Cowboys, cattle, cotton, and oil

Well, the Russians have found me.  At least Google’s little map of hits to blogs indicates three hits from that region.  I’m told, as I’m sure you know, that it’s probably a bot probably looking for someone to spam. Can you imagine a Russian being interested in a blog about archives in West Texas? Fortunately Google takes care of all unwanted hits. Yah Google! 

But just in case those Russians are interested in West Texas and archives, here is additional information.  A couple of blogs ago I used the term “lone arranger.”  I suppose that speaks for itself, but in case it doesn’t, a lone arranger is usually the only archivist at an institution.  There are many of us around the country and fortunately we have a great list serve. But me I take it a step further. I am not only the only archivist in my five institutions, but I have been the only archivist within a 100-mile radius.  (I understand that recently another archivist has started work in a museum in a nearby town that is only 35 miles from Abilene so I’m not as alone.) That aloneness goes with the territory I guess.  Except for Abilene, this part of Texas is pretty scarcely populated.  To give you an example, the population of the town in which I live and the one next to it is a hundred people in total. That counts the 12 miles in between the two.  (Note: I use the term “town” very loosely.)  Did I mention that I live 40 miles from Abilene and 15 miles from a gas station or grocery store? Needless to say there are more cows than people.  This was Comanche territory and the land of the southern herd of the American bison.  The area wasn’t truly settled until after the Civil War when the bison were annihilated and the Comanche on the reservation at Ft. Sill.  Abilene wasn’t even established by the Texas and Pacific Railroad until 1881.  That means collections in the local archives for the most part date after the 1880s and focus on the history of this part of Texas – cowboys, cattle, cotton, and oil.  That could explain the Russians.  Maybe it reminds them of Siberia – only lots, lots warmer.  And cowboys, cattle, cotton, and oil are interesting and fun! Just check out the oral histories on the wtda.alc.org.