The goal of this study is to provide a literature search and write a historical narrative of the cultural significance of the study area for the proposed WyCoalGas Inc., pipeline, railroad, well fields, and coal gasification plant. The request for a cultural resource investigation states at a minimum the study shall be a literature search on the narrow one mile corridor along the proposed pipelines, areas included within the various facilities plus a one mile buffer surrounding these facilities. In addition, the study must be tied into appropriate local, state, and national history. The writer of this history has felt a responsibility for providing a realistic assessment of the themes of the study area's historical development. Several ideas have been concentrated upon: its American Indian heritage; the Euro-American's exploitive relationship with the region; and the overriding fragile, arid nature of its land. It is hoped that the government agencies and ultimately the energy company will feel a similiar responsibility toward the study area's historical integrity.