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Tim McCoy papers, 1885-1987

Overview of the Collection

Creator
McCoy, Tim
Title
Tim McCoy papers
Dates
1885-1987 (inclusive)
Quantity
5.69 cubic ft. (7 boxes)
Collection Number
06415
Summary
The collection contains correspondence, manuscripts, contracts, financial records, movie stills, clippings, scrapbooks, a family Bible, and photographs documenting Tim McCoy’s life, a Hollywood Western movie actor during the silent film era and the Depression.
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

Tim McCoy was a mid-20th century Hollywood Western movie actor, military officer, and promoter of the American Wild West. He was born in Saginaw, Michigan on April 10, 1891, the son of an Irish Union Civil War soldier and Police Chief. As a young man he had a desire to go west and while attending college he decided to seek his adventure and purchased a one-way train ticket. He ended up in Lander, Wyoming where he worked as a ranch hand and learned Native American sign language and customs from the Native Americans in the area, eventually he settled in Thermopolis, Wyoming.

He joined the army and served in the cavalry during World War I and became Adjutant General of Wyoming after the war. In 1922 he resigned his commission in order to assist with recruiting Native Americans and translating for the Western film “The Covered Wagon.” McCoy and his group toured the U.S. and Europe promoting the film. When McCoy returned to Hollywood after the tour, MGM signed him to a contract to star in a series of Westerns. McCoy rapidly rose to stardom, making scores of Westerns and occasional non-Westerns, transitioning from silent film to talkies. By the mid 1930s the popularity of Tim McCoy and his Western films was beginning to wane, partially because of the Depression. In 1935 Tim McCoy left Hollywood to tour with the Ringling Brothers Circus and later formed his own wild west show called “Col. Tim McCoy’s Wild West and Rough Riders of the World,” in 1938 his show went bankrupt and closed.

He returned to films in 1940, but World War II would call him back to the Army. After the war he retired from both film and the military, but continued to make occasional movie and television appearances including his own television show, “The Tim McCoy Show” in 1952. He also wrote short articles, stories, and poetry about the American West, Native Americans, and cowboys, including his autobiography, “Tim McCoy Remembers the West,” in 1977. During his life he was married twice, first to Agnes Miller, which ended in divorce in 1931 and then to Inga Arvad until her death from cancer in 1973. He had a total of five children, three with Agnes and two with Inga. On January 29, 1978 at the age of 86 Tim McCoy died of heart failure at the Raymond W. Bliss Army Health Center/Hospital in Fort Huachuca, Arizona.

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Content Description

The Tim McCoy papers contain movie publicity stills, contracts related to his wild west show and television appearances, financial files concerning his wild west show and employees, and manuscripts written by Tim McCoy for his 1952 television show “The Tim McCoy Show” and autobiography “Tim McCoy Remembers the West.” The collection also contains biographical information, a family Bible, research files and lists, correspondence, certificates and awards, abstracts and deeds for his ranch in Wyoming, newspaper and magazine clippings, photographs, and scrapbooks regarding Tim McCoy’s professional and personal life.

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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

Additional archival collections created by Tim McCoy are located at the Wyoming State Archives, Tim McCoy collection, 1918-2000.

Acquisition Information

This material was received from Ronald McCoy in 1986 and 1987 and Elijah Cobb in 2022.

Processing Note

The collection was processed by Jamie J. Greene in October 2012 and updated in April 2024.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Container List

Processed by Jamie J. Greene
2012

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

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