Andrew Gulliford Collection
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of five boxes containing predominantly published material on the oil shale boom of 1975-1984, sources used in Andrew Gulliford’s Ph.D. dissertation. These studies: environmental impact statements, project plans, socio-economic studies, articles and papers were performed by public and private research facilities, the Colorado state and local governmental bodies, and the Federal Government. While not a complete collection, there are useful articles on the sociology of boomtowns, and important history of west-central Colorado by Stephen F. Mehls and a number of economic studies on the projected impact of oil shale development on northwest Colorado.
The project studies and plans focus on Tract C-b, Garfield County, Meeker-Piceance Basin rail feasibility, and the White River Shale Project. All of the project material consists of briefing book material. There are no office files present.
The Federal and State Environmental Impact Statements are also not complete, but consist of statements completed between 1973 and 1984 on the coal and oil shale lands of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, Volumes of these reports are missing. Any missing volume or appendix to one of these statements can be found in Government Documents in Norlin Library, University of Colorado.
The newspaper collection consists of a body of regional newspapers for the years 1976-1085. The longest run is the High Country News (1976-1983), and environmental bimonthly newspaper published in Lander, Wyoming (a complete set can be found in the Periodical Room in Norlin Library). A topical index to the High Contry News can be located in Box 1, Folder 10. A centennial issue of the Meeker Herald includes a complete history of Meeker to 1985. Volume 1 and part of volume 2 of the Western Colorado Report, a weekly that serves the Western Slope, demonstrates both the impact of development and withdrawal of oil shale investment on various western Colorado towns.
The Rifle Tribune, for the years of 1982-1985, give a less regional and more local picture of the contraction phase of the oil shale boom along with the towns resolution to carry on. Neither the Western Colorado Report, the Rifle Tribune, nor the Meeker Herald for years in question exist in the Norlin Periodical Room.
Dates
- 1975 - 1985
Biographical Note
As a native of Lamar, Colorado, Andrew Gulliford maintained a long term interest in small town Colorado. During the late 1970’s and early 1980’s Gulliford was witness to the shale oil boom while working as a teacher in Silt, on the Western Slope. The “boom” caused great excitement along with later disappointment and became the subject of Gulliford’s doctoral dissertation at Bowling Green University in Ohio.
Oil Shale was the focus of considerable interest as oil prices, high since 1973, crested in the early 1980’s. Since no end to the oil shortage was in sight, the relatively expensive process of developing the huge deposits of oil shale in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming became economically feasible. Large oil companies began making studies and developing plans along with hiring large numbers of employees to do exploratory and ground breaking work in the sparsely populated region along the Colorado and White Rivers. Gulliford was in an excellent position to track the changes that the “boom” wrought on his town, as well as the events that followed the subsequent pull-out of investments by the oil companies when falling oil places obviated the need for developing oil shale.
Extent
10.5 linear feet (15 boxes, 5 oversize)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Andrew Gulliford, a native of Lamar, Colorado, taught school in Silt, on the Western Slope, during the 1970’s and 1980’s and was witness to the shale oil boom. His collection contains published material on the oil shale boom from 1975 to 1984 including the project studies and plans, environmental impact statements by the Federal and State governments, and newspapers from the area. These materials were used by Gulliford for his dissertation at Bowling Green University in Ohio.
Arrangement
I.INTRODUCTORY A. Methodology B. Energy: General C. History II. COLORADO REGIONAL STUDIES A. Attitudes B. Crime C. Economic D. Finance E. Housing F. Socio-Economic III. LOCAL STUDIES A. Counties B. Towns IV. SHALE OIL PROJECTS V. ENVIRONMENTALIMPACTSTATEMENTS VI. WORKING PAPERS AND NEWSCLIPPINGS VII. NEWSPAPERS 1976-1985
Physical Location
A62 E4-6
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by: David M. Hays, 1987 Re-edited by: Anne Getts, 2004
- Date
- October, 2004
- Description rules
- Rules for Archival Description
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the University of Colorado Boulder Libraries, Rare and Distinctive Collections Repository
