Photo Assistant Amanda Wells photographing an artifact from the Buddy Ebsen collection, Coll No. 12733, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
The AHC is primarily a research institution, meaning that a major focus of our collecting process is making collection material accessible to our patrons by processing and digitizing it. Digitization of archival material is important to making our collections searchable online, and can also be used to document fragile collection material as early as possible before further deterioration occurs.
To address the digitization of formats beyond our Digital Scan Labโs capabilities (such as, oversized documents and three-dimensional artifacts), we have a Digital Imaging Lab which is equipped with an overhead camera stand, studio equipment, high-resolution DSLR cameras, and a trained photographer. In the Digital Imaging Lab, one project was to document the wide variety of artifacts within the Buddy Ebsen collection as it being arranged and described.
Content Lister Marina Brown with material from the Buddy Ebsen collection. American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
This collection contains many artifacts from Ebsenโs life and work as a prolific actor, including props from the set of The Beverly Hillbillies. Some of the artifacts are fragile, so it takes a lot of care to handle them, and research was needed on some (such as the oil can musical instrument) to determine how to properly assemble the pieces.
Oil can musical instrument from The Beverly Hillbillies found in the Buddy Ebsen collection. American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
When an artifact is placed on the camera stand, it takes time to find the proper lighting positions and manual camera settings. The archival standard allows for no post-processing besides cropping, so in addition to balancing exposure, shutter speed (to eliminate blurriness), aperture (to maximize the depth of focus), light sensitivity (to prevent graininess), and preventing camera shake, it’s also important to find the best angle to photograph the item to reduce any reflections and maximize the informational content of the image. It can take a lot of work, but itโs important to get it right so we can provide the best possible documentation of the artifacts for our patrons and our records.
Dogs are one of lifeโs greatest treasures. They love their owners unconditionally, enjoy walks, belly rubs, and appreciate any moment that they spend with their owner. For centuries, people have had great admiration for dogs and enjoy capturing their essence through several different types of media such as paintings, sculptures, and especially photography.
Over the years, photography has become a rather popular way of capturing pictures of beloved pets. One can go on any social media site and see picture after picture of dogs, cats, and all sorts of pets. Longtime University of Wyoming Geology Professor Samuel H. Knight (1892-1975) had a passion for photography and because of this, people today are able to get a glimpse into his life and are able to see that Knight himself was a dog lover and enjoyed taking pictures of dogs.
Knight
was somewhat fond of taking photos of his familyโs pets. A majority of the photographs that contain a
dog are that of Knightโs family. One of his family dogs was a particularly
fluffy and calm dog named Trixie.
Trixie. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Samuel H. Knight Collection, Accession Number 400044, Box 103
In most of the pictures that include her, she is surrounded by Knightโs children and does not look as though she is bothered by their presence. The negatives depict Knightโs children holding Trixie in their laps or petting her on a porch, all the while Trixie is smiling and appearing happy and content. With children, pets can sometimes become annoyed with the lack of personal space but from the images we have in our collections, Trixie did not seem like the type of dog to get annoyed with children too easily.
Trixie with children. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Samuel H. Knight Collection, Accession Number 400044, Box 103
Trixie dog with family. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Samuel H. Knight Collection, Accession Number 400044, Box 103, Negative #119
Another
one of Knightโs family dogs is a fluffy terrier who is full of energy. Every
picture of him makes it appear as though this dog rarely stayed still. In some
of the photos, the dog is wearing a harness with an incredibly taut leash. A
taut leash would indicate an energetic and curious canine, and multiple other
images that include the family dog reinforce that idea.
Family dog. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Samuel H. Knight Collection, Accession Number 400044, Box 119,
A Christmas picture with the Knight family was unexpectedly altered after they decided to include the family dog in the picture. Being as energetic as he was, the canine couldn’t stay still during the duration of the photo-taking process. The final image was a nice and clear family picture that only included a blurry spot that was the dog.
Squirming Family Dog. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Samuel H. Knight Collection, Accession Number 400044, Box 119
Finally,
Knight was known to take pictures of dogs that were not even his. A good
example of this is a dog that appears to be guarding the very first grindstone
in Rawlins, Wyoming. This big, solemn dog has no real purpose being in the
photo capturing Rawlinsโs accomplishment yet Knight still decided to leave him
in, which indicates Knightโs appreciation for dogs.
Dog with grindstone. University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Samuel H. Knight Collection, Accession Number 400044, Box 93, Negative D3-3262 & C-41523
Hereโs another example of Knightโs appreciation for dogs. This dog looks similar to a mix between a lab and a boxer and is leashed to a post outside. He does not look particularly amused to be having his picture taken but still stays stationary as he was getting his picture taken nonetheless. There is nothing surrounding the dog that indicates Knight was attempting to capture anything other than the dog. It is safe to say that by leaving a random dog in the picture or taking a picture solely of a dog, it shows that Knight does enjoy dogs and would do what he could to take pictures of them.
University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Samuel H. Knight Collection, Accession Number 400044, Box 82, Negative B1-2125
Not only has Sam Knight given people of today the ability to get a glimpse into his daily life, but he also gave them the ability to understand the life of a dog during the early 1900s. Trixie was a fluffy and calm dog who worked well with children, the other family dog was not as well trained as Trixie but was also incredibly energetic and always kept his leash taut when he went on walks. Other dogs, who were not owned by Knight, also had their pictures taken. Knight showed people his love and appreciation for dogs through the use of photography while also giving the future the ability to understand the past.
If your appetite for canine pictures is still unsatisfied, indulge in a variety of heartwarming images in the AHC’s virtual exhibit titled “Man’s Best Friend Through the Ages.”
Blog contribution by: Maiah T. Porter, Carlson Endowment Student Intern
Ribbon: โVotes for Women.โ American Heritage Center, Box 77, Grace Raymond Hebard papers.
On June 4, 1919, the Senate passed the 19th
amendment to the United States Constitution. The amendment stated: โThe right
of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the
United States or by any state on account of sex.โ The action of Congress,
however, did not enfranchise a single female. Thirty-six states had to ratify
the amendment before it could go into force.
The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), led by Carrie Chapman Catt, had much work to do to convince the necessary number of state legislators to give their support. NAWSA embarked on an intensive state by state campaign to convince generally all-male legislatures to admit a massive new number of voters to the rolls. Fifteen states had already given their women full voting rights. Catt reached out to women in those places asking them to share their experiences. Among those who answered Cattโs call was Dr. Grace Raymond Hebard of Wyoming.
Photograph: Grace Raymond Hebard, about 1920. American Heritage Center, Photo Biographical Files, Hebard, Grace Raymond.
Grace Hebard was born in 1861 in Clinton, Iowa. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Iowa in 1882 and moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming, to work as a draftsman and surveyor in the United States Land Office. This was an unusual position for a woman, but it did not satisfy Hebardโs ambition. She went on to earn a Masterโs degree in 1885 and a Ph.D. in 1893. She was appointed to the University of Wyomingโs Board of Trustees in 1891 and became a member of the Wyoming Bar Association in 1898. She was University Librarian and head of the Universityโs Political Economy Department by 1908. Still underemployed, she found time to support American troops in World War I and work with foreign-born residents seeking citizenship. Always an active advocate for women, in 1920 she was tapped by Carrie Chapman Catt. Cattโs telegram of April 12 was explicit: โTo get thirty sixth state mobilizing one woman each state[.] Want you WyomingโฆWant you and you only.โ[1]
Telegram: Carrie Chapman Catt to Grace Raymond Hebard requesting help in securing passage of the 19th amendment, April 12, 1920. American Heritage Center, Box 21, Folder 6, Grace Raymond Hebard papers.
Catt wanted these women to persuade the governor of Connecticut to call a special session of the legislature to ratify womenโs suffrage. Many states had already dismissed their legislative sessions and did not plan to call another one until 1921. But that would occur after the presidential election of 1920 and would deny women the chance to participate in the national elections for another four years. Catt summoned her forces and distributed her talking points. The women were instructed to point out the political consequences of delay. โParties must make no mistake as to depth of womenโs feelingโฆIn Connecticut, it is the Republican [P]arty that will be held responsible.โ[2]
Hebard had some strategies of her own. In New York, on her way to Connecticut, she attracted the attention of the press: โDr. Grace Hebbard [sic], [3] of Laramie, Wyo., paid no attention to the skyscrapers when she arrived for the first time on Broadway last nightโฆThe first thing which stimulated her curiosity in New York was the headquarters of the National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage. โI never saw an anti-suffragist,โ she said last night at the Hotel McAlpin,โฆโYou know out in Wyoming we have had woman suffrage for fifty years and there is no such thing as an anti-suffrage man in our state โ much less a womanโฆI want to go around there and see what those women are like. I cannot imagine what they have to say for their point of view.โโ
The Connecticut suffragists and their guests toured the state, then had a hearing before the governor and held a public rally on May 7. Nevertheless, Governor Marcus H. Holcomb refused to call the special session. Then in August, Tennessee became the thirty-sixth state to ratify the 19th amendment, and the question of whether women would vote in the 1920 elections was settled. Suddenly Cattโs threat had teeth. The new voters had the power to punish obstructionists. Holcomb reversed course and called a special session for September. Connecticut ratified on September 21, 1920, in time to avoid backlash in the November elections.[4]
Letter: Ruth McIntire Dadourian to Grace Raymond Hebard giving instructions for speakers in Connecticut, May 4, 1920. American Heritage Center, Box 21, Folder 6, Grace Raymond Hebard papers.
Speaking Points document: ideas for speakers at the governorโs hearing and rally in Connecticut. American Heritage Center, Box 21, Folder 6, Grace Raymond Hebard papers.
Ironically, Wyoming had followed a similar path. The collaboration between Hebard and Catt had been established when Catt came to Wyoming in November 1919 to help persuade Governor Robert D. Carey to call a special legislative session to make Wyoming the first state to ratify the 19th amendment. Carey refused. Wyoming had never had a special session, special sessions were expensive, Wyomingโs women already had the right to vote, so there was no need to burden legislators with a long trip in winter. Catt, Hebard, and the twenty-five other women of the Wyoming Ratification Committee were turned away. But Carey, too, changed his mind and summoned his legislators out in January of 1920 because โthe opponents of suffrage have been using as an argument against granting equal rights to women that Wyoming had not ratified for the reason that suffrage had proved a failure in this Stateโฆ[W]e could not allow such a charge to be unchallenged.โ Wyoming became the 27th state to ratify on January 28th.[5]
Photograph: Grace Raymond Hebard and Carrie Chapman Catt, probably taken in 1921 when Catt was in Laramie to accept an honorary doctorate from the University of Wyoming.
Cattโs friendship with Hebard and her association with Wyoming did not end there. In 1921 the University of Wyoming conferred its first honorary doctorate degree. The honoree chosen was Carrie Chapman Catt. โWe all know,โ wrote Ida Husted Harper of NAWSAโs Bureau of Suffrage Education to Grace Raymond Hebard, โthat you were back of the idea of conferring the doctorโs degree on Mrs. Catt and we think it was one of the best things you ever did, and you have done so many.โ[6]
[1] Telegram, Carrie Chapman Catt to Grace Raymond Hebard, April 12, 1920, Box 21, Folder 6, Grace Raymond Hebard papers, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming [2] โSpeaking Points,โ undated typescript, Box 21, Folder 6, Hebard papers [3] โAdvance Guard of Suffrage Emergency Corps Arrives,โ clipping from New York Tribune, May 2, 1920, Box 21, Folder 6, Hebard papers [4] Press release by National American Woman Suffrage Association, April 22, 1920, Box 21, Folder 7, Hebard papers; Letter, Ruth McIntire Dadourian to Grace Raymond Hebard, May 4, 1920, Box 21, Folder 6, Hebard papers; โThe Long Road to Womenโs Suffrage in Connecticut,โ Connecticut Explored, https://www.ctexplored.org/the-long-road-to-womens-suffrage-in-connecticut/ [5] โRatification of National Woman Suffrage AmendmentโฆGovernor Careyโs Message,โ typescript, Box 21, Folder 6, Hebard papers; โWyoming Ratifies the 19th Amendment,โ WyoHistory.org ย https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/wyoming-ratifies-19th-amendment [6] University of Wyoming, Past Honorary Degree Recipients;ย letter, Ida Husted Harper to Grace Raymond Hebard, Dec. 23, 1921, Box 32, Folder 29, Hebard papers
E. Deane Hunton was born in Virginia in 1885. When he was
three years old his family moved out around Wheatland, Wyoming.
E. Deane Hunton attended the University of Wyoming where he obtained a degree in mining engineering. During his time here, Hunton lettered in four varsity sports: baseball, basketball, football, and track. He also was a member of the Alpha Kappa Psi, a national commerce fraternity. Along with these accomplishments, E. Deane Hunton received an MBA degree from Harvard University. Hunton worked for the war trade board during the last two years of World War I in Washington D.C. In 1922-1923, he traveled overseas to Europe for a yearlong sabbatical.
A newspaper clipping describing who some of the players were on the early University of Wyoming basketball teams, including E. Deane Hunton. 1952. E. Deane Hunton Collection, Accession Number 400069, Box 6, Book 14, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
A newspaper clipping of a photograph showing the early University of Wyoming basketball team in 1908. Photograph was taken circa 1908. E. Deane Hunton Collection, Accession Number 400069, Box 6, Book 14, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Amongst these many achievements, one stands out as having the longest legacy; Hunton was the creator of the University of Wyomingโs famous Steamboat logo. In 1909, Hunton found a picture of the cowboy, Guy Holt, riding the bucking horse, Steamboat. Hunton quickly sketched it out and sent it in to the baseball team to use on their uniforms. When he became the faculty manager for the University of Wyoming athletics, he implemented the design onto all the athletic uniforms. The University of Wyoming now oversees the trademark for this logo for both the school and the state.
Here is the original picture that inspired E. Deane Hunton to draw the logo and send to the baseball team. It is of cowboy, Guy Holt, riding the bucking horse Steamboat. The picture was taken in 1903. B. C. Buffum Papers, Accession Number 400055, Box 35, Item 7, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
An RSVP for University of Wyoming 1940 Homecoming, with an early depiction of the famous Steamboat logo. E. Deane Hunton Collection, Accession Number 400069, Box 6, Book 12, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Additionally, the 1937 Wyoming license plates used the Steamboat logo and University of Wyoming colors by suggestion of E. Deane Hunton. These licenses plates commemorated the University of Wyomingโs 50th anniversary.
Newspaper clipping of the article run in the Branding Iron about Huntonโs achievement of getting the university colors and Steamboat onto the 1937 license plates. E. Deane Hunton Collection, Accession Number 400069, Box 6, Book 12, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
The visual materials in this collection cover everything in E. Deane Huntonโs personal and professional life from all around the world. It is at the American Heritage Center under the collection title, E. Deane Hunton Collection, or the collection number, 400069. Contact the American Heritage Center if you would like to learn more about this fascinating man!
Blog contribution by: Anne-Marie Stratton , Carlson Endowment Student Intern
November is Native American Heritage month. The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) refers to it as a โmonth to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native People.โ2 That celebration started in 1990, when George H. W. Bush โapproved a joint resolution designating November [as] Native American Heritage Month.โ3
Zdenฤk Salzmann, an anthropological linguist, traveled to the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming, to research the Arapaho language and culture. His project, which was part of his PhD thesis, started in 1949, but continued in the 1950s, 1960s and later in the 1980s, when this time he was acting as principal investigator for the โArapaho Cultural Heritage Reinforcement projectโ with the University of Massachusetts.
His work involved interviews with the elders that were fluent in Arapaho, inquiring about their customs, but also researching the vocabulary, verbs, songs, tales and folklore, also creating an English-Arapaho dictionary out of index cards.ย In 1963, he published his thesis, โA Sketch of Arapaho Grammarโ.
Translated songs, Box 15, Zdenฤk Salzmann Arapaho Indian research papers, Collection #10396, American Heritage Center, University of Wymoing.
Body parts, Box 15, Zdenฤk Salzmann Arapaho Indian research papers, Collection #10396, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
For the Wind River Indian Reservation tribe, the preservation of their culture is becoming increasingly important. Only a few dozen amongst the elders speak it fluently. The use of the language was put aside in schools when the missionaries settled on the reservation in the late 1800s until the late 1930โs. Only English was allowed to be spoken in the classroom of the St. Stephens Indian Boarding School.4
In 2010, UNESCO listed the language as severely endangered, but efforts to bring back the daily use of the Arapaho Language, started in 2000, when the Tribe got a chance to partner with a linguistics professor from the University of Colorado Boulder. Andrew Cowell used the research material created by Salzmann, and over the years, it led to the creation of a dictionary, edited three times, and was produced using the index cards that Zdenฤk Salzmann created. Andrew Cowellโs project also includes an outreach website which can serve as an educational tool, about the Arapaho language and culture.
Letter โAโ, dictionary cards, Box 18, Zdenฤk Salzmann Arapaho Indian research papers, Coll. #10396, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
The Arapaho Language Project5 is ongoing, and the Arapaho Tribe on the Wind River Indian Reservation benefits from tools such as websites, phone apps, and video tutorials used by the students in the classrooms.ย
These primary source materialsโincluding photographs, documents, manuscripts, and more related to Wyomingโs Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribesโare available through digitized resources, online exhibits, and with assistance from Reference Department staff to help teachers educate students about the cultural heritage, history, and contributions of Wyomingโs tribal nations while supporting Wyoming Social Studies Standards.
For more information about AHC resources, contact the AHC’s Reference Department at ahcref@uwyo.edu.
In 1869, Wyoming passed its groundbreaking woman suffrage law. Wyomingโs women were voting and holding public office decades before the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified in 1920. Indeed, the successful implementation of woman suffrage in Wyoming and other western states was critical to the nationwide success of the womenโs movement for voting rights. By empowering its women, Wyoming was essentially conducting a social experiment โ one that was closely watched by both supporters and opponents of suffrage. And, the experiment proved successful โ western women voted and held public office, proving that woman suffrage could work.
Pennant that was used in a presentation given by Mary Bellamy in Washington D.C. in 1917, when she was supporting the war effort and the campaign for the Nineteenth Amendment. AHC Mary Bellamy Collection 000045 Box 1
Note with pennant says: “Red pennant which Mrs. Mary Bellamy used to illustrate a talk at the Suffrage Convention in Washington, D.C., 1917. Donated by Mary C. Bellamy.”
And yet, while the story of the passage of Wyomingโs suffrage bill has been told many times, there is still much about this suffrage history that we do not know. In particular, we do not fully understand the ways in which the right to vote and hold office impacted the lives of ordinary Wyoming women, or their impact on the history of the state. If we want to have an accurate understanding of how women got the vote and what they did with it, we need to tell those womenโs stories.
But this is not always easy to do. One of the challenges of writing the history of women in the nineteenth century is finding sources. When a historian sits down to write a political history of the nineteenth or early twentieth century, men dominate the historical record. Men show up in many places in the sources โ in administrative government documents, in proceedings of legislatures and in newspaper reports. But because this is an era in which it was generally not โrespectableโ for women to operate in the public sphere, there is rarely a public record of womenโs activities. Women were largely excluded from power and from public life, and so womenโs voices are usually left out of these types of sources. And even women who were involved with politics or activism often considered it unwomanly to publicize their activities.
Accordingly, histories of woman suffrage in Wyoming often focus on the men who were involved in passing and implementing the bill. And certainly these men are important โ without their actions, womenโs suffrage could never have come to Wyoming. But at the same time, their story is not the full story.
Finding out what the women were doing and thinking requires a fair amount of detective work. Fortunately, the American Heritage Center has many archival materials related to Wyoming women that can help us to understand the nuances and complexities of the period. The lack of public records created by or about women in this era means that scholars must often rely on private documents such as letters, diaries, family histories and family photographs in order to understand the lives and motivations of women. Fortunately, the AHC has several rich collections that shed light on important political women. Supported by a research grant from the AHC, I was able to spend some of the summer of 2019 digging through some of the rich and interesting materials held in these collections.
1871 Letter from Amalia Post to her sister, describing her jury service. Morton Post Papers, 01362
One of the most important collections is the letters of Amalia Post. Post was a vocal advocate for womenโs rights. In 1870, the first year in which women had the vote, Post was one of two women who served on the Laramie County Republican Central Committee. That committee nominated two women for office in the September 1870 election. Neither woman won her race, but both secured more than 40% of the vote. Post also served on one of the first juries to include women, and when the territorial legislature attempted to repeal suffrage in 1871, Post lobbied the governor to save it. Post also met national leaders of the suffrage movement and was named a Lifetime Vice President of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Without the advocacy of women like Post, woman suffrage in Wyoming might have fizzled out or been repealed. But she took action to see that it was secure and was enacted in practice as well as in law.
Letter discussing the election of the all-female city government of Jackson Hole in 1920. From the Grace Raymond Hebard Papers 400008 Box 26, Folder 3.
The AHC also holds the files of Dr. Grace Raymond Hebard. Hebard was deeply influential in the development of the University of Wyoming and served the institution for more than forty-five years in a variety of roles. She was also a member of the National Womenโs Suffrage Association. She recognized that Wyoming had played a unique and important role in the womenโs rights movement, and she attempted to preserve and document that history. Hebardโs own writings on the topic have been debunked by more recent scholars, but nevertheless, her files still serve as valuable sources. Hebard had connections in every part of the state, and she gathered information on womenโs political history from a vast network of correspondents. She and her students clipped newspapers, preserved documents, and gathered primary accounts related to women who served in elected office. Dr. Hebard also corresponded with national suffrage leaders, and these letters provide insight into the role Wyoming played in the national movement.
Sheet music was composed for Emma Smith DeVoe, one of the most important suffrage activists in the American West. The DeVoes were friends of Mary Bellamy, and this song was performed at many suffrage campaigns. AHC Mary Bellamy Collection 000045 Box 1
And finally, the AHC also preserves records of women who were active in early Wyoming politics. Wyomingโs suffrage law granted not only the right to vote but also to hold office. One woman who pioneered in this area was Mary Bellamy, whose papers are held at AHC. Bellamy was elected Superintendent of Schools in Albany County in 1902. In 1910 she became the first woman elected to the Wyoming State Legislature, serving in the 1911 session. Bellamy was Wyomingโs representative in Washington D.C. during the campaign for the Nineteenth Amendment. The AHC houses collections related to all of these activities.
This is just a small sampling of the many rich womenโs sources available from the AHC. The pioneering women discussed in this postโlike Amalia Post and Mary Bellamyโpaved the way for later generations of women leaders who continued to expand the meaning of equality in Wyoming. There is still much to be learned about the women who voted and served in office in the early days of the Equality State. Discover how three remarkable women used their roles as elected officials to challenge conventional understandings of equality in the AHCโs online exhibit โIn Pursuit of Equalityโ. Their stories show how the foundation laid by Wyoming’s early suffrage pioneers evolved into broader fights for true equality.
Last Halloween, we brought you a blog post on The Killer Shrews, a low-budget horror movie shot in Dallas, Texas, and released in 1959.ย What is the filmโs connection to the American Heritage Center?ย We hold the papers of Forrest J. Ackerman, the editor of the fanzine โFamous Monsters of Filmland,โ and that collection includes a poster for The Killer Shrews.
The Giant Gila Monster movie poster
This
yearโs Halloween blog post focuses on The Giant Gila Monster (1959),
which was also shot in Dallas, Texas, and a poster of which is also included in
the Ackerman papers. Like The Killer
Shrews, The Giant Gila Monster, which Wikipedia describes as a
โhot rod/monster/science fiction film,โ takes as its antagonist an aberration
of natureโthe title creature. As such,
it is akin to other 1950s science-fiction movies such as Them! (1954 โ
giant ants), Tarantula! (1955), Attack of the Crab Monsters
(1957), The Giant Claw (1957), and Attack of the Giant Leeches
(1959). Both The Killer Shrews
and The Giant Gila Monster were financed and produced by Gordon
McLendon, a Texas radio pioneer and owner of a chain of drive-in theatres who
also provided the voiceover narration for the latter. That movie was co-written and directed by Ray
Kellogg, who also directed The Killer Shrews and another movie produced
and financed by McLendon, My Dog, Buddy (1960). (Kellogg is also credited with co-directing,
with John Wayne, the notorious The Green Berets (1968).)
The Giant Gila Monster movie trailer
All three McLendon-financed movies were produced by actor Ken Curtis, who also appeared in The Killer Shrews and My Dog Buddy. Curtis is probably best known for his role as Festus in almost 300 episodes of the TV series Gunsmoke (1955-1975). He also appeared in numerous films directed by John Ford, perhaps most famously as Charlie McCorry in The Searchers (1956).
A clip from The Searchers film, in which McCorry, who is wearing a dark vest, and Martin Pawley, played by Jeffrey Hunter, fight for the affections of Laurie Jorgensen, played by Vera Miles.
Today, homecoming celebrations are often associated with fall and football, but it may not always have been true. The tradition of homecoming is generally a celebration of welcoming former students and members of high schools, colleges, or churches within the United States to celebrate an organizationโs existence.[1] This definition does not explicitly involve football, so the question remains about the origins of homecoming celebrations within the United States and at the University of Wyoming.
Homecoming Parade, 2015. UW Photo.
The history of homecoming celebrations is ambiguous. It is often recognized as taking place in September or October and revolving around a central event such as football, basketball, or soccer game so that alumni and former students can join in rooting for their alma mater with current students and the community. Historically, most homecoming celebrations include a homecoming court, parade, tailgate or picnic, pep rally, alumni band, and homecoming dance.
University of Wyoming Homecoming Dance, Laramie, Wyoming, 1927 (Negative Number 14851.1), Box 11, Ludwig & Svenson Studio Photographs, Accession Number 167, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Many schools have claimed to have held the first homecoming celebrations. The list includes Baylor University and Southwestern University, both in 1909, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1910, and the University of Missouri in 1911. The main events for these homecoming celebrations were the parade and football game, where the opponent is usually the home team’s rival.
ASUW Homecoming Committee, Box 30, Folder ASUW Correspondence Telegrams, 1919-1920, Samuel H. Knight papers, Collection #400044, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
The University of Wyoming Alumni Association, established on March 26, 1895, established an annual gathering for former students and alumni of the University of Wyoming centered around commencement.[2] The gathering usually took place in the summer months, primarily in June, and activities took place over five days. The reunions usually included music recitals, baccalaureate ceremonies, the Cadet Ball, an alumni banquet, an alumni play, commencement, an official meeting of the alumni association, and many small-group gatherings.[3]
ASUW Alumni Invitation Letter, Box 30, Folder ASUW Correspondence Telegrams, 1919-1920. Samuel H. Knight papers, Collection #400044, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
The first annual banquet and business meeting of the Alumni of the University of Wyoming occurred on June 20, 1895, at the Ladies Study Hall. Annual dues for the members were set at 25 cents per person; in addition to the annual dues, members in attendance of the annual gathering were required to pay an extra dollar per person. To put this in perspective, one dollar in 1895 is approximately equal to $29.89 in 2018. Mrs. Reiger furnished refreshments for sixteen at $11, and members provided ice and cake.[4] At the annual business meeting, elections were held.
Alumni MinuteBook. Alumni Association, 1891-1920, Box 30, Folder 2, Samuel H. Knight papers, Collection #400044, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.Alumni MinuteBook. Alumni Association, 1891-1920, Box 30, Folder 2, Samuel H. Knight papers, Collection #400044, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Despite previous years of alumni gatherings, October 1922 is attributed as the official documented date of the University of Wyomingโs first homecoming. Dr. Samuel H. Knight, a UW alumnus and professor of Geology, served as the president of the Alumni Association from 1921 to 1924, and served on the athletic committee. Knight was keen on the national movement of coinciding football with homecoming celebrations and was instrumental in collaborating with the Alumni Association to move the alumni celebrations to coincide with the first football game of the 1922 season.
Part of this effort included having an official setting for alumni, former and current students, faculty, staff, and the community to enjoy the games while creating a revenue stream to continue the athletic programs. Although Wyoming football origins date as early as 1893, the football games were played in Prexyโs Pasture.
Black and white photograph of the University of Wyoming football team, 1895 (Negative number 21209 and 25483), Box 11 A, Folder 9, Holliday Family Papers, Collection #347, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
In 1922, Knight fundraised, used his own monies and sweat equity and community connections to establish Corbett Field as the new football field. He also worked diligently with alumni and students to complete the construction of the bleachers there in time for the game. It was a true community effort.
Thank You Letter to the Citizens of Laramie, Box 8, Folder Office-Homecoming 1929, University of Wyoming. College of Engineering and Applied Science records, Collection #550000, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Freshmen clearing football field for Homecoming game, October 1925. AHC UW Photo Files, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.Freshmen clearing football field for Homecoming game, October 1925. AHC UW Photo Files, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Over the years, alumni reunions have been replaced with homecoming and as a result of and in conjunction with societal changes, the traditions of homecoming have changed. In 1921, the University granted its first honorary degree, an LL.D. (Legum Doctor, or Doctor of Laws) degree, to Carrie Chapman Catt, a leading advocate for womenโs suffrage.[5] That year, Catt not only received the honor but also gave the commencement speech. Despite the first honorary degree being awarded 11 years earlier, it wasnโt until 1932 that such degrees became an accepted procedure.
Bucking Forward float from UW Homecoming Parade, 1937. AHC UW Photo Files, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.On Wyo Float at UW Homecoming Parade, 1939. AHC UW Photo Files, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Beginning in 1922, the homecoming celebrations evolved to include class reunions, open houses, a dance, a parade, and the football game.[6] Homecoming served as a way for alumni, current students, and the community to come together to celebrate.
Most memorable are the parade floats, usually funded by fraternities, sororities, and campus organizations. Each year, a theme is announced and the parade floats follow that theme. Due to the costs of creating floats, there has been discussion about canceling the parades from time to time; however, significant pushback from students and the community has kept this beloved tradition alive.
Women on horses in Homecoming Parade. AHC UW Photo Files, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.House decorations for UW Homecoming, 1939. AHC UW Photo Files, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.House decorations for UW Homecoming, 1939. AHC UW Photo Files, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.UW Marching band in Homecoming Parade, 1939. AHC UW Photo Files, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Homecoming Schedule of events from 1931. AHC UW Photo Files, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Homecoming 1990 Schedule of Activities. AHC UW Photo Files, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.Homecoming 1990 Schedule of Activities. AHC UW Photo Files, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.Homecoming 1990 Schedule of Activities. AHC UW Photo Files, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Fast forward to today. Homecoming traditions of old exist and new traditions have come to be. One of the oldest traditions for UWโs Homecoming is the annual Homecoming Sing. The program is hosted by Iron Skull โ UWโs junior honorary organization. The group coordinates many student organizations, fraternities, and sororities participating in an annual sing and dance competition. Groups take existing songs and rewrite the lyrics to match the homecoming theme.
As part of Homecoming Week activities, the annual Homecoming Sing competition was held in the Arts & Sciences Auditorium on Oct. 5, 2016. The men of Sigma Chi perform a Beach Boys rendition. UW Photo.Homecoming Sing, 2017. UW Photo.
In recent years, student group competitions have become popular to get students excited for Homecoming. The competitions often incorporate Homecoming Sing, UW Athletics annual car push competition, and other various competition-style programs throughout the week. In addition to alumni and community-focused programs, other student-focused activities occur throughout the week such as the ASUW annual barbeque.
A Homecoming Week Spirit Relay was held on Prexy’s Pasture on Oct. 13, 2015. Student teams participated in a variety of tasks to race against the clock. The Latter-day Saint Student Association (LDSSA) won the relay. Aaron Anderson, of LDSSA, searches for phrases in the shaving cream tarp. The winning phrase was the Homecoming theme, “Once a Cowboy, Always A Cowboy.” UW Photo.
The culmination of the student competitions ends with student groups, departments, and community groups taking part in the annual parade. The parade happens the same day as the football game โ and is another great way for community members, students, and alumni to come together and celebrate.
Western Thunder marching in the 2013 Homecoming Parade.Homecoming Parade, 2018. UW Photo.Members of Chi Omega participating in Homecoming Parade, 2018. UW Photo.
And though some things have changed throughout the years, the purpose of Homecoming has always remained the same for the University of Wyoming. It will always serve as a way to build and reinforce our Poke Pride for students, alums, and the community.
To see visual highlights from this homecoming history, check out our Virmuze exhibit โThe History of Homecoming.โ
The American Heritage Center serves as the official repository for UW’s archives. The UW Archives not only collects official university records but also accepts donations documenting experiences of alumni, former students, staff, administration, faculty, and affiliated entities of the university.ย Please contact University Archivist John Waggener for more information. His email is waggener@uwyo.edu and phone number is 307-766-2563.
Have fun memories of Homecoming as a student, alum or community member? Leave us a comment below!
[2] Minute Book, 1891-1899 Box 2, Folder 2, University of Wyoming. Alumni Relations Records, Collection Number 512002, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
[3] Hardy, Deborah, Wyoming University: The First 100 Years, 1886-1986 (Laramie, Wyo.: University of Wyoming, 1986), 100.
[4] Minute Book, 1891-1899 Box 2, Folder 2, University of Wyoming. Alumni Relations Records, Collection Number 512002, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
[5] Hardy, Deborah, Wyoming University: The First 100 Years, 1886-1986 (Laramie, Wyo.: University of Wyoming, 1986), 232.
[6] Hardy, Deborah, Wyoming University: The First 100 Years, 1886-1986 (Laramie, Wyo.: University of Wyoming, 1986), 101.
Research and blog written by Sara Davis, University Archivist with contributions from Jennifer Kirk, the AHC’s Marketing & Communications Specialist
In 2008, when I rediscovered Alias Smith and Jones (ASJ), a 1970s TV show I watched as a kid, I had no idea that several years later Iโd be writing a book about the Wyoming Territorial Penitentiary. Revisiting ASJ on DVD led me to online message boards about it and then to reading fan-fiction based on the show. Eventually I began writing my own ASJ fan-fiction.
Thatโs when I got into researching the Old West. I became more and more interested in the
actual history of the West and less interested in writing fictional stories
about it.
In 2011, I visited the Wyoming Territorial Penitentiary in
Laramie with friends from one of the ASJ message boards. It was a fascinating place and I wanted to
know more about it.
Although a book listing all the convicts whoโd been incarcerated
there was available, I didnโt see anything that was a general history of the
penitentiary. So I
decided that I would write a book about it myself.
Image of the Wyoming Territorial Prison from September 1903. Buffum negative number 971 Source: University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, B. C. Buffum Papers, Accession Number 400055, Box 32, Item 28
My first research trip was to the Denver Public Libraryโs
Western History Collection in 2012, followed by a trip to the Wyoming State
Archives in 2013. In 2017, I went to the
Wyoming Territorial Penitentiary State Historic Site to discuss my project with
Ms. Deborah Cease, the site superintendent, and use the library at the site to
continue my research.
We decided that the book would be a pictorial history, using
images to tell the story of the penitentiary.
Ms. Cease told me the American Heritage Center at the University of
Wyoming had lots of information about the prison. I knew Iโd have to return to Laramie and
visit the AHC at some point.
I also knew Iโd have to go to the National Archives in
Washington because that was where most of the information about the
penitentiary during Territorial times was located. In the fall of 2018, I spent a week doing
research there. But I didnโt get through
everything and have to return to NARA when I get the chance.
I knew the AHC offered
travel grants to researchers who wanted to use their collections. I decided that this year I was far enough
along with my project to apply for one. I
received an email in June notifying me Iโd been awarded a travel grant and made
plans to visit in July.
Susan Schwartz presents her research findings during her visit to the AHC in July.
What a productive
trip it was! I searched through 22 collections
during my week at the AHC. It was
exciting to find material Iโd never seen before.
I was elated to discover,
for example, photographs of a doctor who worked at the penitentiary, UW
professors who gave lectures to inmates, and an ex-convict and his wife. I also found images of Fort Sanders, which
confined convicts before the penitentiary was built, and photos and maps of
Laramie, some of which pictured the prison.
In addition, I found
correspondence about renovating the prison in 1889, 1890 census data for
Wyoming, and an 1891 contract between James Marsh and the State of Wyoming for
operating the prison. Some of the
collections I consulted included copies of articles from 19th century Laramie
newspapers, which offered a different perspective of the penitentiary from the
official documents that I found.
Iโd like to thank all the people at the American Heritage Center who so kindly helped me with my research. The wealth of material I located in the week I spent there will greatly enrich my book about the Wyoming Territorial Penitentiary.
“I’ve got to see it to believe it” was Evanston mayor Dennis Ottleyโs first reaction when he heard about the Overthrust Industrial Association (OIA). A 1983 issue of the Christian Science Monitor, reported that Ottley was incredulous that an industry-backed organization would assist his southwestern Wyoming town through the growing pains of an energy boom. “I made that statement, but I ate them words,” said Ottley, adding, “I think we proved to the world that industry and local government can work together.”
The Overthrust Industrial Association (OIA) was an organization of 36 oil and gas producers and service/supply firms founded in 1980 by Chevron, Amoco, and Champlin. The OIA’s mission was to help local governments in southwestern Wyoming, northeastern Utah, and southeastern Idaho manage socioeconomic and environmental impacts caused by the rapid development of oil and gas resources in the energy-rich geological formation known as the Overthrust Belt.
Memo outlining the urgency to create the OIA as media outlets began reporting conditions in communities in the Overthrust Belt impacted by energy producing activities, Overthrust Industrial Association records, Box 1, Folder 5. Memo outlining the urgency to create the OIA as media outlets began reporting conditions in communities in the Overthrust Belt impacted by energy producing activities, Overthrust Industrial Association records, Box 1, Folder 5.
There was certainly an overflow of issues for the energy companies and Evanston to tackle. Schools were packed to the rafters; oil field workers were living in their cars; construction workers had set up “bachelor camps” on the edge of town; and crime rates soared. According to a Winter 1981 article in the magazine Wyoming Issues, Evanston had grown from a population of 4,862 in 1977 to 7000+ in 1981.
Employee projections for 1981 and 1982 contained in report issued by the Lincoln-Uinta Association of Governments. Overthrust Industrial Association records, Box 1, Folder 2.
The first step by the industry-community partnership of
OIA was a series of meetings, beginning in February 1981, where Evanston
residents could air their grievances. Next came the establishment of a
committee to present community requests to the OIA, which, as of 1983, provided
about $100 million for schools, roads, water lines, sewers, and other projects.
The Monitorโs article quotes Evanston city administrators regarding the OIA. City administrator Stephen Snyder explained to the Monitor that the OIA was pushed into existence partly because of pressure from county government, which had the power to deny the building permits the companies sought. According to Mayor Ottley, by the time the OIA was launched, the people of Evanston had long been in the dark as to how big a boom to expect. “The energy companies weren’t telling us much,” Ottley said.
“But the OIA has been very good,” Julie Lehman, director of the city housing authority, told the Monitor. ”And if it never did anything but facilitate communications between industry and governmental entities, it would be worth it.”
First issue of Overthrust News, a newsletter published the OIA, Overthrust Industrial Association records, Box 12, Folder 4Last page of the first Overthrust News showing an attempt by OIA to address rumors, Overthrust Industrial Association, Box 12, Folder 4.
The Monitor was
somewhat patronizing in concluding, โEvanston may not be your candidate for
city beautiful, but Chuck McLean of the Denver Research Group gives the city
high marks for the way it has coped.โ
Besides passing out funds, the OIA retained a consulting firm, the Denver Research Group, to develop a comprehensive plan for streets, utilities, and so on, and to help the city lobby for grant money from other sources. Out of these efforts came the seed of the Evanston Renewal Ball, which still exists and has grown from a community celebration involving a handful of volunteers to a major fundraising event. The primary purpose of the Ball has become the preservation and revitalization of the downtown and the rail yards.
The Denver Research Group closely monitored media coverage for industry partners in the OIA, Overthrust Industrial Association records, Box 11, Folder 5.
As the energy boom subsided in the mid-1980s, so did the OIA. By 1984, the OIA was publishing its last issues of Overthrust News. By 1985, an energy bust had already engulfed Wyoming.
One of the last issues of Overthrust News in 1984 addressed questions regarding the phase-down of the OIA in the wake of the energy production slowdown. Overthrust Industrial Association records, Box 12, Folder 5.Overthrust Industrial Association records, Box 12, Folder 5.
The OIA records at the UW American Heritage Center contain administrative files beginning with the development of the OIA concept in 1979 and ending with the practical shutdown of the organization in 1985. Files document interaction with local government agencies and oil and gas corporations and describe the assistance provided to impacted communities. Original order has been maintained and a printed guide to the files, written by the organization, is included.
Blog contribution by Leslie Waggener, Archivist, Arrangement and Description
