Category Archives: Agricultural history

Dirty and Difficult: Laboring in Wyoming’s Early Sugar Beet Industry

Posted on March 29, 2021 by ahcadmin

Like many American industries, the sugar beet trade grew from perceived opportunity and weakening in other formerly profitable U.S. markets. A decline in mining and agriculture in the 1890s led some entrepreneurs to seek their fortunes elsewhere. The sugar beet … Continue reading →

Posted in Agricultural history, Economic History, Immigration, Immigration Policy, Latin American history, Migrant labor, Uncategorized, Under-documented communities, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Amigos de la Comunidad of Torrington, Wyoming

Posted on September 7, 2020 by ahcadmin

In box 9 of the Lawrence Cardoso papers housed at the American Heritage Center is a booklet dating to the mid-1970s titled “Amigos de la Comunidad.” I was leafing through that particular box searching for something totally unrelated. But the … Continue reading →

Posted in Agricultural history, community collections, Immigration, Latin American history, Local history, Mexican-American history, Uncategorized, Under-documented communities, Western history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Foremost Fungi Authority: W.G. Solheim

Posted on July 29, 2019 by ahcadmin

Wilhelm G. Solheim was born in Stoughton, Wisconsin, in 1898. He earned his M.A. degree in 1926, followed by his Doctorate in 1928, from the University of Illinois. He came to UW that next year and worked as professor emeritus … Continue reading →

Posted in Agricultural history, Agriculture, environmental history, faculty/staff profiles, Interns' projects, Local history, University of Wyoming, University of Wyoming history, Wyoming, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lovell’s Latin American Colony

Posted on September 30, 2018 by ahcadmin

In 1916, the sugar beet industry brought the first serious wave of Mexican-speaking migrants to Lovell: betabeleros, the beet workers, to hoe the fields and help with the harvest. Yet most were not Mexican nationals, but rather Spanish-speaking people from … Continue reading →

Posted in Agricultural history, community collections, Immigration, Local history, Mexican-American history, Uncategorized, Under-documented communities, Western history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ranching Roots: Exploring Laramie’s Livestock Legacy

Posted on August 6, 2018 by ahcadmin

While the railroad was the main hub of employment early in Laramie’s history, the cattle and sheep businesses helped grow the economy of the burgeoning town. Names such as Philip Mandel, Thomas Alsop, Charles Hutton, Robert Homer, and the Bath … Continue reading →

Posted in Agricultural history, Agriculture, Laramie, Uncategorized, University of Wyoming history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Cementing a Relationship: How Concrete brought New Mexicans to Wyoming

Posted on May 7, 2018 by ahcadmin

The Mexican-American War (1846-1848) was one event that led to Hispanics first settling in Wyoming, as it brought the U.S. Army into Wyoming. Only shortly after the war ended, the United States sent the Regiment of Mounted Rifles to occupy … Continue reading →

Posted in Agricultural history, Construction, Fort Laramie, Immigration, Local history, military history, Oregon trail, Uncategorized, Under-documented communities, Western history, Westward migration, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment