Comments by "Sar Jim" (@sarjim4381) on "Cy Iba and his dream of Wyoming oil" video.

If you're ever in Casper, make time to visit the Salt Creek Museum. It has fascinating displays that bring the history of the Salt Creek oil field to life. The amount of lawsuits and employment for attorneys was the big production in the oil fields until 1908, when the first big gusher was brought in. It wasn't until 1930 and a new federal law mandating consolidation of the thousands of placer claims in the area that drilling could be done on an economic basis. By 1930, of course, it was well known that oil had uses beyond liniments for horses and humans. The museum also details the second big oil field near Casper known as Teapot Dome. As history buffs know, Teapot Dome became known far and wide as something more than an oil field.
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@dawulpertingerofstarland5257 Yes, I forgot about Fort Casper. It's an interesting reconstruction of what life was like for soldiers on the frontier in 1859. I've been to Casper twice, once in August and once in January. It was a little warm in August but cooled off nicely at night. I spent three days in January for what was supposed to be a six hour trip. I flew in at 8:00 for a 1:00 meeting. The snow started just after I landed and turned into a blizzard by noon. There was already five inches of blowing snow by then, and the airport was closed at 3:00 due to limited visibility. It finally reopened three days later. The people of Casper were very kind and took good care of all the stranded travelers. The Red Cross lady handing out coffee and sandwiches said it wasn't the first time they had been to that rodeo. :-)
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@dawulpertingerofstarland5257 Yes, my impression of Casper is it's an interesting place for a tourist to spend a few days, but it must get old fast for residents. Casper isn't close to any large city so it's pretty isolated and self-contained. It's supposed to be a good place to raise a family, probably because a lot of the big city temptations are absent from Casper. Look at this way though - at least you don't live in Rock Springs. :-)
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@dawulpertingerofstarland5257 Unfortunately, almost everywhere has those problems. It's just a matter of how large the problems are. I'd suggest you consider the South before you end up in high cost states like Colorado and Oregon. Salaries aren't as high but the cost of living more than offsets that. I live in Alabama, and the smaller cities here have much less crime, provide some decent jobs, and you can still buy a house for $100,000 or rent a two bedroom apartment for $600.
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@dawulpertingerofstarland5257 We have an excellent VA hospital in Montgomery with a clinic in Columbus GA, right across the state line. Our public schools here are not great but we have good private schools that aren't too expensive. Math is the drug of choice here but things like cocaine and heroin are rarely seen. This is still the bible belt, and there is a sense of morality when it comes to things like crime and drug use. I'm originally from California and things are different here. No one really cares if you're from somewhere else as long as you learn and have respect for Southern culture. We have hot summers, but the rest of the year is pretty mild. Even a typical winter day sees highs in the upper 50s and low 60s with lows in the mid 30s to mid 40s. We see an inch of snow once every five years or so. The cost of living is what makes this area the most attractive. As I said, you can still buy a decent house for $100,000, and $250,000 buys a literal mansion. A gallon of regular gas is going for $2.09 today. It's certainly worth a look if you're considering moving.
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@dawulpertingerofstarland5257 Come on down, brother, we have room for everyone...well, as long as you're not a member of antifa. That wouldn't be good. :-)
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