Category Archives: resources

The Rock Springs Massacre, September 2, 1885

During the summer of 1885, tensions had been building between Chinese coal miners and European coal miners in Rock Springs, Wyoming Territory. Both groups were employed by the Union Pacific Coal Company and were having a dispute over wages. According … Continue reading

Posted in Asian American history, Local history, mining history, resources, Under-documented communities, Western history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Family History Research @ the AHC

Archivists working in the Reference Department of the American Heritage Center are often asked about resources that can help genealogists track their family’s history.  Sometimes that’s an easy question–we might actually have the personal family papers of that researcher’s forebears.  … Continue reading

Posted in Accessing historical documents, Family history, resources, University of Wyoming, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Oregon Trail

You might remember this game; it was a classic facet in many an elementary school classroom.  Its release in Wii format in 2011 brought the joy of cholera and “fording the river” to a whole new generation.  While this was … Continue reading

Posted in American history, Oregon trail, popular culture, resources, Westward migration | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Art of Silent Film: Al Christie’s Contribution to Early Hollywood

Long before modern blockbusters filled theater screens with explosive sound and color, silent films captivated audiences through pure visual storytelling. This lost art form, which flourished from 1894-1929, experienced a revival when The Artist won major awards in 2011 for … Continue reading

Posted in Hollywood history, motion picture history, popular culture, resources | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Online Finding Aid Available for the Karl C. “Sunny” Allan Papers

Karl C. “Sunny” Allan (1886-1978) was born in Ogden, Utah. He worked as a telephone lineman in the early 1900s, and was part of the Bureau of Reclamation crew that built a telephone line from Ashton, Idaho to Moran, Wyoming. … Continue reading

Posted in environmental history, newly processed collections, outdoor recreation, resources, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Exploring the A.C. Ivy Papers: Insights into Cancer Research and Medical History

Andrew Conway Ivy (1893-1978) was born in Farmington, Missouri.  In 1913, at age 20, he received the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Pedology degrees from Missouri State Normal School.  The research studies for his master’s degree (M.S., 1917) and … Continue reading

Posted in medical history, military history, resources | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Your American Heritage Center FAQs Answered

October is Archives Month, and as part of its recognition of the auspicious occasion, the Smithsonian’s institutional archives has posted a blog titled The Smithsonian’s Top 6 Archives Myths.  So far as I know, here at the American Heritage Center … Continue reading

Posted in Accessing historical documents, American Archives Month, Archival preservation, Archival work, Digital collections, Historical Preservation, popular culture, resources | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Frederick “Fritz” Gutheim: Pioneering Planner and Urban Environmentalist

Frederick Gutheim was born on March 3, 1908, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was raised in Washington, D.C., where he attended Sidwell Friends School and later Dr. Devitt’s Preparatory School. He earned a degree from the Experimental College of the University … Continue reading

Posted in city and regional planning history, conservation, environmental history, resources | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Delving into Animation History: The Legacy of Michael Maltese

Michael Maltese was born on February 6, 1908, in New York City to Italian immigrant parents, Paul and Concetta. He was married to Florence Sass in 1936 and had a daughter, Brenda, in 1938.  He started his career in the … Continue reading

Posted in Animation, Animation history, cartoons, Entertainment history, motion picture history, popular culture, resources, television history | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Edward Ackerman: Sustainability Pioneer

Edward Augustus Ackerman (1911-1973), was a geographer and water resources authority. He earned a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1939 and was a professor at Harvard from 1940 to 1948. Ackerman served as a technical advisor on natural resources to … Continue reading

Posted in city and regional planning history, environmental history, newly processed collections, resources, water resources | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments