Library & Research
Oral History Project
The oral history project at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame began in 2000 with a gift from the Walton Family Foundation. The program is dedicated to preserving the history and impact of women of the Western United States whose positive contributions span from the mid-1800s to the present. The oral histories provide a unique source of documentation about these extraordinary women – pioneers, artists, writers, entertainers, ranchers and rodeo cowgirls, who represent a part of American history that must be preserved and shared with present and future generations.
The initial focus of the oral history program is to collect and preserve the memories of living members of the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Recognizing the importance of recording first-hand accounts of events, the program has expanded to include not only the primary players in events, but also the observers, the many who have seen and felt the impact of historical change. These observers may include relatives and family members of honorees, nominees to the Museum’s Hall of Fame, important authors of the genre, and others capable of broadening our understanding and appreciation of the past.
Our Archive
The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame has established an archive of oral history interviews with over 70 women conducted over the past three years. The archive of tapes, DVDs, and transcripts is housed in the library at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, where it is available to the public for purposes of education and research. A finding aid with descriptions and indexes of each interview is in the process of being prepared to facilitate the use of the archive.
By conducting carefully researched, tape-recorded, and transcribed interviews, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame has created archival oral histories intended for the widest possible use. Original recordings were made on mini digital videocassette then transferred to DVD format. DVDs are available at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame for viewing. Transcripts may be read, quoted from, cited and reproduced for purposes of research. They may not be published in full except by permission of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.
Why Oral History?
Oral history is the preservation, through recorded interviews, of first-hand accounts from participants in important political, cultural and social developments. It is both the oldest form of historical inquiry (predating the written word) and one of the most modern – conducted with tape recorders since the 1940s.
