Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is common in the Cowboy State. Energy companies use this technique to access hard-to-reach oil and natural gas deposits. While modern fracking uses mixtures of sand, water, and various chemicals, a proposed project in the early 1970s sought to use something else...atomic weapons. Project Wagon Wheel was one of several proposals for using atomic fission devices for mining and civil engineering projects. Join Jeremy and John as they explore the background of an attempt at nuclear fracking and how the people of Sublette County, Wyoming, successfully pushed back against it.

Episode Resources:
Carson, Rachel. Silent Spring. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1962.

Eisenhower, Dwight D. Atoms for Peace. New York: Harper &
Brothers, 1953.

"The Wagon Wheel Project." WyoHistory.org. Accessed August 4,
2024. https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/wagon-wheel-
project

"Project Plowshare: The Peaceful Use of Nuclear Explosives.";
Atomic Energy Commission Report. 1977.

"Project Plowshare." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Last modified July 30, 2024.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Plowshare.

"Nuclear Explosions for the National Economy." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Last modified June 28, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_Explosions_for_the_National_
Economy.

United States Atomic Energy Commission. "Draft Environmental
Impact Statement for the Proposed Wagon Wheel Project."
Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1972.

"Wyoming Votes Down Nuclear Project."The Los Angeles Times, November 8, 1972.

"Nuclear Testing for Gas Extraction Faces Local Opposition." The Des Moines Register, October 15, 1972.

The Atomic Age: From Destruction to Peace. Directed by John Smith. National Geographic, 2020.

Thanks for tuning into Buffalo Tales and exploring the tracks across Wyoming's past. You can contact us directly through our Facebook page, Buffalo Tales.

In 1919, the United States Army organized a road trip across the United States that few people know about today. Several hundred soldiers, including a young Dwight Eisenhower, took trucks, cars, motorcycles, and a custom-built wrecker called the "Militor" from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco. The convoy crossed 14 states during their 62-day journey across the Lincoln Highway. Their route brought them across southern Wyoming. Join Jeremy and John as they explore this little-known road trip from the dawn of the motor age.

Episode References:
Davies, Pete. American Road: The Story of an Epic Transcontinental Journey at the Dawn of the Motor Age. New York: Holt, 2002.

Eisenhower, Dwight. Memorandum from Ltc Dwight D. Eisenhower to Chief, Motor Transport Corps. National Archives (November 4 1919). https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/sites/default/files/research/online-documents/1919-convoy/1919-11-03-dde-to-chief.pdf.

Jackson, E.R. Report on First Transcontinental Motor Convoy. National Archives (Washington: October 31 1919). https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/sites/default/files/research/online-documents/1919-convoy/report-jackson-to-moody.pdf.

The Lincoln Highway Association. The Complete Official Road Guide of the the Lincoln Highway. Detroit: The Lincoln Highway Association, 1916.

US Army. Daily Log of the First Transcontinental Motor Convoy, Washington, Dc to San Francisco, Cal., July 7 to Sept. 6th, 1919. Washington: War Department, 1919.

Thanks for tuning into Buffalo Tales and exploring the tracks across Wyoming's past. You can contact us directly through our Facebook page, Buffalo Tales.

John and Jeremy return for the second part of the Tale of Big Nose George. Part two starts in the aftermath of Dutch Charley's final ride. They look at George's activities following the Elk Mountain Murders, ending with his trial, botched escape, and hanging in Rawlins. John and Jeremy also share the events culminating in a pair of shoes made from George's tanned hide.

This episode describes several violent murders. The content is not suitable for all ages. Listener discretion is advised.

Episode References:
Miller, Mark E. Big Nose George: His Troublesome Trail. Glendo, WY: High Plains Press, 2022.

Van Pelt, Lori. “Big Nose George: A Grisly Frontier Tale.” Big Nose George: A Grisly Frontier Tale, November 15, 2014. https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/big-nose-george-grisly-frontier-tale.

Wyoming Digital Newspaper Collection. Accessed June 23, 2024. https://wyomingnewspapers.org/.

Thanks for tuning into Buffalo Tales and exploring the tracks across Wyoming's past. You can contact us directly at buffalotalespodcast@gmail.com or through our Facebook page, Buffalo Tales.

Thanks for tuning into Buffalo Tales and exploring the tracks across Wyoming's past. You can contact us directly through our Facebook page, Buffalo Tales.