-
Recent Posts
Archives
Categories
Subscribe
Email Subscription
Join 176 other subscribers
Category Archives: Economics
James Watt: From Wyoming’s Landscapes to Political Stances, Faith as a Driving Force
James “Jim” Watt, the former Interior Secretary, passed away on May 27, 2023, at the age of 85. While his tenure as Interior Secretary during the Reagan administration defined him, his career spanned various roles and contributions. Born and raised … Continue reading
Posted in American History, Conservation, Economics, Extraction and Energy, Wyoming
Tagged Environmental Policy, James Watt, Land Management, Milward L. Simpson, natural resources, Public Policy, Reagan Administration, Sagebrush Rebellion, U. S. Secretary of the Interior, Watt Book, western politics and leadership
Leave a comment
Railroad Romance and Reality: Unpacking the Legacy of Railways in America
Documents and photographs found in the American Heritage Center’s collections can be used to explore the ways in which railways have been and are perceived in American society. Examples of these are in an AHC virtual exhibit titled “The Art … Continue reading
American oil exploration and memories of western Venezuela in the early 20th century
My interest in oil narratives stems my own personal experience as a native of one of the most representative oil towns in western Venezuela, Cabimas. I grew up in the shadow of towering oil derricks and gas flares, understanding that … Continue reading
Posted in Conservation, Economics, Extraction and Energy
Tagged Environmental Deterioration, Gulf Oil Company, Harper McKee, Infrastructure Development, John Douglas, John Galey, Max Krueger, oil, Oil exploration, Oil Industry, Oleski Miranda Navarro, Petroleum History, Ralph Arnold, Socioeconomic Impact, Venezuela
Leave a comment
Dirty and Difficult: Laboring in Wyoming’s Early Sugar Beet Industry
Like many American industries, the sugar beet trade grew from perceived opportunity and weakening in other formerly profitable U.S. markets. A decline in mining and agriculture in the 1890s led some entrepreneurs to seek their fortunes elsewhere. The sugar beet … Continue reading
The Reluctant Taxer Stan Hathaway
In February 1969, Wyoming Governor Stan Hathaway took pen in hand to enact a 1% severance tax rate on all mineral production. Wyoming had levied no severance taxes on minerals from the time of statehood in 1890 until that time. Legislative rumblings for … Continue reading
Back to the Future in Wyoming: Addressing 1980s Energy Boom Impacts in Evanston
“I’ve got to see it to believe it” was Evanston mayor Dennis Ottley’s first reaction when he heard about the Overthrust Industrial Association (OIA). A 1983 issue of the Christian Science Monitor, reported that Ottley was incredulous that an industry-backed … Continue reading
Defiance and Consequences: The Montgomery Ward Seizure
On December 27, 1944, the U.S. government seized control of properties belonging to Montgomery Ward, a successful department store retailer that had been in business since 1872. Why you ask? We hope you’re asking… During World War II, President Franklin … Continue reading
Glimpses into the Iron Ore Mining Past of Sunrise, Wyoming
The Sunrise Mine and Town Site Photo Album offers a look at operations at the Sunrise Iron Ore Mine and the town of Sunrise, Wyoming, from 1899 to 1920. Sunrise, Wyoming, was a company mining town, founded in 1899 by … Continue reading
Privy to Scandal: The Ralph O. Dietler Papers
One of the biggest scandals to ever rock the petroleum industry was the fraudulent leasing of United States oil reserves at Wyoming’s Teapot Dome, and the discovery of the Continental Trading Company, a Canadian corporation organized in 1921 to funnel … Continue reading
Mileva Maravic remembers Prohibition in Gebo, Wyoming
The coal-mining town of Gebo was established in 1907 about twelve miles north of Thermopolis in Hot Springs County. It was named after Samuel Wilford Gebo who established the Owl Creek Coal Company and the first mine in the area after … Continue reading