UUM_P1276 Guide to the William D. "Bill" Rishel photograph collection, 1870-1983 Rishel (William D. "Bill") photograph collection Finding aid created by Claire A. Kempa Multimedia Archives, J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah
295 South 1500 East Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0860 801-581-8864 http://lib.utah.edu/collections/multimedia-archives
2023 Encoded in Adobe Dreamweaver by Claire A. Kempa 2023. Finding aid encoded in English in Latin script. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition) University of Utah Libraries, Special Collections Photographs Division
Special Collections 295 South 1500 East Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0860 801-581-8864 http://lib.utah.edu/collections/multimedia-archives
P1276 Unknown William D. "Bill" Rishel photograph collection 1870-1983 30 items 2 boxes William D. “Bill” Rishel (1969-1947) was a Utah bicycle and automobile enthusiast who promoted both industries in the state in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Collection materials are in English. Biographical Note

William D. “Bill” Rishel was born on Sept 26, 1869 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to Jennie McLaughlin and John A. Rishel. In 1872 the family moved to Nebraska and in 1876 to Colorado. In 1880, Rishel settled in Cheyenne, Wyoming and lived there until he moved to Salt Lake City, Utah in 1895. He married Mildred Shelmerdine in 1899 in Salt Lake City. She died in 1921. They had one child, Virginia Rishel.

Rishel was an avid bicyclist who pioneered bicycle racing in Wyoming and Utah. After settling in Salt Lake City, Rishel edited a semi-monthly bicycle magazine and managed a bicycle track near Beck’s Hot Springs. He also served as manager of the western section of William Randolph Hearst's 1896 cross country San Francisco to New York bicycle relay race. Through this role, Rishel laid out a route which was partially used for the Utah highway system. From 1900-1910, Rishel was the sports editor of the Salt Lake Herald. After leaving this position, Rishel became involved with the activities of the United States Auto Mobile Association and was an organizer of the Utah State Automobile Association, serving as its president. He was purported to be the first man in Utah to drive a car. Rishel managed the Salt Palace Race Track for a time, but put many of his energies towards promoting the use of automobiles in Utah, particularly through tourism. Rishel ran a tourist bureau in connection with the Utah State Automobile Association.

Bill Rishel died on March 20, 1947. In 1983, his daughter, Virginia Rishel, wrote and published Wheels to Adventure: Bill Rishel's Western Routes about the cross-country relay race and her father’s involvement in mapping the event.

The William D. "Bill" Rishel photograph collection consists of 2 boxes containing 30 black-and-white photographs and cabinet card portraits of Bill Rishel, his family, and friends or acquaintances. In addition to images of Rishel throughout his life, Box 1 contains photographs of Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson and pictures taken of Virginia Rishel at an event, circa 1983, for the book she wrote about her father's experiences managing the western portion of a nineteenth-century cross-country bicycle relay race. Box 2 is oversize and contains portraits of Harry Lloyd Hopkins circa 1940-1950.

Arranged by subject

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the William D. "Bill" Rishel photograph collection must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator.

Initial Citation: William D. "Bill" Rishel photograph collection, P1276, Box [ ]. Special Collections and Archives. University of Utah, J. Willard Marriott Library. Salt Lake City, Utah.

Following Citations: P1276.

Donated by University of Utah Hinckley Institute of Politics in 2005 and 2006.

Processed by Special Collections staff.

See also the William D. "Bill" Rishel papers (ACCN 2140) in the Manuscripts Division of Special Collections.

 Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973 Rishel, William D., 1869-1947 Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945 Cyclists--Utah--History Photographs black-and-white prints (photographs) 1 1 Bill Rishel and Others circa 1875-1930 1 2 Bill Rishel Portraits by Ecker Studio circa 1935-1940 1 3 Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson 1936-1963 1 4 Virginia Rishel at Book Event circa 1983 2 1 Harry Lloyd Hopkins circa 1940s-1950s