Author Archives: ahcadmin

“I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas”: The Enduring Appeal of a Holiday Hit

As we enter the holiday season, it’s nearly impossible to escape the sounds of holiday standards warbling through PA systems and speakers wherever you go. Holiday music is an incredibly lucrative industry with a wide-ranging and enduring appeal, and many … Continue reading

Posted in Collections Highlights, Holidays, Music History, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

AHC and Grand Encampment Museum Unite to Share Lora Webb Nichols’s Remarkable Wyoming Archive

Lora Webb Nichols (1883-1962) was a prolific diarist and photographer who lived most of her life in southcentral Wyoming. She accumulated more than 24,000 negatives, representing the many shades of life in the frontier mining town of Encampment. Today, the … Continue reading

Posted in Collections Highlights, Photography, Uncategorized, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Carroll Baker – More Than a Sex Symbol of the Silver Screen

With her large blue eyes and lithe figure, Carroll Baker was a Hollywood sensation. Papers of the day described her as “a little like Marilyn Monroe, a little like Jean Harlow, and altogether a platinum blonde.” She earned millions from … Continue reading

Posted in Biography and profiles, Collections Highlights, Film History, Hollywood history, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

AHC Archivists coauthor book about the history of the Western Research Institute and Bureau of Mines

American Heritage Center archivists, Erin Shadrick and John Waggener, recently coauthored a book about the history of the Western Research Institute and its predecessor Bureau of Mines. The 73-page book, One Hundred Years on the High Plains of Technology, tells … Continue reading

Posted in Authors, Uncategorized, University of Wyoming | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

From Turkey to Timbales: Thanksgiving Traditions in the Toppan Rare Book Library

As Thanksgiving approaches, here a look at some culinary treasures at the Toppan Rare Book Library—two cookbooks that show how Americans have celebrated the holiday across different eras. A Child’s Party Paradise Let’s start with the more playful of our … Continue reading

Posted in Collections Highlights, Toppan Rare Books Library, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Finding Nigeria in Indigenous American Archives

When I first opened the lid of the gray archival box at the American Heritage Center, I was both exhilarated and apprehensive, the kind of feeling you get when you encounter something that is both fragile and alive. In it, … Continue reading

Posted in Colonial Studies, Cross-Cultural Analysis, Indigenous Peoples, International Perspectives, Student projects, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Beer Busts and Student Behavior: A Look Back at the University of Wyoming’s Social Committee

A fraternity dance imbued with alcohol. A Christmas party where alcohol was given as gifts, and whose recipients were required to chug it on site. A “beer bust” involving seventeen sorority members at a formal dinner dance. An 18-year-old boy … Continue reading

Posted in Campus culture, Student Life, Uncategorized, University of Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Classroom Building – Saving Prexy’s Pasture and Creating the “Standing Rib Roast”

Welcome back to our ongoing series “Designing the University of Wyoming,” which explores the stories behind the campus’s architecture, landmarks, and artistic features that have shaped the university’s identity over the decades. If you’ve ever wondered why one of UW’s … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Campus Heritage, Uncategorized, University of Wyoming history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rethinking Ranchers and Government: A Fresh Look at an Old Debate

For decades, the conventional wisdom has portrayed Western ranchers as caught in a paradox—an industry built on independence that criticized federal regulation while relying on government programs. It’s become the accepted narrative—and according to Dr. Tim Gresham, it misses the … Continue reading

Posted in Agricultural history, Agriculture, American history, American West, Cattle industry, Ranch history, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Logbook of a Legend: Jack Knight and the Birth of All-Weather Airmail

Aviation in the 1920s was unpredictable. Pilots flew routes that few had successfully flown before, with untested technologies and in all weather conditions. These risks went hand in hand with being a pilot for the airmail service. None embody this … Continue reading

Posted in 1920s America, aviation history, Postal Service History, Transportation history, Uncategorized, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment