Oral History Collection
Oral History
Wyoming Asks: have a conversation about your experiences with COVID-19
What do you think about this most unusual time in history? What do your friends and family think? Wyoming archivists encourage you to have these conversations with those close to you. Perhaps you will find that you share more opinions and experiences than you thought. Or, maybe you are living through vastly different pandemics – even in the same house. Here are some tips on interviewing friends and family from the Oral History Association, The Smithsonian, and some conversation pointers and sample questions from staff at the State Archives, the American Heritage Center, and from Wyoming oral historian, Barbara Bogart.
Another option: use the StoryCorps App or StoryCorps Connect to record your conversation. Find the app and more resources on how to do this here: https://storycorps.org/participate/
Oral History Collections in the Wyoming State Archives
These are Wyoming Stories... tales told by the legends who live them. Produced by the Wyoming State Archives, a division of State Parks & Cultural Resources.
Explore the Oral History Database!
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Another place to look for Wyoming oral histories is Wyoming Stories
Whether they record family stories and childhood memories or explain the nuances of an event to fill in gaps in paper records, oral histories and voice recordings bring individuals to life. The Wyoming State Archives currently houses nearly 4,000 recordings. Most date from the 1960s to the present.
Topics include:
- Aviation
- Black 14
- Blizzard of ‘49
- 1970s Boom and Bust
- Cokeville Elementary School Bombing, 1986
- Community history
- Rural schools
- Early settlement and homesteading
- Ethnic heritage: Hispanic, Jewish, European, Basque, Native American, Eastern European, Asian, and African American
- Matthew Shepard
- Military veterans
- Wyoming Governors
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Is the Online Database complete?
- No. Please note that this online database is a work in progress. Only a portion of our oral histories are currently available to listen to online. A complete, text-only database is available onsite. Unable to visit? Please contact us for assistance.
Can I request a digitized copy of a recording not available online?
- Yes! In most cases, recordings not yet available online can be digitized by staff.
Can I request a copy of an already digitized recording?
- Yes! If the recording is available in our online database, an MP3 copy of the file may be saved to your computer using the “Export” button on the top right of screen.
Are higher quality copies of the recordings available for broadcast?
- Yes! WAV files are available upon request. Please contact us for assistance.
Are the recordings transcribed?
- Sometimes. If one exists, the online database will say “True” in the transcript field. Please contact us for questions on availability.
Troubles with the LUNA database?
- Try the SPCR audio/visual page or the Internet Archive.