University of Wyoming
Edward Gardner Lewis (1869–1950) was a promoter, magazine publisher, political activist, and founder of two utopian colonies: University City, Missouri, and Atascadero, California. Lewis (commonly known as "E.G. Lewis")
was born in Connecticut, and came to St. Louis, Missouri, in the late 1890s. He established the Lewis Publishing Company, which became the foremost periodical publisher in America,
with the
In 1902, Lewis purchased land near the construction site for the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, which became the nucleus of his first utopian city, University City. After incorporating University City in 1906, he served three terms as its mayor. During this time, he built the Woman's Magazine Building, an Egyptian temple, and an Art Academy. He also founded the American Woman’s League, the People's University, the American Woman's Republic, and started two daily newspapers and two banks.
Beginning in 1905, Lewis was indicted fourteen times for mail fraud for using the magazine rate for his periodicals when the U.S. Postmaster General deemed them advertisements. Although exonerated, Lewis’ lengthy legal battles forced him into bankruptcy in 1911. He next turned his attention to his dream of a new master planned community in Atascadero, California.
In 1912, Lewis began purchasing land in Atascadero with the backing of investors. It was intended to be a planned community for his American Woman's Republic. By 1915, he had moved his base of operations to the Atascadero colony. In 1924, Lewis' business interests were failing and he was forced into involuntary bankruptcy. In 1928, he was convicted of mail fraud and sentenced with concurrent terms for seven years at a federal penitentiary. He was paroled in 1931, but, against orders of his release, established a mail-based subscription newsletter. He was again imprisoned and was released in 1934. Edward Gardner Lewis died in 1950.
The collection contains materials pertaining to establishment of the
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There are materials regarding E.G. Lewis' investments in oil fields in Wyoming and California at the Huntington Library.
This material was received from Lynn Peter in 1963.
This collection was processed by Brittany Heye in December 2024.
Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.