The wildcatting heritage of the Lone Star state is a large part of the Texas mystique throughout the world. This vintage photograph from the most famous Texas oil field has been paired with an antiqued replica turn of the century petroleum industry shareholder certificate.
On January 10, 1901, Captain Anthony F. Lucas, a former Captain in the Austrian navy, brought in the world’s greatest gusher at Spindletop near Beaumont, Texas. The Lucas well blew out at 1,020 feet disgorging 700 feet of drill pipe. It flowed 75,000 to 100,000 barrels of oil per day until it was capped on January 16, 1901. Within three months the city of Beaumont’s population increased from 9,000 to 50,000. Speculators, oil-field workers, adventurers and spectators swamped the town. One notable speculator was former Texas Governor James S. Hogg, who formed a syndicate selling Spindletop leases. Pig wallows sold for $35,000 and cow pastures for $100,000. Land 150 miles from Beaumont sold for $1,000 an acre and land within the proven Spindletop field sold for $900,000 an acre. From Spindletop sprang two giants of the modern industry, The Texas Company (Texaco) and Gulf Oil. The field ushered in a new era that transformed the American petroleum industry and consequently the transportation industry forever.
We have a full range of vintage Texas photography and documents from ranching, commerce, real estate, transportation, and specific towns.
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