Tuesday, July 30, 2013

An Unorthodox View of Boom Towns

Susan Elizabeth Shepard has a post on BuzzFeed called "Wildcatting."  There is a descriptive and lengthy subtitle but as this is a family blog I'm not going to include it.  Shepard is in what one might call the "entertainment / hospitality" business.  She writes primarily about working inWillistown, North Dakota, a drilling boomtown.  If you are an energy specialist or a map afficionado you might remember Willistown as part of the unusual light spot on nighttime satellite maps; most bright spots are cities but the odd spot in North Dakota is the fires at the top of oil wells.

Shepard's essay is illuminating (no pun intended), both of the wildcatting economy and her chosen occupation.  I wondered how similar fracking boomtowns were to Willistown.

Note to disaffected young women -- please read carefully the detailed description of the economic aspects of her line of work.  The recession has hit everyone.

It's an interesting read, regardless.

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