Judge William A. Carter papers
Scope and Contents
This collection contains twenty-nine items including thirteen letters, fourteen itemized bills, an account statement, and a page of blank checks. The correspondence dates range from 1858 to 1875, and include letters from General Patrick Edward Connor. This collection offers a glimpse into the interworkings and day to day operations of a frontier outpost.
Descriptions of each item were prepared by the vendor who sold the collection to USU in 2014.
Dates
- Creation: 1858-1875
Language of Materials
Material in English
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.
Conditions Governing Use
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from the Judge William A. Carter papers must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.
Biographical Note
Judge William Alexander Carter (1818-1881) moved to Fort Bridger in 1857 from his birthplace in Virginia at the urging of General William S. Harney. While he took part in various jobs, Carter was primarily a businessman and Probate Judge of Uinta County, Wyoming. By opening a general store, Carter played a central role in the economic activities at Fort Bridger. Trading with soldiers, scientific expeditions, Indians, emigrants, miners and mountaineers, Carter was a mainstay of the Overland Trail. From 1859 until his death in 1881, Carter was a genial host to the visitors and army personnel at the fort. After his death, and until 1890, the business was continued by his surviving wife, Mary E. Carter, and their children.
Extent
1 box (0.25 linear feet)
Abstract
This collection contains twenty-nine items including thirteen letters, fourteen itemized bills, an account statement, and a page of blank checks from Judge William Alexander Carter of Fort Bridger, Wyoming.
Arrangement
This collection was arranged chronologically.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was purchased from Ken Sanders Rare Books in 2014 by USU Special Collections and Archives.
Processing Information
Processed in May of 2015
Geographic
Topical
- Expeditions and Adventure
- Frontier and pioneer life--West(U.S.)
- Frontier and pioneer life--Wyoming--Fort Bridger Region.
- Military
- Mormonism (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
- Ogden
- Overland journeys to the Pacific.
- Pioneers
- Pioneers--West (U.S.)--History--19th century.
- Pioneers--Wyoming--Fort Bridger Region--History--19th century.
- Retail Trade
- Salt Lake City
- Utah
- Title
- Guide to the Judge William A. Carter papers 1858-1875
- Author
- Finding aid/Register created by Spencer DeVilbiss and Clint Pumphrey
- Date
- ©2017
- Description rules
- Finding Aid Based On Dacs (Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid encoded in English.
Revision Statements
- 2009: Template information was updated to reflect Archives West best practice guidelines.
Repository Details
Part of the Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives Repository
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
3000 Old Main Hill
Logan Utah 84322-3000 United States
435 797-8248
435 797-2880 (Fax)
scweb@usu.edu