Category Archives: Uncategorized

TransMontana: Preserving the Journey of Bobbie Zenker

Posted on May 26, 2025 by ahcadmin

This Pride Month, the American Heritage Center highlights the Roberta R. “Bobbie” Zenker papers, an important addition to our collection documenting varied experiences in the American West. Acquired in March 2023, this collection provides researchers with valuable primary source material … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal History, LGBTQIA+, Montana History, Transgender people, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Felicia Gizycka and Cissy Patterson: The Relationship that Defined a 20th Century Life

Posted on May 19, 2025 by ahcadmin

Felicia Gizycka was born in 1905 to Count Josef Gizycki and his wife, Countess Eleanor “Cissy” Patterson. Her early years were colored by her father’s kidnapping of her and her mother’s aloofness. Her adult life was one of “international flapper,” … Continue reading →

Posted in 1920s America, American history, American Social History, Biography and profiles, Journalism, Uncategorized, women's history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Decoding Stan Lee’s Spider-Man Movie Notes from 1984

Posted on May 12, 2025 by ahcadmin

The American Heritage Center houses a vast number of Stan Lee’s personal papers, including handwritten notecards from 1984 that reveal his first ideas for a Spider-Man movie.  Last fall, I had the amazing opportunity to view copies of these notecards … Continue reading →

Posted in American Heritage Center, Comic book history, Stan Lee, Student projects, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cold War Foundations: How Anti-Communist Sentiment Shaped University of Wyoming’s Coe Library

Posted on May 5, 2025 by ahcadmin

When students hurry through the doors of William Robertson Coe Library today, few may realize they’re entering a building born not just from architectural necessity, but from Cold War politics, academic freedom battles, and the vision of a passionate Americana … Continue reading →

Posted in American Studies, Architecture, Campus Heritage, Cold War, Uncategorized, University of Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Wyoming Quilt Project: Preserving History Through Quilts

Posted on April 28, 2025 by ahcadmin

In 1994, a small but dedicated group of Wyoming women came together to start documenting the state’s quilts. The Wyoming Quilt Project was created with a mission of photographing and recording details about Wyoming’s quilts—those that were made in the … Continue reading →

Posted in American Heritage Center, Culture and heritage, Oral history, Textile Arts, Uncategorized, women's history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Uncovering Wyoming’s Hidden History: How One UW Student Revealed the Truth About an Indigenous Boarding School

Posted on April 21, 2025 by ahcadmin

When Ava Olson first walked into the American Heritage Center’s reading room, she had no idea she was about to unearth a history that had remained largely untold for nearly a century. Today, we’re proud to announce Ava as the … Continue reading →

Posted in awards, Indigenous Peoples, Student projects, Uncategorized, undergraduate students, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In Their Own Words: The Revolutionary War’s End Through the Eyes of Winthrop Ballantine

Posted on April 14, 2025 by ahcadmin

While we often remember how the American Revolution began—with the “shot heard round the world” on April 19, 1775—the story of how it ended deserves equal attention. As we mark the 250th anniversary of the war’s start, the journal of … Continue reading →

Posted in American Revolution, Historical Documents, medical history, military history, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Penning the Punchlines: Carroll Carroll and the Making of Kraft Music Hall

Posted on April 7, 2025 by ahcadmin

While Kraft Music Hall (KMH) earned its reputation through unforgettable music performances, as explored in “Take it Away, John Scott,” the show’s enduring charm also rested on its clever comedy. Producing a live, weekly variety show featuring music, comedy, and … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th Century Broadcasting, Entertainment history, Golden Age of Radio, radio history, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Take it away, John Scott”: John Scott Trotter and the Kraft Music Hall

Posted on March 31, 2025 by ahcadmin

Aside from being an effective tool for advertising, as explored in On the Air and in the Aisles, Kraft Music Hall (KMH) owed much of its enduring appeal to the caliber of musical performances and the talent behind them. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment history, Music History, Performing Arts, radio history, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Video Series Brings Union Pacific Railroad Stories to Life

Posted on March 24, 2025 by ahcadmin

When you think of the Union Pacific Railroad, you might picture massive locomotives or endless stretches of track crossing the plains. But for a recent American Heritage Center oral history project, it’s the people and their stories that take center … Continue reading →

Posted in American Heritage Center, American history, Community Stories, Labor History, Oral history, Railroad History, Transportation history, Uncategorized, Union Pacific Railroad, women's history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment