continue reading

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“For the Use and Benefit of the People”: Foundations of the University of Wyoming

At moments when public institutions face renewed scrutiny, history offers an important perspective. The founding of the University of Wyoming was not inevitable, nor was it symbolic. It was a deliberate decision made by territorial leaders who believed higher education … Continue reading

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The History of the Union Pacific Big Boy: The World’s Largest Steam Locomotive

The transcontinental railroad was considered the Eighth Wonder of the World, as it was one of America’s greatest achievements at the time, and still holds the title to this day. The completion of a railroad that wedded the East and … Continue reading

Posted in American West, Railroad History, Uncategorized, Union Pacific Railroad | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

From Vision to Legacy: The Milward L. Simpson Fund’s Enduring Impact on UW Political Science

The University of Wyoming’s Milward L. Simpson Fund for Political Science is more than a scholarship endowment or lecture fund – it’s a living legacy of civic service and academic ambition that has shaped the university for over half a … Continue reading

Posted in Academia, Education, Political history, Uncategorized, University of Wyoming | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Nat King Cole They Knew 

When Nat Cole was a teenager in Chicago, he couldn’t always afford to get into the clubs where the great jazz pianists played. So he found another way in. His first wife, Nadine, recalled that he would slip around to the alley behind the … Continue reading

Posted in Collections Highlights, Music History, Racism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Behind the Scenes at the Cone: Photo and Audio at the American Heritage Center

This coming fall will mark, by my always-right-humanities-math, just about two years of working here at the American Heritage Center. Although I started my time at the AHC as a lucky intern, I now am one of three Photo/AV Archivist … Continue reading

Posted in American Heritage Center, Archival work, Uncategorized, University of Wyoming | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“The Fayr Bryght Shynynge Scalyd Fysshes”: How to Fish with Dame Juliana Berners

Izaak Walton’s 17th century book, The Complete Angler (1653), has gone down in history as one of the most famous treatises on fish and fishing. However, it was not the first of its kind. That honor goes to Dame Juliana … Continue reading

Posted in Feminism, Toppan Rare Books Library, Uncategorized, Women in History, Women in Publishing, Women Writers, women's history | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment