Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Dean Fenton Krakel Papers, 1884-1985
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Krakel, Dean Fenton, 1923-
- Title
- Dean Fenton Krakel Papers
- Dates
- 1884-1985 (inclusive)Date of CollectionDate of Collection
- Quantity
- 0.55 cubic ft. (2 boxes)
- Collection Number
- 12636
- Summary
- Research files, photographs, and manuscripts written and collected by western historian and author Dean Fenton Krakel pertaining to Wyoming history and individuals, the cattle industry, the Johnson County War, and the 1903 murder trial of Tom Horn.
- 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
-
Access Restrictions
There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Born in Colorado, Dean Fenton Krakel (1923-1998) was an author, historian, librarian, museum administrator, and western art aficionado who spent his life in the West and wrote many books and articles about the region. He was assistant professor of library science and an archivist in the library at the University of Wyoming from 1952 to 1956. In 1961, he became the director of the Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1964, he was hired by the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center (later the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and became the Hall’s first executive director in 1965. By the mid-1980s, the Cowboy Hall of Fame was experiencing diminishing revenues and its leadership was called into question. Krakel left the Hall and by 1986 was the executive vice president of the High Plains Heritage Society in Spearfish, South Dakota. Books authored by Krakel include: Adventures in Western Art (1977), Conrad Schwiering: Painting on the Square (1981), The Saga of Tom Horn: The Story of a Cattlemen's War (1954-1988), Dear Mr. Remington: Twenty-one Letters from the West (1991), and Krakel’s West (1994).
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Dean Fenton Krakel papers contain manuscripts, research files, and photographs about Wyoming history and individuals and the 1903 murder trial of Tom Horn. Materials about Wyoming history and individuals include manuscripts and research files relating to Cheyenne and Laramie, the cattle industry, Native American relations with the cattle industry, the Johnson County War, and descriptions of Struthers Burt, Joe LeFors, Mary Hurlburt Scott, Bill Carlisle, Richard "Beaver Dick" Leigh, Fred G.S. Hesse, Moreton Frewen, and other Wyoming ranchers. Material about Tom Horn includes annotated photographs that were included in Krakel's book, The Saga of Tom Horn: The Story of a Cattlemen's War (1954-1988) and a photocopied letter Tom Horn wrote to John C. Coble in 1903 while Horn was imprisoned for the murder of Willie Nickell. Additionally, there is a 1953 rodeo program from a ranch in southern Wyoming and printed articles and pamphlets related to land regulations, the Hole-in-the-Wall site in Wyoming, and the Wyoming cattle industry. There is also a cowboy poem signed by Ed Burnett. Also included are two letters from 1985 pertaining to financial matters at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and to Krakel's financial situation.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Copyright InformationThe researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
Preferred Citation
Preferred CitationItem Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Related Materials
Related MaterialsThere are no known other archival collections created by Dean Krakel at the date of processing.
Acquisition Information
Acquisition InformationThis material was received from Michael Rosenthal in 1996.
Processing Note
Processing InformationThe collection was processed by Leslie Waggener in February 2016.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 1 | Manuscript of Dean Krakel: Early histories of Cheyenne and Laramie, establishment of Wyoming Territory, The Frontier Index newspaper, and the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868) | undated |
| 1 | Manuscript of Dean Krakel: History along Wyoming-Colorado border, Struthers Burt, Joe LeFors, Mary Hurlburt Scott, William Carlisle, and "Beaver Dick" Leigh | undated |
| 1 | Manuscript of Dean Krakel: Beginnings of Wyoming cattle industry | undated |
| 1 | Manuscript of Dean Krakel: British and Scottish investment in Wyoming cattle industry | undated |
| 1 | Manuscript of Dean Krakel: Descriptions of individual Wyoming ranchers | undated |
| 1 | Manuscript of Dean Krakel: Effects of 1886-1887 blizzard and drought on Wyoming cattle industry | undated |
| 1 | Manuscript of Dean Krakel: Stock detectives and cattle theft in Johnson County, Wyoming | undated |
| 1 | Manuscript of Dean Krakel: Fred G.S. Hesse, Powder River Cattle Company, and Johnson County War | undated |
| 1 | Manuscript of Dean Krakel: Johnson County War and involvement of Frank Wolcott, Fred G.S. Hesse, and others. | undated |
| 1 | Dean Krakel's miscellaneous texts about Wyoming cattle industry | undated |
| 1 | Johnson County War research | 1887-1973 |
| 1 | Copies of Charles H. Burritt's correspondence regarding Johnson County War | May 4 - July 8, 1892 |
| 1 | Photographs: Johnson County War | 1890s - 1931, and undated |
| 1 | Photographs: Buffalo, Wyoming and Sussex, Wyoming | 1884 and undated |
| 1 | Photographs: Johnson County Ranch(?) | ca. 1920 |
| 1 | Photograph: First place saddle bronc rider, Johnson County Fair, Buffalo, Wyoming | 1912 |
| 1 | Photographs: Tom Horn | undated |
| 1 | Photocopy of letter from Tom Horn to John C. Coble | October 3, 1903 |
| 1 | Poem by Ed Burnett | undated |
| 1 | Program for Two Bars Seven Ranch, Virginia Dale, Colorado and Tie Siding, Wyoming | 1953 |
| 1 | Printed material | 1884-1953 |
| 1 | Letters regarding Dean Krakel's financial matters | 1985 |
| 2 | Photographic negatives: Johnson County Ranch(?) | ca. 1920 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Authors, American--Wyoming.
- Cattle stealing--Wyoming--History--19th century.
- Cattle trade--Wyoming--History--19th century.
- Johnson County War, 1892.
Personal Names
- Burritt, Charles H.
- Burt, Maxwell Struthers, 1882-1954.
- Carlisle, Bill, 1890-1964.
- Frewen, Moreton, 1853-1924.
- Hesse, Fred George S., 1853-1929.
- Horn, Tom, 1860-1903.
- LeFors, Joe, 1865-1940.
- Leigh, Richard, -1899.
- Scott, Mary Hurlburt, 1877-1961.
- Wolcott, Francis E. (Francis Edwin), 1840-1910.
Corporate Names
- National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.
- Powder River Cattle Company.
- Wyoming Stock Growers Association.
Geographical Names
- Cheyenne (Wyo.)--History--19th century.
- Laramie (Wyo.)--History--19th century.
- Wyoming--History--1890-1918.
- Wyoming--History--1919-1945 century.
- Wyoming--History--1946-1999.
- Wyoming--History--19th century.
- Wyoming--History--to 1889.
Processed by Leslie Waggener
2016
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
