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William Daley Company records, 1873-1999

Overview of the Collection

Creator
William Daley Company
Title
William Daley Company records
Dates
1873-1999 (inclusive)
Quantity
14.49 cubic ft. (27 boxes)
Collection Number
01400
Summary
The collection contains materials relating to the sheep ranching operations of the William Daley Company as well as the Daley and Waddingham families.
Repository
American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming
1000 E. University Ave.
Dept. 3924
Laramie, WY
82071
Telephone: 3077663756
ahcref@uwyo.edu
Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

The William Daley enterprise was primarily a sheep ranch in Carbon County, Wyoming. The ranch was founded by William Daley. Daley’s son, William Webster Daley, was active in Wyoming state government but did not have much to do with the operations of the ranch, which was managed by William Webster Daley’s son, Perce Edward Daley. The company was active from 1886 to 1953.

William Daley (1844-1922) was born in Nova Scotia and emigrated to the American West in 1866. He became a civilian carpenter for the U.S. Army and built the flag pole for Fort Phil Kearny. After the fort was closed Daley was hired by the Union Pacific Railroad, which was building its transcontinental line. He married Rhoda Tilden and settled in Rawlins, Wyoming. In 1886 he purchased and leased land and opened his sheep operation, which extended from Three Forks, Colorado, north to Muddy Gap, Wyoming, and west to the Red Desert.

William Webster Daley (1875-1946) served as state senator from Carbon County, Wyoming, from 1915-1925 and again in 1933. He was president of the senate during the 1921 biennium session. Daley was a Republican and a proponent of women’s rights. He married Margaret Edwards in 1901.

Perce Edward Daley (1902-1963) married Edith Brown in 1926. He took over the William Daley Company from his grandfather and ran it successfully until after World War II. In 1949 a blizzard destroyed most of the flocks, and this, combined with a drop in wool prices resulting from Australian imports, put the company under stress. Most of the leases for grazing on U.S. public land were lost as well, and the company ceased operation in 1953. The land was later incorporated into the Daley-Red Rim Wildlife Habitat Management Area.

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Content Description

The William Daley Company records include correspondence (1878-1987); business ledgers and journals (1919-1948); legal and financial business documents (1879-1967); Carbon County Wool Growers Association records (1905-1955); photographs and photograph albums (1873-1995); family films (circa 1930s-1960s); family travel materials (circa 1920s-1970s); other family records (1882-1994); and miscellaneous artifacts and ephemera (undated).

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Copyright Information

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Restrictions on Use

Statement on Potentially Harmful Language and Images Found in Collections

The American Heritage Center aspires to approach all areas of our work in ways that are respectful to those who create, use, and are represented in our collections. For a variety of reasons, however, users may encounter offensive or harmful language or images in some of our finding aids, catalogs, and collection materials.

Note that the AHC does not censor or alter contents of the collections as they provide context and evidence of a time, people, place, or event. Therefore, we encourage users to bring questions and concerns about descriptions in our finding aids to our attention via email or anonymous web-form. For more information, read our full statement.

Preferred Citation

Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

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Administrative Information

Related Materials

There are no known other archival collections created by at the date of processing.

Acquisition Information

This material was received from Edith Daley in 1964 and Marjorie Daley from 2009-2023.

Processing Note

The collection was processed by Matthew Francis in September 2010 and updated by Jamie Greene in September 2015 and March 2025.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Container List

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Sheep Industry--Wyoming--Carbon County.

Geographical Names

  • Carbon County (Wyo.)--History.
  • Wyoming--History--1890-1918.
  • Wyoming--History--1919-1945.
  • Wyoming--History--1946-1999.
  • Wyoming--History--To 1899.

Occupations

  • Sheep ranchers.

Other Creators

  • Personal Names

    • Daley, P. E. (Perce Edward)
    • Daley, William, 1844-1922.

    Corporate Names

    • Carbon County Wool Growers Association.

Processed by Matthew Francis
2010

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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