Exhibits

wyoming voices: our stories of america

Created in conjunction with the United States’ 250th anniversary, "Wyoming Voices: Our Stories of America" explores how communication has shaped Wyoming’s past and present. Drawing from photographs, letters, newspapers, and media held at the American Heritage Center, the exhibit highlights the many voices that have contributed to the state’s identity and invites visitors to reflect on how stories are shared—and remembered.

Rather than presenting a single narrative, Wyoming Voices brings together a wide range of perspectives. Each section of the exhibit was researched and curated by a different contributor, resulting in a collection of panels that examine historical moments, themes, and experiences in American history. Some focus on political or social movements, others on cultural life, innovation, or the everyday experiences of people living in the region. 

"Wyoming Voices: Our Stories of America" is on display through February 26, 2027.

 

 

Nellie: The first woman governor at america's milestones

Drawing primarily from the AHC’s Nellie Tayloe Ross papers, the exhibition examines Ross's life and career through key moments in American history. Born in 1876 during the nation's Centennial, Ross became the first woman governor in the United States in 1925 and later served for two decades as Director of the United States Mint. She lived to see the nation's Bicentennial in 1976.

The exhibition uses the nation's 100th, 150th, and 200th anniversaries to trace Ross's development from her early life through her years in public service. It highlights her governorship during a period of economic hardship in Wyoming, her transition to federal leadership during the Great Depression, and her long tenure overseeing the Mint through major national events, including the Second World War.

Items on display include photographs, her Oath of Office, a scrapbook documenting her inauguration, the certificate signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointing her to the Mint, and a coin bearing her likeness.

"Nellie Tayloe Ross is a central figure in Wyoming and American history," said Kail Moede, exhibit curator. "In curating this exhibit, I wanted to frame her life through key national milestones, especially as the country approaches its 250th anniversary. To highlight Nellie is to highlight Wyoming's place in American history. The exhibit, designed to reflect her scrapbooks, brings those connections together."

Ross later chose to donate her papers to the American Heritage Center, ensuring her legacy would remain in Wyoming. As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, her life continues to offer a clear connection to the nation’s second century and its evolving history.

"Nellie: The First Woman Governor at America's Milestones" is on display through April 2027 in the AHC's Gallery One.

Turning the Pages of america: Celebrating 250 years of the USA with a roadtrip across the country through books 

Curated by Laurel Carr, an intern at the Toppan Rare Books Library at the AHC, "Turning the Pages of America" celebrates the Semiquincentennial with a literary roadtrip across the country. The exhibit features a book for each of the 50 states from several of the rare book collections. Each book is representative of its state and shows the diversity of the country and its different regions. The books are from various genres, including fiction, nonfiction, memoirs, and photography, and date from 1627–1963.

Wyoming’s featured book is Women of Wyoming by Cora M. Beach, which highlights significant and influential women from Wyoming, such as Nellie Tayloe Ross and Grace Raymond Hebard. Other books include Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington, for Alabama, which is his autobiography describing his life, from growing up in slavery to founding a university, and As Maine Goes by Alta Smith and Esther Dunham, which presents photos of the state to show its essence and scenery.

 “Books have long been a key way to communicate culture and character,” AHC Director Paul Flesher said. “Seeing books from every state provides an itinerary that reminds us of the shared elements of our national culture and the variety of our states’ cultures that seasons every citizen’s life.”

The books present the exhibit’s attendees with diverse views and lived experiences of the country through the medium of storytelling. They also highlight notable aspects of each of the 50 states and show the importance of literature throughout the history of the U.S.

"Turning the Pages of America" will be on display through Friday, December 18th, 2026.

George A. Rentschler Room

The American Heritage Center’s George A. Rentschler Room is home to significant western paintings, including thirteen by Henry Farny and one by Frederic Remington. These paintings appear as they did in the library of Mr. Rentschler, a New York City businessman and western enthusiast.

• Henry Farny (1847-1916): After studying in Rome, Dusseldorf and Munich as a young man, Farny settled in Cincinnati. In 1881, he began traveling into the American West, including Wyoming. During his travels, Farny sketched, took photographs and collected Indian artifacts and photographs. Returning to his Cincinnati studio, Farny worked from his own illustrations and memory, relied on his collection of artifacts, and occasionally employed live models to create his unique style of Western art. Despite this method of production, Farny’s Indian paintings are considered some of the most accurate of the genre. His paintings of Native Americans were highly sought after during Farny’s lifetime, although his work disappeared into near obscurity after his death. Collectors rediscovered Farny in the 1960s because of increasing interest in the “true West.”
• Frederic Remington (1861-1909): Frederic Remington studied art at Yale University and took his first trip into the American West in 1881, the same year as Farny. Although a failed businessman, he became famous as an illustrator of the West. His first full-page cover artwork appeared in Harper’s Weekly in 1886 when he was just 25. In the 1890s, he became a favorite of the American cavalry in the West, especially the troops led by General Nelson Miles. His numerous paintings of soldiers at this this time often used a monochromatic palate, which gave a sense of realistic, almost photographic, quality. The Rentschler Remington painting belongs to this period.

Alfred Jacob Miller Gallery

The Alfred Jacob Miller paintings from the Everett D. Graff family and Robert C. Graff art collections appear on permanent display in the American Heritage Center’s new Gallery One. A young American artist, Miller was commissioned by a Scottish noble, William Drummond Stewart, to document his expedition from the Missouri frontier to the 1837 Green River Rendezvous near modern Pinedale Wyoming. During the six-month journey with Stewart and the American Fur Company, Miller made more than 200 watercolor sketches. He used these sketches as the basis for large oil paintings he painted to hang in Stewart’s Murthly Castle in Scotland. Miller was the first European American artist to capture the interior of the Rocky Mountains. Some of the Murthly Castle paintings are now at the American Heritage Center.

Floor 1: All-American Wyoming Cowboys Milo Komenich and Kenny Sailors

The American Heritage Center celebrates America 250 by recognizing two Wyoming athletes who earned the title All-American. Not only did these two individuals earn top national awards, they were generous in donating their memorabilia to the American Heritage Center, making this exhibit possible.

Milo Komenich (1920 – 1977) and Kenny Sailors (1921 – 2016) were leaders of the 1943 national championship basketball team. Their seasons at Wyoming are among the all-time great Wyoming basketball seasons. In addition to their very impressive 31-2 season in 1943 that earned both players All-American titles, they returned after the War and led the Cowboys to a 22-4 record in 1945-46, again earning the title All-American.

Individual talent coupled with a team approach embodies the All-American spirit. Sailors was quick and had a pioneering jump shot. At 6’ 7”, Komenich was Wyoming’s big man who dominated the boards. Their teamwork allowed their individual talents to create a nearly unstoppable team. Together, they exemplify the All-American.

Floor 2: Wyoming’s Ambassador: Manus Hand Travels America

In 1976, twelve-year-old Laramie native, Manus J. Hand, with the help of a grant, toured the United States and Canada as a Wyoming Ambassador for the Bicentennial. His goal was to promote goodwill with other places named “Wyoming” by presenting honorary citizenship on behalf of the governor. His family accompanied him on his mission, documenting the trip with photographs, mementos, and written accounts. Starting in Wyoming on June 11, 1976, Manus and his family wound their way through Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ontario, New York, Pennsylvania, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Delaware, Washington D.C., Virginia, Georgia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas. Returning home on July 3, 1976, Manus detailed an account of his trip, the people he met, the places he experienced, and what he learned about the history of America. This collection offers a unique insight into America in 1976, the celebrations of the Bicentennial, and the nature of these people we call “Wyomingites."

Floor 3: Marching for Wyoming and America: University of Wyoming’s Military Training

On September 6, 1887, the University of Wyoming opened its doors to students as a land-grant university. A primary mission of land-grant universities, in addition to scientific and classical studies, shall include military tactics and offer learning related to agriculture and the mechanic arts. With the mandate to have a military department, the university began efforts to establish a military tactics and sciences program.

A military order issued on February 12, 1890, created a military department at UW. One year later, in his inaugural address to the trustees on June 9, 1891, UW President Albinus Johnson said a new school of military tactics and sciences will begin during the fall semester. Lieutenant D. L. Howell was placed in charge of the new program that began with more than 60 students. The program began with two cannons and cadet rifles. Later, a program was established for female students. During World War II, UW also hosted flight training programs. Today, UW offers Army and Air Force ROTC programs.