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Merrill J. Mattes papers, 1807-1980

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Mattes, Merrill J.
Title
Merrill J. Mattes papers
Dates
1807-1980 (inclusive)
Quantity
6.70 cubic feet (8 boxes)
Collection Number
00120
Summary
Merrill J. Mattes (1910-1996) was a historian, preservationist, and member of the National Park Service. This collection contains Mattes’ National Park Service files including correspondence, memorandums, maps, reports, photographs, negatives, notecards, and legal documents.
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

Merrill J. Mattes (1910-1996) was a historian, preservationist, and member of the National Park Service. Born in Congress Park, Illinois, in 1910, he began his career with the NPS in 1935 at Scotts Bluff National Monument and later served as Acting Historian at Fort Laramie National Monument from 1941 to 1946. In 1946, he was appointed Historian for the NPS Branch of History and held assignments in both Chicago and Omaha. Mattes retired in 1975 as manager of Historic Preservation for the United States. He was recognized with the Department of the Interior’s Distinguished Service Award in 1959 and was named Nebraska Civil Servant of the Year in 1958. Known for his careful documentation of westward expansion, Mattes authored several works including The Great Platte River Road (1987) and Platte River Road Narratives (1988) and wrote extensively on Oregon Trail landmarks such as Fort Laramie and Chimney Rock. Merrill was also a co-founder of the Oregon-California Trails Association (OCTA), and they also have an award for the best article in their journal named for him. He died in Englewood, Colorado, in 1996.

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Content Description

This collection contains Mattes’ National Park Service files including correspondence, memorandums, maps, reports, photographs, negatives, notecards, and legal documents. The collection material relates to Wyoming, Fort Laramie, Grand Teton and Yellowstone.

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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

The National Frontier Trails Museum, Independence Missouri, Merrill J. Mattes Research Library.

Theodore Roosevelt Center, Theodore Roosevelt National Park collection.

Oregon-California Trails Association, Merrill J. Mattes Collection.

Acquisition Information

The collection was received from Merrill J. Mattes in 1949, 1977, 1988 and 1989.

Processing Note

This collection was processed by Brittany Heye in November 2025.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Fur trade -- Wyoming -- Jackson Hole.
  • Historic buildings -- Wyoming -- Conservation and restoration.
  • Historic sites -- Wyoming -- Conservation and restoration.
  • National monuments -- Wyoming.
  • National parks and reserves -- Wyoming.
  • Trails -- West (U.S.)
  • Trails -- Wyoming.

Corporate Names

  • United States. National Park Service. Region Two.

Geographical Names

  • Fort Bridger (Wyo.)
  • Fort Caspar (Wyo.)
  • Fort Laramie (Wyo. : Fort)
  • Fort Laramie National Historic Site (Wyo.)
  • Fort Phil Kearny (Wyo.)
  • Grand Teton National Park (Wyo.)
  • Jackson Hole (Wyo.)
  • Jackson Hole National Monument.
  • Oregon National Historic Trail.
  • Yellowstone National Park.

Occupations

  • Historians.

Brittany Heye
2025

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

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