Geography generally helps students understand the world in spatial terms with maps, tools and technologies. It also describes the physical and human characteristics of places as well as how culture and experience influence people’s perceptions of places and regions. The KOHP Oral History Collections on Water and Energy offer good examples of how policymakers have dealt with environmental concerns.
Kansas Oil and Gas Fields
Oil and gas resources are not found everywhere in the state, but at least some production has occurred in most counties, as the map here shows. John O. Farmer III whose company is located in Russell described in his 2023 interview his company's exploration and production activities in the area around Russell. When Roger McCoy was interviewed in 2024 for the oral history project, he described becoming interested in geology almost by accident in the 1950s. He also recalled working in the southcentral and southwest part of Kansas where both oil and gas are found.
