Guide to the Barton Thomas Ryan Family Collection
Scope and Contents
The collection consists mainly of correspondence but also includes military, social, business and financial records. The bulk being letters from Ryan and Ridding family members and friends. Topics include life in Burlington, Iowa, the Civil War, the military, and general life in the American West. Of particular interest are letters to and from Mary Ridding as the two tried to keep alive their nearly 1000-mile-love affair. In these letters, Ryan also talks about military life at Fort Steele in the 1870s. The collection also includes records of a grandson, Victor A. Ryan (1920-2003). Victor grew up on the Ryan Ranch and taught chemistry at the University of Wyoming for 25 years. Topics include social life, management of the Ryan Ranch, management of rental property and administrative issues and research at the University of Wyoming.
Dates
- 1848 - 2013
Language of Materials
English .
Conditions Governing Access
Limited duplication of print materials for research purposes. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Conditions Governing Use
The collection is opern for research though some record types may be restriced. Box 4 contains various fire- or water-damaged records which need preservation work, if possible. Until then, access is restricted.
Biographical / Historical
Barton Thomas "Tom" Ryan (1839-1908) was a rancher in the Saratoga area. Born in Indiana, he was raised in Burlington, Iowa, along the Mississippi River. During the Civil War, he enlisted with the 7th Iowa Calvary and was stationed at Sioux Falls, South Dakota. After the war, he remained with the Army quartermaster corps and was stationed at Fort Randall in South Dakota and later at Fort Steele in Wyoming. He returned to Iowa in 1871 to marry his sweetheart, Mary Ridding. The couple returned to Fort Steele and after his term of service ended, they developed a successful ranch in the Saratoga area. He died on August 24, 1908.
Extent
6.5 cubic feet
Abstract
The collection consists mainly of correspondence but also includes military, social, business and financial records. The bulk of the collection consists of letters from Ryan and Ridding family members and friends. Topics include life in Burlington, Iowa, the Civil War, the military, and general life in the American West. Of particular interest are letters to and from Mary Ridding as the two tried to keep alive their nearly 1000-mile-love affair. In these letters, Ryan also talks about military life at Fort Steele in the 1870s. The collection also includes records of a grandson, Victor A. Ryan (1920-2003). Victor grew up on the Ryan Ranch and taught chemistry at the University of Wyoming for 25 years. Topics include social life, management of the Ryan Ranch, management of rental property and administrative issues and research at the University of Wyoming.
Processing Information
Processed by Carl Hallberg. Findinig aid last updated 2023. Finding aid encoded in 2023.
- Title
- Guide to the Barton Thomas Ryan Family Collection, 1848-2013
- Author
- Finding aid created by Carl Hallberg
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Description is written in: English, Latin script.
Repository Details
Part of the Wyoming State Archives, Wyoming Cultural Resources Division, Wyoming Department of State Parks & Cultural Resources Repository
Barrett Building
2301 Central Avenue
Cheyenne Wyoming 82002 United States
(307) 777-7826
wyarchive@wyo.gov