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The AHC will be closed for UW Thanksgiving Break Nov. 24-26 and UW Winter closure from Dec. 24-Jan. 3, reopening January 4, 2022.
The AHC is open for research with a pre-approved appointment. Visit the links below to plan your visit! Please be aware that closures may happen unexpectedly due to the pandemic.
Contact our reference services
Our Virtual Resource Hub enables researchers to receive a personalized service that allows them to pursue all aspects of their research safely and from anywhere.
The AHC will be transferring Finding Aids from the Rocky Mountain Online Archive to Archives West by 2022.
Visit the Catalogs to explore the AHC’s vast collecting areas, from Wyoming and Western history to Hollywood and the history of the entertainment industry, to the Transcontinental Railroad and America’s transportation industries, to mineral, coal, and oil extraction, to journalism, Women’s Suffrage, and diversity in the West.
Ferdinand William Lafrentz (1859-1954) was born on the island of Fehmarn (then in Denmark) of German parents. He came to the United States at the age of fourteen to work in his uncle's store in Chicago. He studied accounting and later represented banking interests in the cattle industry of Wyoming and served as the secretary of the Swan Land and Cattle Company. In 1888, he was elected a member of the Wyoming Territorial Legislature and was responsible for introducing the resolution that led to Wyoming statehood. Collection contains correspondence, biographical materials, photographs, manuscripts, and speeches regarding Lafrentz personal and professional life.
Past featured collections:
More than 100 years ago, Grace Raymond Hebard—UW faculty member, administrator, librarian, and Wyoming historian—began collecting the papers and reminiscences of Wyoming’s pioneers. Her research on the history of Wyoming, the West, emigrant trails, and Native Americans became the nucleus for what is known today as the American Heritage Center (AHC). Officially established in 1945, the Center now holds over 90,000 cubic feet of historic documents and artifacts in more than 3500 collections—placing the AHC among the largest non-governmental archives in the nation.
Today, the AHC contains important holdings in numerous areas. Its western history archives include materials on early women’s suffrage and political achievements, native Americans, ranching, politics, authors, and under-documented communities. Other featured collecting areas include transportation (railroad, highway and air travel), mining and energy extraction, entertainment and popular culture (with important collections featuring Hollywood, music, radio, television and the comic book industry), natural resources and the environment, and military history. The AHC also serves as the primary archives for the University of Wyoming. Connect with us on our social media platforms - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Virmuze, and our blog - where we are #ALWAYS ARCHIVING.
Phone: (307) 766-3756
Fax: (307) 766-5511
Email: ahcref@uwyo.edu
Full Contact Information
Due to COVID, the AHC is open on a limited basis. Please see our COVID Updates and How to Visit pages for the most up-to-date information. Closures may happen unexpectedly due to the pandemic.
Parking in the Centennial Complex lot is free but patrons must register (M-F 8 am-5 pm) at the AHC front desk. Special parking regulations are in effect during game days, please call in advance for more information.
The latest news and press releases from the American Heritage Center.
Centennial Complex
2111 Willett Drive
Laramie, WY 82071
American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming
1000 E. University Ave.
Dept. 3924
Laramie, WY 82071
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1000 E. University Ave. Laramie, WY 82071
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