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Category Archives: energy resources
Atoms on the Range: Exploring Wyoming’s Nuclear Frontier
In the wake of World War II, Wyoming found itself at the forefront of a new mineral rush – uranium. This development would add another chapter to the state’s boom-and-bust legacy in mineral extraction, joining the ranks of earlier oil … Continue reading
Posted in energy resources, mining history, Natural resources, Nuclear energy, Uncategorized, Wyoming history
Tagged American Heritage Center Undergraduate Research Award, Archival Research, Chet Meeks Memorial Scholarship, Cold War, Environmental Impact, Nuclear Energy, Public Opinions, Regulations, University of Wyoming, Uranium Industry, Uranium Mining
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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, Economic Geology, energy resources, environmental history, Natural resources, oral histories, Political controversy, Political history, Uncategorized, Wyoming history
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
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Wyoming’s Nuclear Response to Project Plowshare
Vice President Richard Nixon delivered these words in October 1960 to a Toledo, Ohio, fraternity group: “Our plan to develop peaceful constructive uses of nuclear explosives has been given the name of Project Plowshare, because it is literally an attempt … Continue reading
Posted in Cold War, energy resources, environmental history, Nuclear energy, Political history, Uncategorized, Wyoming history
Tagged Atomic Energy Commission, Cliff Hansen, Cold War history, Dixy Lee Ray, Edward Teller, El Paso Natural Gas Company, Energy development, Gale McGee, Nuclear detonations, Nuclear safety, Project Plowshare, Project Wagon Wheel, Sublette County, Teno Roncalio, Wagon Wheel Information Committee, Wyoming history
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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 Economic Geology, energy resources, environmental history, Extractivism, Geology, International Collections, Petroleum history, Racism, Uncategorized
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
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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
Posted in Economic Geology, Economic History, energy resources, Local history, Natural resources, Western history, western politics and leadership, Wyoming, Wyoming history
Tagged Amoco, boom and bust, Champlin, Chevron, Denver Research Group, Economic History, Evanston, OIA, Overthrust, Overthrust Belt, Overthrust Industrial Association, Wyoming
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Shelly and Mary Louise Grossman: the protection of our planet before Earth day
April 22nd is a day to think about, celebrate, and remember the importance of our planet and its conservation. It is called Earth day. This celebration started in 1970, following the oil blowout near Santa Barbara, in January 1969. Its … 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
Posted in Economic Geology, energy resources, found in the archive, mining history, oral histories, Politics, Scandals, Teapot Dome scandal, Uncategorized, Western history, Wyoming history
Tagged Continental Trading Company, Corporate Fraud, Henry M. Blackmer, interviews, Midwest Oil Company, oil, Petroleum Industry, Ralph O. Dietler, Standard Oil Company, Teapot Dome scandal
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“Knowledge is power as never before:” John F. Kennedy’s Natural Resources Philosophy
Conservation of natural resources was a recurring topic during the administration of President John F. Kennedy. In fact, a favorite book of Kennedy’s was Henry David Thoreau’s Cape Cod, published in 1865. While president, Kennedy, a yachtsman, found restoration by sailing the … Continue reading
Digging into the Archives: A Peek at Petroleum Collections at the American Heritage Center
In 1857, Edwin Drake drilled the first oil well in Titusville, PA, a momentous event that ignited the birth of the modern petroleum industry. From the humble beginnings of Drake’s well to the expansive industry it has evolved into, our … Continue reading
Posted in Economic Geology, energy resources, Petroleum history
Tagged drake well, energy resources, oil, Petroleum, Petroleum geology
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