The Encyclopedia of Texas Page: 27 of 970
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HISTORY OF THE TEXAS OIL INDUSTRY
By J. EDGAR PEW
Ex-President Mid-Continent Oil and Gas A)ssociationthe great Lucas Gusher
commenced to produce
oil. This well was drilled
about four miles south of
Beaumont, Texas, by John J.
Guffney and John Galey of
Pittsburg, Pa., and ushered
in the "Spindle Top" oil field.
This was the beginning of a
new era in the oil business.
Prior to that time but little
oil had been produced west
of the Mississippi River, and
in fact, among the "Oil
Fraternity," but little was expected.
This new discovery
also brought into the oil
industry an entirely new set
of men. The "Old Timers," as is the custom among
oil men, came to Texas, looked the oil over and examined
the oil, but the majority of them went back
east to tell the boys, "not to be alarmed, the oil was
N. G." and "It cannot be refined" and they also predicted
the well would be a "freak and would soon go
to water." Some few of them stayed and with their
experience in the business, were generally well payed
for their judgment.
Of these oil men from the east, previously prominent
in the business, were W. L. Mellon, of Pittsburgh,
who organized what are now known as the
Gulf Companies; J. S. Cullinan, formerly of Washington,
Pa., but at that time located at Corsicana.
Texas, who, together with Ex-Governor Jas. Hogg,
of Texas, Judge Jas. Swayne of Ft. Worth, Texas,
and William Campbell, also a Texan, organized
what is now the Texas Company; and J. N. Pew of
Pittsburgh, Pa., who organized the Sun Company,
and a little later, S. G. Bayne, of New York, who
organized what is now known as the Magnolia Petroleum
Company. All of these companies were
formed to handle this new grade of oil, and to convert
it into marketable products. The result of their
enterprise and good judgement are to) well known
to the entire oil world to require further details.
But it is not only to these that credit for this
beginning of this great industry in Texas should be
given. Beaumont was soon filled up w'th men from
all parts of the country, the great majority of whom
prior to that time, had never seen an oil well and
many of them had not the remotest idea of how
oil was produced. From such, we have today many
of the most successful producers in the business.
The names of these are too numerous to mention in
this brief article.The discovery of "Spindle Top" or the "Beaumont
Field," as it is more properly called, was a "real
epoch," a "decisive period" in the oil business. It
was the first opportunity of the "Independents" in
,.. %i f; . ~ H ;; , IThe New Magnolia Building, Dallas, the Tallest Office
Building in Texas, Completed in 1922
the history of oil. This Beaumont field together
with the later discovery of Sour Lake, Batson, Saretoga,
and Humble, and later still at Goose Creek
and West Columbia, all have produced a total of
more than 250,000,000 barrels of oil, and from an
actual producing area for the total of these fields,
of probably not to exceed 4,000 acres
But Texas is a large state and all of its oil was
not to be confined to its coastal fields. Before the
Beaumont discoveries a very profitable pool of
oil had been found at Corsicana, Navarro County,
Texas, but not until the Electra Field in Wichita
County was developed was the production in Texas
of high grade oils for refining purposes really an
important factor in the industry. This was in 1911
The interest in Electra has subsided, the "wise
ones" who had finally come to Texas when this real
oil was discovered, had returned to Oklahoma and
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The Encyclopedia of Texas (Book)
This book provides a biographical view of Texas and its history. The book uses many narratives of the individuals who helped shape Texas history. The book also includes profiles of: the public school system in Texas; banking; the public school system; the State Fair; the Cotton Industry; oil history; and histories of select towns, such as Dallas, Fort Worth, Wichita Falls, Burkburnett, Ellis County, Waco, San Antonio, Galveston, and many others.
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Davis, Ellis Arthur & Grobe, Edwin H. The Encyclopedia of Texas, book, [1921..1922]; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth21069/m1/27/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.