Category Archives: Uncategorized

Welcome to the University of Wyoming’s Living Room

The Wyoming Union on the University of Wyoming opened on March 3, 1939, and soon became the “living room of campus,” as described on the Union’s website. The university had expanded greatly since its inception in 1886 with a much … Continue reading

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Wyoming’s Grand Old Man Joseph Carey

Many people who have visited Wyoming’s capitol city at one time or another have probably driven on Carey Avenue. This well-traveled thoroughfare goes through the heart of Cheyenne on the west side of the State Capitol. But from where does … Continue reading

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Captured in Vietnam – One Wyoming Family’s Story of Despair and Hope

During the Vietnam War more than 1,800 Americans were held prisoner or were missing in action in Southeast Asia. Among them was Army Major Theodore “Ted” Gostas of Sheridan. Gostas was born in Butte, Montana, on December 13, 1938. After … Continue reading

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The “Messiah” of the Desert?: Floyd E. Dominy and Water Conservation in the West

Concern over the future of water in the West is growing. Record breaking droughts and rapidly growing cities where water is already scarce has strained the current water infrastructure to its limits. The current path appears unsustainable, so in the … Continue reading

Posted in conservation, environmental history, Hydroelectric power, Uncategorized, water resources, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Just Who Did This Woman Think She Was: In Praise of Grace Raymond Hebard

“You are – I say it without a qualm – our star contributing editor. You have given us the most of any one on our list – and all good too.” When the editor of The Woman Citizen, Virginia Roderick, … Continue reading

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Unsung Music Man Walter Scharf

Walter Scharf is one of the great, unsung composers & arrangers in film history. Anyone who finds themselves humming Pure Imagination from the film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) is likely to recall, along with the melody itself, … Continue reading

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A Madam’s Scrapbook: Remnants of Laramie’s Red-Light District

On the corner of the town stands a crazy, tumble-down rookery, full from cellar to shingles of liquors, gambling devices and everything that can be used to corrupt and rob men. Ruffians and tin-horn gamblers make night and day hideous … Continue reading

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Resources in the Toppan Rare Book Library for Black History Month

Black History Month is celebrated annually in February. It honors all Black people from all periods of U.S. history, from the enslaved people first brought over from Africa in the early 17th century to Blacks living in the United States … Continue reading

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Wyoming’s Chinese Dragon

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

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“I’m Sorry Mother, For This Lousy Letter…”: Viewpoints on the Vietnam War

January 27, 2023, marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Paris Peace Accords, which signaled the end of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. It’s an especially appropriate time to remember the sentiments and experiences of those involved … Continue reading

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