Category Archives: Railroad History

Railroad Romance and Reality: Unpacking the Legacy of Railways in America

Posted on June 5, 2023 by ahcadmin

Documents and photographs found in the American Heritage Center’s collections can be used to explore the ways in which railways have been and are perceived in American society. Examples of these are in an AHC virtual exhibit titled “The Art … Continue reading →

Posted in Economic History, exhibits, Railroad History, Toppan Rare Books Library, Transportation history, Uncategorized, Western history | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wyoming’s Chinese Dragon

Posted on January 30, 2023 by ahcadmin

For more than twenty years, the communities in Rock Springs’ and Evanston’s Chinatowns shared and displayed a large, colorful dragon during their Lunar (Chinese) New Year Parade. The soon-to-be famous dragon first made front page news in 1895, when it … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian American history, Chinese Americans, Immigration, Racism, Railroad History, Uncategorized, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Your Loving Frank: Romance on the Transcontinental Railroad

Posted on May 9, 2022 by ahcadmin

It might surprise you to find romance amid the story of the back-breaking and dangerous labor involved in building the transcontinental railroad. But we have one for you. We’re commemorating the anniversary of the joining of the Central Pacific and … Continue reading →

Posted in 19th century, Biography and profiles, Railroad History, Uncategorized, Western history, Westward migration, women's history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Eyewitness to Racism: Andrew Bugas and the Rock Springs Massacre of 1885

Posted on June 22, 2020 by ahcadmin

Andrew Bugas (Andrej Bugos) was not quite 20 years old in 1885 when he arrived in Rock Springs to work in the Union Pacific’s coal mines. Born in Austria, he came to the United States in 1880 to join his … Continue reading →

Posted in American West, Chinese Americans, Coal industry, found in the archive, International relations, Labor disputes, Local history, mining history, Racism, Railroad History, Rock Springs Massacre, Uncategorized, Violence - history, Western history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tracing Tracks: Laramie’s Railroad History

Posted on April 30, 2018 by ahcadmin

On May 4, 1868, the Union Pacific Railroad reached Laramie, bringing with it new people, and within a few days, regular train service to Laramie. A “Hell on Wheels” tent town soon became a bustling city with permanent structures. Over … Continue reading →

Posted in announcements, Current events, Digital collections, exhibits, found in the archive, Local history, Railroad History, Transportation history, Uncategorized, Western history, Westward migration, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

“Wild Bill” Carlisle: Last Train Robber of the American West

Posted on February 9, 2018 by ahcadmin

Train passengers leaving Green River, Wyoming, on February 9, 1916 riding the Union Pacific Railroad’s Portland Rose found themselves confronted by a young man hiding his face with a white kerchief who demanded their money at gunpoint. But the youngster … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography and profiles, Digital collections, found in the archive, Local history, oral histories, Outlaws--West (U.S.), Railroad History, Transportation history, Uncategorized, Western history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Hell on Wheels

Posted on November 5, 2011 by ahcadmin

The AHC houses several collections related to the  construction of the transcontinental railroad, westward migration, and even “hell on wheels,” which is the term used to describe the transient collection of unsavory businesses (gambling houses, saloons, brothels) and people that … Continue reading →

Posted in Railroad History, Transportation history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , | Leave a comment