Author Archives: ahcadmin

“To Dress Macaroni with Permasent Cheese”: A History of Mac n’ Cheese through Recipes in the Toppan Rare Books Library

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of America, the American Heritage Center staff curated an exhibit called Wyoming Voices: Our Stories of America to showcase the ways in which people across Wyoming have gathered and communicated with each other. Cookery … Continue reading

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America250 Exhibits at the American Heritage Center

In celebration of the United States Semiqunincentennial, the American Heritage Center is hosting three exhibits that examine our nation through its people—its citizens, authors, poets, workers, innovators, and leaders. These exhibits explore the diversity of thought and communication in the … Continue reading

Posted in 18th century, 19th century, 20th century, America250, Toppan Rare Books Library, Western history, Wyoming | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ease on Down the Road: How The Wiz Reimagined a Classic 

When I got to the AHC in the spring of 2023, the material that excited me most was our Wizard of Oz related holdings. As a fan of L. Frank Baum’s fantastical novel, Oz and its many adaptations are an … Continue reading

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He’s Popeye the Radio Man

Many people remember Popeye the sailor man, either from the various cartoon iterations, the live action movie starring Robin Williams, or his beginnings as a comic strip. In the latter half of the 1930s, he also had a radio adventure … Continue reading

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Santa Fe’s Golden Gate Dining

It is well known that travel in the 1950s and 60s in America was highlighted by decadence. Everyone has seen the ads for airplane luxuries like cocktail lounges and sleeping sections—unfathomable to the contemporary air traveler in America—but the railroad … Continue reading

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University of Wyoming Commencement Exercises: Looking Back 100 Years to June 8, 1926

What were commencement exercises like at the University of Wyoming a century ago? The question might seem rather mundane at first, but when the American Heritage Center recently received a UW diploma from the family of 1926 graduate Carl A. … Continue reading

Posted in 20th century, Academia, University of Wyoming, University of Wyoming Alumni, University of Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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

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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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