American Heritage Center, Laramie History Subject Guide: Bicycling

W. O. Owen Papers, 1890-1942

Acc. #94

William O. Owen (1859-1947) arrived in the newly-established Union Pacific railroad town of Laramie, Wyoming, on June 14, 1868, with his mother, Sarah Cullimore Owen Montgomery, and two sisters, Eva and Etta Owen. As a child, he witnessed some of the operations of Laramie’s vigilante committee. In 1874 he began work as a surveyor under the direction of William Downey, and he surveyed the boundary line between Albany and Carbon Counties in 1883. In the same year, Owen and two companions undertook a bicycle tour of Yellowstone National Park.

The collection contains an autobiography and manuscripts by Owen; correspondence and news clippings about Wyoming history; correspondence, affidavits, and publications regarding the controversy between Owen and Nathaniel P. Langford as to who was the first to reach the summit of the Grand Teton; and personal and family photographs, as well as photographs of climbing expeditions. Also included are a number of notebooks, which contain a mixture of information including both mountaineering and personal data.

B. C. Buffum Papers, 1890-1972

Acc. #400055

Burt C. Buffum joined the faculty of the University of Wyoming in 1891 as professor of Agriculture. In 1893 Buffum was in charge of the Wyoming exhibits at the Chicago World’s Fair. He left briefly to teach at the Agricultural College in Colorado in 1900 but returned to the University of Wyoming in 1902. He became director of the university's Experiment Stations throughout the state. He was especially interested in the cultivation of emmer wheat, which was well-adapted to the high dry climate of Wyoming. He was also an enthusiastic amateur photographer and created many images of the university, the experiment stations, and his travels. Buffum resigned in 1907 to found the Wyoming Plant and Seed Breeding Company in Worland, Wyoming. He moved the operation to Denver, Colorado, in 1916 and retired in 1919.

The collection contains glass plate negatives depicting the University of Wyoming, agricultural experiments stations, crops, livestock, and exhibits. There are also images of President Theodore Roosevelt visiting Wyoming in 1903. In addition, the collection includes correspondence and printed material about emmer wheat, B.C. Buffum, and the Buffum family.

Elmer Lovejoy Papers, 1891-1945

Acc. #176

Elmer Floyd Lovejoy was a Laramie, Wyoming, businessman and inventor. He was born in Illinois on February 2, 1872, to George W. Lovejoy and his wife. Elmer Lovejoy came to Laramie in 1883 for health reasons and soon developed an interest in mechanics. He opened a general repair shop, Lovejoy Novelty Works, at 412 S. 2nd St. in 1893, and a few years later he built a steam-powered automobile incorporating design innovations of his own. In 1902, he built and drove Laramie’s first steam-driven automobile. In 1905, he invented an automobile steering gear, and in 1918 and 1921 he patented designs for automatic garage door openers. Lovejoy also operated a dealership for Franklin automobiles. Lovejoy was active in the Laramie Bicycle Club and was an amateur photographer.

The collection includes a record book (1891-1895) of the Laramie Cycling Club; 3 rolls of 16mm motion picture film depicting University of Wyoming homecoming parades of 1929 and 1930, the 1938 U.W. commencement, and a 1939 pet parade; a 1921 letter concerning a patent; records of the Lovejoy Novelty Works from 1906-1945; United States patents for his automatic door openers; and Laramie area photographs.

W. O. Owen Papers, 1890-1942

Acc. #94

William O. Owen (1859-1947) arrived in the newly-established Union Pacific railroad town of Laramie, Wyoming, on June 14, 1868, with his mother, Sarah Cullimore Owen Montgomery, and two sisters, Eva and Etta Owen. As a child, he witnessed some of the operations of Laramie’s vigilante committee. In 1874 he began work as a surveyor under the direction of William Downey, and he surveyed the boundary line between Albany and Carbon Counties in 1883. In the same year, Owen and two companions undertook a bicycle tour of Yellowstone National Park.

The collection contains an autobiography and manuscripts by Owen; correspondence and news clippings about Wyoming history; correspondence, affidavits, and publications regarding the controversy between Owen and Nathaniel P. Langford as to who was the first to reach the summit of the Grand Teton; and personal and family photographs, as well as photographs of climbing expeditions. Also included are a number of notebooks, which contain a mixture of information including both mountaineering and personal data.