Canvas-topped dwellings of drilling crews formed the nucleus of a tent town near Blue Ridge, Texas, in about 1920.
A LITTLE PIECE OF HISTORY | By Joan Frances Photos from The End and the Myth by Paul O’Neil.
The state of Texas has more than 700 miles of land from Texarkana to El Paso and over 800 miles from the North Texas line at the city of Texline to the southernmost town of Southmore. The state is blessed with mild seasons and abundant land consumed with fertile soil rich in minerals.
Early settlers focused completely on farming and ranching to support their families and sustain life. Cities grew and prospered as crops were harvested and cattle herded. It wasn’t until 1901 that the famous great gusher known as “Spindletop” erupted in the oil field near Beaumont. This was the beginning of the oil explosion in Texas that still continues today.
As legend has it, poor Texas cowboys discovered oil gushing on their land and became overnight billionaires. They helped make Texas oil an economic and political powerhouse, bringing to light the valuable resources this enormous state has to offer. These stories of oil tycoons began with obscurity, evolved to prominence and egotistical power struggles and ended with squabbling families, scandals and sometimes, tragic destitution.
Patillo “Bud” Higgins was the visionary who lived in Beaumont and set his sights on discovering oil in Texas. Higgins partnered with George W. Carroll, a lumberman, and after combining their money, set out to lease land and begin digging. After many failed attempts, Higgins gave up excavating for a period of time. He placed an advertisement in a national magazine and received one reply from a mining engineer, Captain Anthony Lucas. Lucas surveyed the land and determined there was a salt dome on Big Hill. These salt domes often harbor caches of sulfur and sometimes oil.
Together, Higgins and Lucas drilled a well, but it soon collapsed. Frustrated because they had no more money, the project was once again put on hold. Finally, after partnering with James Guffey and James Galey of Pittsburgh, the men hired the Hamill brothers, began drilling at Big Hill and the rest is Spindletop history.
Oil and natural gas are the most significant minerals generated in Texas. Many years before the Europeans arrived, Native Americans first discovered oil trickling from the ground and believed it had medicinal values. Crude oil was used for caulking boats as early as 1543 by Hernando de Soto. In April 1919, Fort Bend County and Gulf Oil Company had its first gusher at Blue Ridge Oil Field, three miles southeast of Missouri City. Three years later, in 1922, another oil field at Big Creek, located south of Rosenberg, emerged. This fortified rapid growth for the surrounding cities of Rosenberg and Richmond.
Soon, eight productive oil fields were established, eventually producing more than 450 million barrels of oil. The communities began enjoying the amenities of wealth with paved sidewalks and City swimming pools. Rosenberg’s population edged past Richmond for the first time in 1920. Because of high oil demand, the cities did not feel the extreme effects of the Great Depression in the 1920s. Texas oil and gas production peaked in 1972 and has declined since.
The oil boom also encouraged the development of other mineral industries. Petroleum, natural gas and sulfur are trapped in salt domes, which are tall columns of salt that have risen tens of thousands of feet. Valuable minerals were discovered when the oil was tapped and wells were built. Salt resources are plentiful and a valuable asset to the economy. Portland cement, crushed stone, construction sand and gravel are the leading mineral commodities produced in Texas that account for over 95 percent of non-fuel mineral value. With so much to offer the world, Texas continues to be at the forefront of natural resources.