Tag Archives: Wyoming history

Remembering “The Wyoming Trip”

Fifty years ago, I turned 12 years old, and America turned 200. Today, with America reaching 250, and me at the ripe old age of 62, I look back with fading memory on my participation, for the Great State of Wyoming, … Continue reading

Posted in American Heritage Center, American history, Wyoming, Wyoming Culture | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Engineering Building Cornerstone Placed 100 Years Ago

On the morning of April 30, 1926, a ceremony was held on campus to commemorate the laying of the cornerstone of the new Engineering Building. The event was so special for the university, morning classes were dismissed so that all … Continue reading

Posted in 20th century, Ross, Nellie Tayloe, University Architecture, University of Wyoming | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Confronting Difficult History: Blackface in Wyoming’s Photographic Past

When I first encountered these photographs in the American Heritage Center’s collections, I was genuinely jarred. As a white person researching these images from 1920s-30s Wyoming, I found myself uncomfortable and unsettled. My immediate reaction was emotional rather than academic … Continue reading

Posted in Collections Highlights, Racism, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Carroll Baker – More Than a Sex Symbol of the Silver Screen

With her large blue eyes and lithe figure, Carroll Baker was a Hollywood sensation. Papers of the day described her as “a little like Marilyn Monroe, a little like Jean Harlow, and altogether a platinum blonde.” She earned millions from … Continue reading

Posted in Biography and profiles, Collections Highlights, Film History, Hollywood history, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

AHC Archivists coauthor book about the history of the Western Research Institute and Bureau of Mines

American Heritage Center archivists, Erin Shadrick and John Waggener, recently coauthored a book about the history of the Western Research Institute and its predecessor Bureau of Mines. The 73-page book, One Hundred Years on the High Plains of Technology, tells … Continue reading

Posted in Authors, Uncategorized, University of Wyoming | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Big News: We’re Launching an Education and Outreach Department!

We have some really exciting news to share—the American Heritage Center is creating a new Education and Outreach Department. If you’ve been following along with us, you know we’ve always been about more than just preserving collections. We want people … Continue reading

Posted in Education & Outreach, exhibits, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Following the Manito Trail: New Mexicans of the Cowboy State

In honor of the beginning of this year’s National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th – October 15th), today we look at the history of the Manito Trail and the interdisciplinary Following the Manito Trail exhibit that tells its story. As … Continue reading

Posted in Community Stories, Culture and heritage, exhibits, Uncategorized, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Logbook of a Legend: Jack Knight and the Birth of All-Weather Airmail

Aviation in the 1920s was unpredictable. Pilots flew routes that few had successfully flown before, with untested technologies and in all weather conditions. These risks went hand in hand with being a pilot for the airmail service. None embody this … Continue reading

Posted in 1920s America, aviation history, Postal Service History, Transportation history, Uncategorized, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Flashlights and Formulas: The Unexpected Tales of UW’s Engineering Building

The Engineering Building at the University of Wyoming, constructed in 1927, has been a cornerstone of technological education on campus for nearly a century. Originally housing both engineering and agricultural programs, the building reflects the university’s early focus on practical … Continue reading

Posted in Campus Heritage, Uncategorized, University of Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Behind the Foibles of Wyoming’s Prohibition Era

Many of us popped the cork on a bottle of champagne to welcome 2024. But a century ago, such celebrations that involved alcohol were illegal across the United States. Wyoming’s own noble experiment banning liquor began on June 30, 1919, … Continue reading

Posted in Prohibition, Uncategorized, Western history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment