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Manuscripts

W. H. Wheeler letters to his father

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Description
Three autograph letters written from Cheyenne and Laramie, Wyoming Territory; the letters were written over a three month period in 1871. W. H. Wheeler wrote to his father with great enthusiasm about the many opportunities for prosperity he sees surrounding him in Wyoming and Utah territories. Although especially enthusiastic about the possibilities of outfitting miners hoping to exploit the region's mineral wealth, he also describes in detail the fabulous returns being made through the sales of mining claims in Utah as well as the steadily rising values of building lots in Evanston, Wyoming. Wheeler worked in the city's Union Pacific office, but was anxious to quit his desk job and to become a Western businessman in mining and outfitting ventures; in the letters, Wheeler requests money from his father for these ventures while extolling the many opportunities of realizing great profits. Two of the letters are written on Union Pacific stationary or forms and all three are in fragile condition with tearing along the folds.
Type
Manuscripts(Opens in new tab)
Production date
1871 February-April
Call number
mssHM 84048
Creator
Wheeler, W. H(Opens in new tab)
Provenance
Purchased from McBride Rare Books, May 2021.
Restrictions
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.
Rights
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining permission rests with the researcher.
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View in the Library catalog(Opens in new tab)

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