AHJ_ah00763 Inventory of the F.W. Lafrentz papers, 1871-1955 Lafrentz (Ferdinand William) papers Processed by D. Claudia Thompson University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.
American Heritage Center Dept. 3924, 1000 E. University Avenue University of Wyoming Laramie, WY 82071 Phone: 307.766.2574 Fax:307.766.5511 Email:ahcref@uwyo.edu URL:https://ahc.uwyo.edu/
2013; 2016

University of Wyoming

 Finding aid encoded by Ann Mulfort January 2013 Finding aid is in English Collection Summary Lafrentz, F.W. (Ferdinand William), 1859-1954 F.W. Lafrentz papers 1871-1955 00763 4.00 cubic feet (9 boxes) + art University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center. English Materials of an insurance executive, accountant, and philanthropist who was secretary for the Swan Land and Cattle Company in Wyoming before joining American Surety Company in New York. Biography of F.W. Lafrentz

Ferdinand William Lafrentz (1859-1954) was born on the island of Fehmarn (then in Denmark) of German parents. He came to the United States at the age of fourteen to work in his uncle's store in Chicago. He studied accounting and later represented banking interests in the cattle industry of Wyoming and served as the secretary of the Swan Land and Cattle Company. In 1888, he was elected a member of the Wyoming Territorial Legislature and was responsible for introducing the resolution that led to Wyoming statehood. He became claim auditor for the American Surety Company in 1893 and, by 1912, was president of the company. In 1927, Lafrentz authored a book of cowboy poetry, titled "Cowboy Stuff", as a fund-raising project for Lincoln Memorial University in Tennesse.

 Scope and Content

The F.W. Lafrentz papers include personal correspondence in English and German; awards and degrees; biographical material including newspaper clippings, school notebooks, and sketchbooks; photographs, many depicting scenes of the Wyoming range cattle industry; as well as manuscripts, articles, and speeches written by Lafrentz. The collection also contains printed material reflecting Lafrentz's business ventures and charitable projects. Also included are photographs and the front page layout design for "Cowboy Stuff", Lafrentz's 1927 book of cowboy poetry.

 Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.

 Copyright Information

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

 Related Materials

There are no known other archival collections created by Ferdinand William Lafrentz at the date of processing.

 Acquisition Information

The collection was received from Arthur F. Lafrentz (son), in 1960 and from James Bryan (grandson) in 1983.

 Processing Information

The collection was re-processed by D. Claudia Thompson in October 2016.

 Preferred Citation

Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

 Existence and Location of Copies

Digital reproductions of select material from this collection are available at https://digitalcollections.uwyo.edu/luna/servlet/uwydbuwy~161~161.

 Access Terms Wyoming. Legislative Assembly. American Surety Company of New York. Lincoln Memorial University. Swan Land and Cattle Company. Cattle trade -- Wyoming -- 19th century. Cowboys -- Poetry. West (U.S.) -- Poetry. Wyoming -- History -- To 1889. <?xm-replace_text {Title as Subject}?> Ranching Business, Industry, Labor, and Commerce Businesses and Corporations Agriculture and Natural Resources Territorial Government Wyoming Container List Series I. Biographical and Personal

1 Biographical and Autobiographical 1940-1954 1 Biographical and Autobiographical - Newspaper Clippings (German and English) 1929-1939 1 Biographical and Autobiographical - Travel to Europe and Mexico undated 1 Birthday Greetings 1935-1951 1 Correspondence 1932-1950 1 Correspondence (German Language) 1882-1940 2 Death Condolences 1954-1955 1 Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary 1935 1 Lafrentz Coat of Arms undated 1 Photographs - Hereford Cattle 1880s 1, 8 Photographs - Lafrentz, Ferdinand W. (and Colleagues) circa 1900-1952 3 Photographs - Lafrentz, Ferdinand W. - Printing Block undated 1 Photographs - Trotting Horse Owned by Lafrentz undated 1 Photographs - W.G. Walker Images of Roundups 1880s 1 Photographs - W.G. Walker Images of Roundups - Branding 1880s 1 Photographs - W.G. Walker Images of Roundups - Chuck Wagons and Eating 1880s 1 Photographs - W.G. Walker Images of Roundups - Cowboys and Horses 1880s 1 Poetry and Mottos - Not by Lafrentz (German and English) 1888, 1922, undated Art Storage Portrait of Ferdinand W. Lafrentz - Oil Painting by Edward Magrath 1940 3 School Notebooks 1871-1872, undated On Display Sculpture (Bronze) - "The Bronco Buster" by Frederic Remington circa 1910 Toppan Library Writings of F.W. Lafrentz - Cowboy Stuff - Book 1927 3 Writings of F.W. Lafrentz - Cowboy Stuff - Manuscripts of Poems circa 1927 9 Writings of F.W. Lafrentz - Cowboy Stuff - Negatives of Ziegler Engravings (glass and soft negatives) circa 1927 3 Writings of F.W. Lafrentz - Cowboy Stuff - Photographs of Ziegler Engravings circa 1927 3, 7 Writings of F.W. Lafrentz - Cowboy Stuff - Publicity, Title Page, etc. circa 1927 3 Writings of F.W. Lafrentz - Nordische Klauge - Correspondence and Manuscripts (German and English) 1881, 1947 Series II. Businesses, Charities, and Social Organizations

3 American Audit Company 1899-1912 3 American Pioneer Trails Association 1943-1947 8 American Pioneer Trails Association - Maps - Santa Fe Trail 1946 3 American Surety Company 1922-1951 8 American Surety Company - 35th [sic] Anniversary - Scroll 1948 3 American Surety Company - 40th Anniversary 1933 4 American Surety Company - 45th Anniversary 1938 4 American Surety Company - 50th Anniversary 1943 4 American Surety Company - 54th Anniversary 1947 4 American Surety Company - 55th Anniversary 1948 4 American Surety Company - Bulletin 1927-1929, 1931-1935, 1940-1944, 1946-1948 5 Buffalo Bill Birthday Dinners 1938-1939 5, 7-8 Certificates and Tributes (Miscellaneous) 1928-1953 5 Deutschen Roten Kreuzes (German Red Cross) Certificate 1936 5 F.W. Lafrentz & Company - Lafrentz Magazine 1930-1935 5 German-American Societies: German Society of New York; Germanistic Society of America; Goethe Society of America; Society of Americans of German Ancestry (German and English) 1934-1954 5 Insurance Society of New York 1943-1952 5, 7 Lincoln Memorial University (Tennessee) 1927-1943 5, 7 New York University, School of Commerce, Accounts, and Finance 1946-1950 5 New York University, School of Commerce, Accounts, and Finance - Honorary Degree 1950 7 Wakefield National Memorial Association - Land Deed and Membership 1928 Series III. Printed Material

5 Bellevue-Stratford/Hotel Bellevue (Philadelphia) Menus 1904 5 Christmas Newspapers - New York; Bisbee, Arizona 1896, 1955 5 Germany - Tourist and Political Information (Pro-German) circa 1936-circa 1940 5 Lutheranism - Booklet on 400th Anniversary of Reformation 1917 5 Mexico - Article from Stone and Webster Journal undated 7 New York - 125th Anniversary New York Commercial (newspaper) Program 1920 5 New York - Booklets on the Waldorf; Commercial Bank & Trust Company undated 6 National Trotting Association - Bylaws 1888 6 Postcards - Buffalo Bill Museum, Max Big Man, etc. 1935, undated 6 Sheet Music - Texas, Wyoming and Cattle Herding 1925, 1940 6 Wyoming - Brands - Booklet from Roedel's Drug Store undated 6 Wyoming - Cheyenne Frontier Days - Program 1931 6 Wyoming - Cheyenne - St. Mark's Church - Dedication Program 1951 6 Wyoming - Historical Articles - Annals of Wyoming July 1952 6 Wyoming - Historical Articles - "How Woman Suffrage Came to Wyoming" by Grace Raymond Hebard (reprint) 1940 6 Wyoming - Historical Articles - "Pioneering Western Trails" by Clarence B. Richardson 1929, 1950 6 Wyoming - Swan Land and Cattle Company First General Meeting Proceedings (photocopy) 1883 6 Wyoming - Tourist Information and Maps 1932-1935, undated