Spindletop Oil Field In Beaumont Texas Fueled The Fire To Become One Of The State's Greatest Strengths & Ambitions
On January 10, 1901, at approximately 10:30am, an oil well located atop the Spindletop salt dome near Beaumont, Texas “came in”, meaning it struck oil, and it did so in a big way. For the next nine days nearly a million gallons of oil would shoot 150 feet in the air from what became known as the Lucas Gusher. According to Bruce Wells, the Executive Director of the American Oil and Gas Historical Society, “I describe Spindletop as the birth of the modern petroleum industry. The timing and the size of the field literally launched an era.” Once capped, the Lucas Gusher and Spindletop Oil Field turned Beaumont from a peaceful community to an oil-fueled boomtown overnight and ushered in an era forever known as The Texas Oil Boom.
There had long been speculation that the layer of Louann salt formed during the Jurassic period, known as Spindletop Hill, might be sitting atop a massive supply of oil. Sulfur springs and bubbling gas deposits were common and helped convince speculators there was oil to be found but nobody had yet invested the time, or the money, to try and prove the theory correct. While Texas had already begun producing small amounts of oil it was a negligible percentage of the US production at the time. Little did the residents of Beaumont know that they were about to hit gold…black gold.
The first attempts at finding oil underneath the dome of salt came about when a local, self-taught geologist, Pattillo Higgins, teamed up with landowners Capt. George O’Brien and George Carroll to form the Gladys City Oil, Gas, and Manufacturing Company. “Pattillo Higgins was the visionary of the group,” says Wells. “He just knew there was oil under that hill.” The Gladys City Company was one of the first oil companies to incorporate in Texas and they began drilling in 1893. It took eight years and many changes to the partnership before oil was finally struck but once word of the fantastic gusher spread, loads of equipment and personnel began pouring in. The population of Beaumont tripled in just three months and in less than a year there were over 500 oil companies and 285 active wells operating on Spindletop Hill. The Texas Oil Boom had officially begun.
While most of the madness surrounding the Spindletop field was over by World War I, its impact would last much, much longer. The massive amounts of oil found in and around Beaumont would usher in a new, industrialized era, which saw the rapid expansion of shipping and railroads as well as the dawn of automobiles and airplanes. Troy Gray, Director of the Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum believes it was the large quantity of oil that made the difference. He states, “It was able to be used for so much more than for kerosene that lit lamps. Also, it helped start many of the oil companies we know of today such as Exxon, Mobil, Gulf, Texaco, etc. originated in Beaumont after Spindletop.”
Today the Spindletop–Gladys City Boomtown Museum stands as a living commemoration of the impact and influence the site had on America’s history. The museum features a re-creation of the original town as it stood during the height of its rapid expansion. Gray points out that, “Each of our 15 buildings has it's own story along with adding to the story of the boomtown and of the oil discovery” According to Gray, these buildings filled with artifacts from the late-19th and early 20th centuries “make Gladys City an authentic 1901 town.” There are also period performers and re-enactments throughout the grounds, including a fully operational blacksmithy. All these attractions combine to help give visitors a great taste of life in an oil town but Gray is clear that the main attraction is the re-enactment of the famous Lucas Gusher that takes place on special occasions. “Our gusher blows as high as the original Lucas Gusher of 1901,” says Gray. “While it only blows water, people can imagine what it would be like to have it be oil and blowing for 9 days straight.”
Beaumont, Texas and the Spindletop Oil field represent a major turning point in this country’s history but it doesn’t end at the borders. The Texas oil boom impacted the entire world, which explains why in 2015 this family friendly museum, on the campus of Lamar University, received visitors from dozens of countries. Many have ties to the oil industry but many more stop by just to take a step back in time to an era when a hunch followed by 1000 feet of drilling and a gushing fountain of black liquid changed the world forever.
Michael Quinn
A graduate of St. Louis University in Communications with a focus in Advertising & Promotions, Michael has worked for Blue Man Group, Oito Zero Oito and Counts Media among others. His interests include DJing and Lawn Mower Disrepair.
Make Sure To Stay At:
Gulf Coast RV Resort, located in the heart of Historical Beaumont, where the avid RVer can experience the hospitality and attractions of beautiful Southeast Texas, combined with the amenities and comforts of the area's most complete RV Resort.