University of Wyoming
Oliver H. Shoup (1869-1940) was a Colorado businessman who began his career with the Colorado Springs Company and then worked as private secretary and then general manager to Verner Z. Reed. He made a fortune in oil fields in Wyoming. He was the first president of the Midwest Oil Company, and in 1914, he became the first president of the Midwest Refining Company. He retired in 1916 from active participation in the oil business and devoted his time to raising stock and agricultural development in Colorado, where he owned a ranch north of Colorado Springs. Active in the Colorado Republican Party, he was twice elected governor of the state (1918 and 1920). He was also a director of several Colorado banks.
The collection contains eighteen scrapbooks of Shoup's political and commercial activities: fourteen concern his gubernatorial campaigns, elections, and administrations; another documents War Savings Stamps in the last two years of the first World War; another contains assay records for the American Smelting & Refining Company; another contains ads and clippings for the Brauer Purebred-Duroc Company; and another includes clippings about the Midwest Oil Company. Also included are reports and publications, contracts, articles, correspondence, and financial documentation of Shoup's activities in oil fields and the petroleum industry.
There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.
The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
There are no known other archival collections created by Oliver H. Shoup as of the date of processing.
The materials in the collection were donated by Merrill Shoup in 1963.
Processed by Roger Simon, October 2019. Finding aid encoded by Roger Simon, November, 2019.
Item Description, Box Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
A scrapbook (labeled # 16) with assay records for the Arkansas Valley and Durango plants.
A scrapbook (labeled # 17) mostly containing ads for and clippings about Brauer Purebred Duroc Co., in which Shoup was an investor.
A scrapbook (labeled # 18) mostly containing clippings about the Midwest Oil Company; it also includes clippings about the Franco Petroleum Co., as well as documents (e.g., proxy-votes, stockholder notices) related to the Midwest Oil Co.
“Record of Minutes” notebook, which contains the following:
A scrapbook (labeled # 2) with clippings about Shoup’s campaign for gubernatorial candidate in the Republican primary; also includes a list of estimated votes that Shoup and his opponent in the primary, Charles A. Ballreich, got in each county.
A scrapbook (labeled # 1) with clippings about the Republican primary and general elections.
A scrapbook (labeled # 4) with clippings about Shoup’s first campaign for and election as governor; also includes an envelope with additional clippings and an envelope with cards promoting candidate Shoup, brochures, pamphlets, and other documents regarding the election, clippings of the election returns, and a ticket to the 1919 inaugural ceremony.
A scrapbook (labeled # 3) with clippings about Shoup’s first campaign for governor.
A scrapbook (labeled # 6) with clippings about Shoup’s campaign for governor, his inauguration, and statements and acts by him and his administration during his first term as governor.
A scrapbook (labeled # 5) with clippings about Shoup’s inauguration and statements and acts by him and his administration during his first term as governor; also includes two inserts – a clipping and a program for the 25th Annual Convention of the American National Live Stock Association (Colorado Spring, CO), at which Shoup gave an address of welcome.
A scrapbook (labeled # 7) with clippings about statements and acts by Shoup and his administration during his first term as governor.
A scrapbook (labeled # 8) with clippings about statements and acts by Shoup and his administration during his first and second terms as governor; also includes an envelope with clippings about Shoup and the 1920 election, sample ballots for that election, and clippings about a scandal involving attempted bribes for pardons in Colorado.
A scrapbook (labeled # 9) with clippings about statements and acts by Shoup and his administration during his second and final term as governor.
A scrapbook (labeled # 14) with clippings about statements and acts by Shoup and his administration during his second and final term as governor, as well as clippings about the 1921 flood of Pueblo, CO.
A scrapbook (labeled # 10) with clippings about statements and acts by Shoup and his administration during his second and final term as governor.
A scrapbook (labeled # 11) with clippings about statements and acts by Shoup and his administration during his second and final term as governor, as well as clippings about him following his final term as governor.
A scrapbook (labeled # 13) with clippings about statements and acts by Shoup and his administration during his second and final term as governor, as well as clippings about him following his final term as governor; also includes clippings about municipal ownership of utilities.
A scrapbook (labeled # 15) with clippings about War Savings Stamps; it also contains other documents related to War Savings Stamps, including pamphlets, statements and remarks, record cards, and a restaurant menu promoting the sale of Thrift Cards, War Savings Stamps, and War Certificates. Multiple clippings list Shoup as chairman of the El Paso Committee, United States Government War Savings Stamps.
A scrapbook (labeled # 12) with clippings about Shoup following his final term as governor.