Category Archives: Western history

Empowering Communities: Exploring the Impact of MEChA at the University of Wyoming

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, our blog is highlighting the archived collection of the University of Wyoming’s chapter of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicana/o de Aztlán, more commonly known by its acronym MEChA. As an organization, MEChA encourages cultural pride, … Continue reading

Posted in activism, Culture and heritage, Diversity and inclusion, Education and empowerment, Hispanic Heritage Month, Student organizations, Uncategorized, University of Wyoming history, Western history, Wyoming history | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Empowering Narratives: Celebrating LGBTQ+ History with the Award-Winning American Heritage Center and Gregory Hinton

Preserving and celebrating diverse narratives is crucial to understanding our shared history and fostering inclusivity in society. In a remarkable collaboration the American Heritage Center at along with playwright and producer Gregory Hinton, have been recognized for exceptional work in … Continue reading

Posted in announcements, Archival preservation, LGBTQIA+, Out West in the Rockies, Uncategorized, Western history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Wyoming Women’s History: Choices and Changes Oral History Project

In the United States, the generation born post-Depression, or about 1939 to the end of World War II in August 1945 have been named “War Babies.” The Baby Boomer generation soon followed, beginning in 1946, and has been credited with … Continue reading

Posted in oral histories, Post World War II, Uncategorized, Western history, women's history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

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

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 on exhibit in “The Art of the Railroad” … Continue reading

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

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

Posted in Prostitution, Toppan Rare Books Library, Uncategorized, Western history, women's history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

The “Peculiar Vibrations” of the Sweetwater County Seat

Were some of Sweetwater County’s earliest records stolen from the new county seat and lost in the desert way back in the 1870s? This is a popular story around Green River, the current Sweetwater County seat. It turns out, there … Continue reading

Posted in Local history, mining history, Scandals, Uncategorized, Western history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Wrangling the Western Metaphor: Charles Belden’s Wyoming Imagery

Reaching the Pitchfork Ranch in the 1920s wasn’t easy. In fact, it was arduous. Imagine yourself on the trek. After transferring at the Billings, Montana, branch line to the end of the rails in Cody, Wyoming, a light horse-drawn stage … Continue reading

Posted in Digital collections, outdoor recreation, Photographic collections, Ranch history, Tourism, Uncategorized, Western history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Wyoming Statesman Alan K. Simpson

Al Simpson is pillar of Wyoming politics, a well-known name across the country, and a benefactor of the American Heritage Center. Simpson enjoyed a long political career spanning the years 1964 to 1997. He is both a politician and a … Continue reading

Posted in Heart Mountain Relocation Center, Immigration Policy, Interns' projects, Uncategorized, Western history, western politics and leadership, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

No Room at the Inn: Owen Wister Encounters Wyoming, July – August 1885

In July 1885, Owen Wister visited Medicine Bow in Wyoming Territory as part of his tour of the region, only to discover there were no rooms available in town to sleep. Instead of moving on when he arrived on July … Continue reading

Posted in 19th century, Authors and literature, Book history, Uncategorized, Western fiction, Western history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Hanna, Wyoming’s 1903 “Frightful Disaster”

It was a normal Tuesday morning in the Union Pacific Coal Company mining town of Hanna, Wyoming, when disaster struck on June 30, 1903. It was about 10:30 in the morning when coal gas in the Hanna No. 1 mine caught … Continue reading

Posted in Coal industry, Mine disasters, mining history, Uncategorized, Western history, Wyoming History Day | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment