University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Wyoming Energy Boom Sublette County Natural Gas Oral History Project

University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Wyoming Energy Boom Sublette County Natural Gas Oral History Project, 1974-2014

Overview of the Collection

Creator: University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center
Title: University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Wyoming Energy Boom Sublette County Natural Gas Oral History Project
Dates: 1974-2014 (inclusive)
Date of CollectionDate of Collection
Quantity: 87.30 GB and 1.15 cubic ft. (3 boxes)
Collection Number: 560001
Summary: The Wyoming Energy Boom Sublette County Natural Gas Oral History Project documents the social, environmental, and economic impacts of the natural gas boom that occurred in Sublette County between 2000 and 2008.
Repository: American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming
1000 E. University Ave.
Dept. 3924
Laramie, WY
82071
Telephone: 3077663756
ahcref@uwyo.edu
Access Restrictions: Access Restrictions
There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.
Languages: English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Wyoming Energy Boom Oral History Project was conducted by the American Heritage Center’s Alan K. Simpson Institute for Western Politics and Leadership. The focus of the project was to learn from the boom and bust economic cycle that has historically pervaded Wyoming’s economy by exploring the social, environmental, and economic impacts of a natural gas boom in Sublette County, Wyoming that occurred between 2000 and 2008. Funding for the program was awarded through the Wyoming Humanities Council, the University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources, and the University of Wyoming’s American Heritage Center.

Archivists and historians, Rick Ewig, Ann Chambers Noble, Kim Winters, and Leslie Waggener, interviewed 45 people from 2010-2011 involved in and impacted by the activities to develop and extract natural gas in the Jonah Field and Pinedale Anticline. The interviewee’s included ranchers, business owners, town leaders, law enforcement personnel, school administrators, social services employees, energy industry officials and workers, and others.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Wyoming Energy Boom Sublette County Natural Gas Oral History Project contains oral histories and transcripts regarding the Sublette County, Wyoming natural gas boom, a complete listing of all interviews, digital photos, digital video, project files about administration of the project, and research files containing essays written by Ann Chambers Noble, Phil Roberts, and Dave Kathka, articles, newspaper clippings, books, and a DVD that provide context about energy development and boom/bust history in Sublette County and Wyoming as a whole.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Preferred Citation

Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Alternative Forms Available

Existence and Location of Copies

Digital reproductions of select material from this collection are available at http://digitalcollections.uwyo.edu:8180/luna/servlet/uwydbuwy~51~51.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Related Materials

University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Wyoming Energy Boom Niobrara Oil Play Oral History Project, Collection Number 560002, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Acquisition Information

This material was received from Leslie Waggener, Project Director of the University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center, Wyoming Energy Boom Oral History Projects in March 2014.

Processing Note

Processing Information

The collection was processed by Jamie J. Greene in July 2014.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series I. Oral Histories and TranscriptsReturn to Top

This series contains the digital audio oral histories and the corresponding transcripts in both digital and paper formats for each interview.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
	Interview with Todd Arnold, Drilling Coordinator for Encana Oil & Gas	November 22, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Linda Baker, Coordinator for the Upper Green River Alliance (formerly the Upper Green River Valley Coalition)	October 12, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Sheriff Wayne Bardin of the Sublette County Sheriff's Office	October 21, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Jeff Biffle, employee of Teletractors, an excavation company in Pinedale, Wyoming	November 22, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Carolyn Bing, local business owner in Pinedale, Wyoming	October 18, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Joel Bousman, Sublette County Commissioner	October 29, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Anthony B. “Tony” Chambers, President of Chambers Design-Build and former director of Tip Top Search and Rescue in Sublette County	November 5, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Robin Clover, Executive Director of the Sublette County Sexual Assault/Family Violence (SAFV) Task Force	November 16, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Bill Cramer, Sublette County Commissioner from 1995 - 2010. Also served as Sublette County Justice of the Peace 1979-1995	January 2, 2011
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Ricky Felker, drilling consultant for his own firm, Felker Consulting, Inc. His company is currently contracting with Encana Oil & Gas	December 15, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with James E. “Jim” Geringer, former Governor of Wyoming from 1995 through 2002	May 13, 2011
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Clint Gilchrist, owner of Office Outlet in Pinedale and supporter of and participant in historic preservation activities in Sublette County	October 12, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Bob Griffith, Facility Manager for the Jonah Workforce Facility near the Jonah Natural Gas Field located about 32 miles south of Pinedale, Wyoming	October 9, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Bob Hanson, officer with the Sublette County Sheriff’s department, former under sheriff for Sublette County, and former Drug Abuse Resistance Education officer for Sublette County	October 16, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Sarah Hixson, therapist at High Country Behavioral Health office in Pinedale, Wyoming	November 21, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Bernard “Bernie” Holz, former Regional Wildlife Supervisor, Wyoming Game and Fish. Bernie worked in the WY Game & Fish’s Pinedale Regional Office	April 4, 2011
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Robin “Rob” Hurless, former Energy and Telecommunications Advisor (2005-2010) to Governor Dave Freudenthal	June 1, 2011
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Bill Kleven, president of Rocky Mountain Bank in Pinedale, Wyoming	October 29, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Julie Konicek, longtime first-grade Pinedale teacher	November 6, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Nylla Kunard, Pinedale Councilwoman	October 18, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Bill Lanning, Bureau of Land Management in Pinedale	October 21, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Laurie Latta, Coordinator of the Sublette Community Partnership (Sublette County, Wyoming)	October 16, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with John Linn, Sublette County Commissioner	October 11, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Cally McKee, Senior Regulatory Coordinator for Ultra Petroleum, which is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Cally works in the company’s Pinedale, Wyoming field office	October 14, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Neil A. “Mick” McMurry, managing member of Nerd Gas, LLC	November 27, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Sally Mackey, longtime Pinedale resident and former member of the Wagon Wheel Information Committee. She continues to be concerned about environmental impact on Sublette County due to energy development	November 19, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
2	Notes for Sally Mackey Interview by Ann Noble
	Interview with Priscilla “Prill” Mecham, Field Manager of the Bureau of Land Management’s Pinedale, Wyoming office from 2000 until her retirement in 2006	October 13, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Ann Noble	October 22, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Meredith Noble, a Sublette County native who grew up in the area during the boom years	September 29, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Mike Nomis, employee of Halliburton from April 2005 to November 2005. His wife, Stephanie Nomis, speaks for a short period about the effect of Mike’s work on their family	November 24, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Captain Mike Peterson of the Sublette County Sheriff's Office in Pinedale	October 21, 2010
Box
2	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Patty Racich, Pinedale Town Clerk, 1988 to present	November 9, 2010
Box
3	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Leslie Rozier, Nurse Practitioner in Pinedale, Wyoming	October 17, 2010
Box
3	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Rose Skinner, Pinedale town councilwoman from 1990 to 1996 when she became Pinedale mayor. Skinner was Pinedale’s mayor from 1996 to 2006	November 23, 2010
Box
3	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Phillip Smith, Mayor of Big Piney, Wyoming	October 14, 2010
Box
3	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Stephen “Steve” Smith, Mayor of Pinedale, Wyoming	October 15, 2010
Box
3	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Albert Sommers, longtime Big Piney rancher and longtime member (now Chairman) of the Sublette County Planning and Zoning Commission	November 12, 2010
Box
3	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Jonita Sommers, longtime Big Piney teacher and co-owner with brother, Albert Sommers, of the multigenerational Sommers Ranch	October 31, 2010
Box
3	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Terrie Swift, Executive Director of the Sublette County Chamber of Commerce	November 19, 2010
Box
3	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Tim Thompson, 4th generation Big Piney, Wyoming rancher	November 19, 2010
Box
3	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Mike Wade, local outfitter and horse-rancher in Sublette County, Wyoming	October 16, 2010
Box
3	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Philip Washburn, retiree to Pinedale in 2003. He retired from banking in Chicago	December 3, 2010
Box
3	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Peggy Weber, retired Registered Nurse who worked 38 years in the profession, primarily in Sublette County and Sweetwater County	November 21, 2010
Box
3	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Ward Wise, mayor’s assistant from 2004 through April 2005. He is currently a member of the school board for Sublette County School District #1 (Pinedale) and owner of a communications company in Pinedale, Wise Connections	November 5, 2010
Box
3	Paper copy of transcript
	Interview with Mary Lynn Worl, longtime Pinedale resident and local environmentalist	October 11, 2010
Box
3	Paper copy of transcript

Series II. Photographs, Video, and Audio Files Return to Top

This series contains supporting digital images, video, and audio about Sublette county, natural gas, the interviewees, and the oral history project.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
	Photographs:
Digital	Big Piney-Marbleton	2010 - 2011
Digital	Hoback-Noble Basin	2011
Digital	Jonah Field	2010 - 2011
Digital	Jonah Workforce Facility located in Jonah Field	2010
Digital	La Barge, Wyoming	2011
Digital	Maps of Sublette County and Wyoming	2010 - 2011
Digital	Panoramas	2010
Digital	Photos of interviewees and interviews	2010 - 2011
Digital	Pinedale, Wyoming	2010 - 2011
Digital	Sand Draw Man Camp on Highway 191	2011
Digital	Scenery outside Pinedale	2010 - 2011
Digital	Scenic views of Sublette County	2010
Digital	Wind turbines	October 2010
	Audio and Video:
Digital	The Boom video	2011
Digital	"Sublette County Wyoming: Energy Boom,"	2011
Digital	Jonah Field video	2011
Digital	Sublette County scenery video	2011
Digital	Wyoming Public Radio interview with Leslie Waggener	April 26, 2012
Digital	"Wyoming Energy's Development, Voices from Sublette County: A Panel Discussion" - video and photographs from panel discussions at Pinedale, Wyoming and the University of Wyoming	May 16, 2011

Series III. Research Materials and Project FilesReturn to Top

This series contains both digital and paper records of newspaper clippings, magazine articles, essays, a book, a DVD, and a list of the interviews regarding research and the administration of the Wyoming Energy Boom Oral History Project.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box
1	Book - "Pinedale, Wyoming: A Centennial History, 1904 - 2004" by Ann Chambers Noble	2005
Digital	Cataloging worksheets	2010 - 2011
Box
1	DVD - "Pinedale, Wyoming: Sublette County's Outdoor Paradise,"
2 and Digital	Essays by Ann Noble, Dave Kathka, and Phil Roberts	2011 - 2014
2 and Digital	Grant applications	2010 - 2014
Digital	Journal articles	1974 - 2010
Box
2 and Digital	List of interviews	2010 - 2014
1 and Digital	Magazine and newspaper clippings and articles	1994 - 2010
Digital	Notes - Leslie Waggener's notes from meeting minutes of Sublette County government entities	2010
Digital	Reports	1998 - 2010

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