I could go out today and take ten pictures in Central Austin, in one of the fastest growing and most prosperous metropolitan areas and make it look like it was an abandoned slum. Population, demographic, or economic data? Forget that! Once all those fair trade coffee shops came in, it was all over.

First, oil has never been the only industry in that area. Cattle and cement (based on the plentiful supply of limestone) are two other major industries from that area, along with the many farm crops grown there. The cement industry ran it’s course in the mid- to late-1970s, but cattle, crops, and the oil industry continue. Conoco-Phillips has not abandoned the area, and in fact has increased investment in many respects in Bartlesville in the plastics and petroleum research areas and still maintains a large operations presence in downtown Bartlesville. I’m not associated with either company, although I am a shareholder in both and my father worked for Phillips 66 for 37 years and my grandmother worked for them for over 30 years. A sociologist might have at least looked at the current company annual reports, though.

Bartlesville and Dewey, my hometown, appear to me to be as thriving as they ever did during the heydays of Phillips 66 and Cities Service (now CITGO) both being headquartered in Bartlesville. Population seems to have grown, downtowns seem vibrant and alive with new businesses and activities, and I’m amazed every time I go home to visit how much the area has grown. A sociologist might have interviewed people who lived through the entire period being discussed, people who have lived there over different periods of time, people of different cultures, ranchers, local oilmen, cattlemen, farmers, residents, and others, to get their perspectives on what has, and what hasn’t, changed.

It’s easy to find pictures of old pumps for wells that have run dry. Did you take any pictures of the thousands of pumps that are still pumping oil every day and paying handsome royalties to the owners of the land they sit on? Pictures of old rusty pipes rolling down a hill and dented old rusty oil storage tanks in a field – easy to find, and have been for 50 years or more. What about pictures of pipes running to an old storage tank still being used to hold oil from a working pump? Pictures of graveyards of unused or worn-out equipment? You can find those all over oil country – the supplier bets on the need for 200 and only 190 are really needed. It happens.

I guess my point here is this isn’t sociology. Sociology has to have some sort of structure, regardless of the form you follow – Kant, Durkheim, Parsons, Giddens, or whomever. It is a science, not some self-centric viewpoint. It can be a slice of society, horizontal or vertical, I suppose, but it has to be an entire slice, not just selected pieces here and there through a few select photographs. Maybe I’m reading more into this than you intended. I’m certainly not a sociologist, and would never pretend to be. I am a social scientist, though, and do understand a little about the thoroughness required of scholarly research and the presentation of same.

This seems to be an attempt to show a single industry, the oil industry, as one that comes into a town, picks it dry, then abandons it, leaving behind a rusting, empty shell of poor, unemployed, shattered, people. Some towns will end up that way, whether the oil industry ever comes there or not. Many towns won’t. It depends on the people, and I would hope sociology would be able to describe the difference between people in the towns that survive and those that don’t. I’m only commenting now because this was brought to my attention by a Facebook site telling the story of Bartlesville (Lost Bartlesville) through the years.

Anyway, just my two cents.

Dr. David Hatfield
SGM, U.S. Army (Retired)
Severn, Maryland
Native Son of Dewey, OK

Sincerely,
Sara McKisson
Environmental Coordinator

Dear G.Manager:
We are a manufacturer of oil spill control for the Environmental Industry, We can send 5tons oil absorbent materials everyday and it can arrived anyplace within 3-5days in the world by airplane as following

Oil/ Chemical spill absorbent pads/booms/rolls for oil spill cleanup in the marine/land environment
Oil/Chemical Spill Kits,
Oil Boom Storage Reels
Plastic Garbage bins ,
Spunlaced nonwovens, wiper cloths ,
Oil spill dispersant,
Oil sponge-(Pom-Pom)
Steam Mop
Emergency Blanket
24-Hour Emergency Service.
Oil Spill Training & cooperation
There are over 150 workers and 35 technicians and engineers in our factory in Tongxiang, Zhejiang,P.R.China and we can manufacture all kinds of oil absorbent materials, our products have been exported all over the world.

We would like to set up a long term business relationship with your office/company and we hope to be your supplier of environmental and spill cleanup products.

Of course our order center is on-line 24 hours a day so you may order anytime, so if you are interested in our products ,please contact us soon!

We would also welcome a visit to our factory from you.

We are looking for a buyer/tender in your market, who we hope can be you !
If you are interested in our product details we will send you our samples by overnight delivery

Let’s cooperate for a long term relationship!!

Another we can manufacture and supply for many different products and if necessary , we are in a position to act as your Chinese purchasing agent on a commission basis.

We await your response and thank for your cooperation

Best wishes and regards

Tongxiang Xiaoying Pollution Control Technology Co., Ltd
No.104-03 Shaoxi Apartment,Wuzhen Town
Tongxiang City, Zhejiang 314501, P.R.China

Attn:Mr. Robert C.Kao
Tel :0086-573-88715-777

Fax:0086-573-88715-877
Email:k_chenghai2000@sina.com.cn
http://oil-absorbent.en.alibaba.com

The town didn’t raise vacant land taxes?