Human Interest Story in the NY Times -- The Bakken, North Dakota, USA

A reader sent me a link to a very long article in the NY Times on the Bakken, about family men leaving home to work in North Dakota oil fields to get their financial situation back on track.

Two points, one minor, one major.

The minor point: the article mention that Amtrak is one way workers are getting back and forth between Williston and points east (Minnesota, for example). A reader sent me a note earlier suggesting that Amtrak may suspend services between Minneapolis and Williston while BNSF upgrades the tracks.

The larger point: the article talks about men commuting back and forth, working several weeks and then returning home. I don't think the article mentioned that more and more are returning with their families. The number of families coming to Williston has surprised many. I pointed out early on in my blog that based on my military experience, families would follow their husbands/fathers, but I, too, was surprised how big a deal that has become.

For those who know little about the Bakken, this is another interesting story -- five web pages in the NY Times. For regular readers of this blog, I doubt there is much new information.