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Big Viking Oil Co. oil celebration, southeastern Williams County, N.D.
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| Title | Big Viking Oil Co. oil celebration, southeastern Williams County, N.D. |
| Date of Original | 1929 or 1930 |
| Description | A large crowd has gathered to celebrate drilling operations at the Big Viking Oil Co. wildcat oil rig. At the base of the well, a large group of men, women, and children are walking, talking, and viewing the rig. Several automobiles are parked near the rig. Bluffs of the Badlands are visible behind the automobiles. |
| General Subject | Awards & ceremonies
Oil
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| Subject (LCTGM) | Oil well drilling rigs
Automobiles
Crowds
Men
Women
Children
Hats
Coats
Dresses
Cliffs
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| Subject (LCSH) | Ford automobile
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| Personal Name | Hanson, W. J.
Hanson, Ernam
Moellring, George
Wicklund, C. A.
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| Location | Badlands (N.D.)
Williams County (N.D.)
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| Decade | 1920-1929
1930-1939
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| Item Number | 1-75A-20-7 |
| Negative Number | 1-75A-20-7 |
| Format of Original | Glass negatives
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| Dimensions of Original | 2 x 3 in. |
| Transcription | "Sept. 1929 June Aug. May 1930"--Handwritten on original box |
| Notes | Title created by staff. |
| Biography/History | William E. "Bill" Shemorry was a native of Williston, N.D. who began work in the newspaper industry as a newsboy selling the Williston Herald and the Williams County Farmers Press. In 1953, he started to publish the Williston Plains Reporter, which he operated for 25 years before selling to the Williston Herald. Shemorry then began to concentrate on his own writing and photography. In addition to writing many books on the history of Williams County, he also collected photographs of early North Dakota photographers. Shemorry was an active member of the Williston Fire Department, was Civil Defense Chief of Williams County for three years in the 1950's, and was a combat photographer in World War II. Shemorry's photograph of the discovery of oil in North Dakota on April 4, 1951 at the Clarence Iverson No. 1 is one of the most famous oil photographs ever taken, and was published in many national publications. |
| Bibliographic Reference | Information about the Big Viking Oil Co. well was derived from Shemorry's book: Mud, Sweat and Oil: The Early Days of the Williston Basin, pgs. 30-39. |
| Repository Institution | State Historical Society of North Dakota
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| Repository Collection | William E. (Bill) Shemorry Photograph Collection 1
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| Credit Line | State Historical Society of North Dakota, William E. (Bill) Shemorry Photograph Collection (1-75A-20-7) |
| Rights Management | Permission to reproduce this image must be requested from the State Historical Society of North Dakota. |
| Ordering Information | To order a reproduction, inquire about the collection, or provide information about an image, please email Emily E. Schultz at eschultz@nd.gov |
| Digital ID | ws175A207 |
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