UW American Heritage Center Exhibit Series Marks Laramie’s 150th Anniversary

This undated photo gives an aerial view of the Wyoming Territorial Prison (center) and surrounding area. The prison is one of the features that will be highlighted at UW’s American Heritage Center during a summer exhibit series on the occasion of Laramie’s 150th anniversary. (Ludwig-Svenson Collection, AHC)

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Laramie, the University of Wyoming’s American Heritage Center (AHC) is hosting a summer exhibit series that spotlights collections depicting Laramie life and history throughout the last 150 years.

AHC Reference Department assistant Katey Parris, a UW graduate, curated the exhibits. The series will highlight a variety of topics, including UW, the Wyoming Territorial Prison and railroads.

The themed exhibits change weekly, highlighting various parts of Laramie’s history and some of the city’s most prominent people.

The summer exhibit series is now through Sept. 17. New material will be on display beginning every Monday throughout the summer.

Exhibits may be found in the AHC’s Reading Room, located on the fourth floor of the Centennial Complex at 2111 Willett Drive. Reading Room hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

Exhibit topics by date:

-- April 30-May 14 -- Union Pacific Railroad.

-- May 14-29 -- Laramie architecture.

Construction of the Union Pacific Railroad depot in Laramie in 1924, to replace the depot that was destroyed by fire in 1917, is shown in this photo that will be part of a summer exhibit series at UW’s American Heritage Center. (Ludwig-Svenson Collection, AHC)

-- May 29-June 11 -- Wyoming Territorial Prison.

-- June 11-25 -- Focus on a Laramie person and business.

-- June 25-July 9 -- Greenhill Cemetery and influential families.

-- July 9-23 -- Jubilee Days.

-- July 23-Aug. 6 -- Fort Sanders/military.

-- Aug. 7-20 -- Ranch history.

-- Aug. 20-Sept. 4 -- Highways.

-- Sept. 4-17 -- Centennial Complex 25th anniversary.

For more details about Laramie’s 150th anniversary celebration, see www.visitlaramie.org/laramie150. Celebrations are planned all summer and into the fall.

The AHC is a place to get information not found in many books or even online sources. It has firsthand data and evidence from letters, reports, notes, memos, photographs, audio and video recordings, and other primary sources. The center is accessible on-site at UW and online at www.uwyo.edu/ahc. No appointment is needed.