Texas oil history books

Indians found oil seeping from the soils of texas long before the first europeans arrived. Weaving together the multigenerational sagas of the industrys four wealthiest families, burrough brings to life the men known in their day as the big four. Oil is also the economic linchpin of beaumont and port arthur and the basis for much of the heavy industry that crowds the gulf coast. Texas turning point is documented in a new book by historian and journalist bartee haile. An oil well that produced less than three barrels a day transformed corsicana, texas, from a sleepy. The first record of europeans using crude oil, however, was for the caulking of boats in 1543 by survivors of the desoto expedition near sabine pass. The butterfield stage line ran from 1857 to 1861, but the road was used by settlers, cattle drives and trade caravans long after.

They told explorers that the fluid had medicinal values. This is the most tragic document in texas historyand the most dramatic. Chapter 1 begins with texas before oil and the preconditions of development, emphasizing the first commercially viable production at corsicana. Hunt, clint murchison, and sid richardson, all swaggering texas oil tycoons who owned sprawling ranches and mingled with presidents and hollywood stars. Roughnecks still sling cables and pipes on the big rigs. The texas company, later texaco formed in 1902 from the texas fuel oil company, the j. Texas you may know texas as the home of barbecue, cowboys, and the alamo. Discover the states proud history in our books about texas. Warner provides a wellarticulated and accurate account of the early discoveries, fields, and oilmen in the state.

A complete history of the east texas oil field would be too voluminous for a study of this kind. The ultimate texas oil book when it was published in 1939, oil historian james a. They collected the asphaltic substance and used it to caulk their vessels. Ewing reinforced the stereotype of the texas oil man as a conservative, unprincipled rogue on the longrunning. Year jan feb mar apr may jun jul aug sep oct nov dec. It allowed economic diversification, establishing a texas industrial base with the construction of oil fields, pipelines, refineries, railroads, port facilities, and their attendant support industries. While mike coxs book is largely photos, the captions with historical tidbits and the wonderful bibliography provide incentive to learn more about these early years. In 1904 the total pipeline runs of the security standard oil of new jersey, texas, guffey, and sun pipelines was about 18,000,000 barrels. Melrose, in nacogdoches county, was the site in 1866 of the first drilled well to produce oil in texas. Sep 16, 20 through the 1910s and 1920s, oil booms occurred in north texas, the panhandle, central texas, and west texas. When it was first published in 1939, oil historian james a. For report periods september 2001 through august 2015, the taxable barrels are subject to the regulatory.

Inventing the corsicana rig the discovery of oil transformed corsicana. The first texas oil boom arrived in the summer of 1894 when the corsicana oilfield is discovered by a drilling contractor hired by the city to find water. The texas oil legacy lives on, as do the discussions and arguments about it. The fifty best texas books august 1981 texas monthly. Clark called this book, the most valuable collection of historical, biographical, and statistical data on texas oil ever assembled. After the expedition was forced ashore in the area between sabine pass and high island in july 1543, the explorers observed oil floating on the surface of the water. Browse the entries for the texas story project real texans contribute their own stories and tie texas history to modern day citizens. At the beginning of the 20th century, the black gold of oil rivaled the white gold of cotton as the states most lucrative crop. The reality of texas oil is that it is still a major component of the national economy. Railroads, oil, and the rise of urban texas is intended for middle school texas history teachers. Sep 16, 20 texas oil and gas documents in postcards the rapid growth of the texas petroleum industry from its beginnings near corsicana in the 1890s through the next several decades of oil booms throughout the state. American nonfiction books 2009 nonfiction books history of the petroleum industry in the united states history of texas biography book stubs. West texas before and after the civil war saw an explosion of immigrants making their way through the area on their way west.

The texas historical commissions thc texas in world war ii initiative is a multiyear statewide effort to honor the role of texas during the second world war. Oct 22, 2015 the textbook publishers were put in a difficult position. Longview is an oil center, and tyler is the headquarters of the east texas oil field. M guffey company, and the sun pipe line company connected with most of the fields and carried texas crude oil for use as an unrefined boiler fuel and to gulf coast refineries for processing into fuel oil. They had to teach history to texas children without challenging conservative political views that are at odds with history. Texas field production of crude oil thousand barrels. This wideranging list is meant to be a starting point for readers. List of books and articles about texas history online. Hailes book, texas boomtowns, a history of blood and oil, was released in march and has garnered much. It is the definitive history of the petroleum industry in texas, exhaustively addressing the geology, technology and economic impact of the industry that made texas. But did you know that its also home to the live music capital of the world austin, massive national parks big bend, guadalupe mountains, and the largest urban population of bats in north america.

Bryan burrough recounts the sagas of these men who at least briefly appeared to be larger than life in the big rich. Barret used an auger, fastened to a pipe, and rotated by a cogwheel driven by a steam engine a basic principle of rotary drilling that has been used since, although with much improvement. As the twentieth century began, oil in texas was easy to find, but the quantities were too small to attract industrial capital and production. Think of it as a prescription that keeps in mind ones reading interests as one moves through the various chapters of life. This table lists initially reported production for both onshore and offshore wells. As additional late or corrected reports are received, the initially reported production volumes are subject to change. Clark called this book, the most valuable collection of historical, biographical. Texas historian this unique publication is a journal written by and for young people. These publications fail to reach the majority of the reading public. Oil in texas the gusher age, 18951945 by diana davids hinton. Jan 01, 2010 no other twentiethcentury development had a more profound effect upon the state.

The agency announced that the wolfcamp shale, located in the midland basin portion of texas permian basin, contains 20 billion barrels of. In their own words oral histories of texas rangers the oral histories below are a joint educational and preservation program of the texas ranger hall of fame and museum and the texas ranger association foundation. They had to teach history to texas children without challenging conservative political views. Oil and gas industry the handbook of texas online texas. A study of the texas independent producers and royalty owners association. However, burrough goes a step farther and retells a large part of 20th american history through the prism of what these men started. Scandalous oil boom past comes to life in texas boomtowns. The young 20th century opened with the lucas gusher at spindletop in 1901. The rise and fall of the greatest texas oil fortunes reprint by bryan burrough isbn.

The rise and fall of the greatest texas oil fortunes, bryan. The kings of big spring tears like a flaming rollercoaster through four generations of a texas family thats lived it all, from hardscrabble farms and tarpaper shacks to the crazymaking highs of oil booms and big money, with gobs of love, lust, heartache, and jesus along the way. Burrough does a superb job of showing the influence that texas oil had on politics from postworld war ii to george w. Texas state historical association 288 pages, 6 x 9 inches 34 illustrations, index isbn 0876111584 1996. The real wealth of east texas, however, comes from its immense, rich oil fields. The rise and fall of the greatest texas oil fortunes is the fifth book by bryan.

Through the 1910s and 1920s, oil booms occurred in north texas, the panhandle, central texas, and west texas. The texas oil boom, sometimes called the gusher age, was a period of dramatic change and economic growth in the u. Nov 17, 2016 the agency announced that the wolfcamp shale, located in the midland basin portion of texas permian basin, contains 20 billion barrels of oil and 1. Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Over the next fifty years, oil transformed texas, creating a booming economy that built cities, attracted outofstate workers and companies, funded schools and. The texas almanac 20102011 is a milestone for the texas state historical association. The history of americas oil and natural gas industry provides an important context for teaching young. Texas oil and gas documents in postcards the rapid growth of the texas petroleum industry from its beginnings near corsicana in the 1890s through the next several decades of oil booms throughout the state. In their own words oral histories of texas rangers texas. Texas oil and gas postcards of texas petroleum history.

Publications texas state historical association tsha. Texas general land office archive historical document collections. It would find oil in booming north texas oilfields but not survive the competition. The first purchaser of crude oil in texas must pay tax based on crude oils market value. With the curation of this list, i hope to create a lively conversation about the past, present, and future of texas. See how west texas oil business hub midland has changed. The frontispiece of texas history movies, an illustrated history of texas published by the mobil oil company. Texas oil replaced coal as fuel for the nations railroads and provided fuel for our military in two world wars. The smell of oil still hangs in the texas coastal air. Texas rrc crude oil production and well counts since 1935. Take two men blessed with artistic genius and a grasp of the epic sweep of texas history, give them a wonderful story like that of the king ranch, and you have one of the mona lisas of books. Opinion how texas teaches history the new york times. A sweeping tale of four giants of texas oil the new york. By 1987, midland county lost 5,000 residents, about 5 percent of its.

Generally speaking, our history of oil in texas also follows a time line, organized by decades, within which we cover regional growth and development. The find was unprecedented in its size worldwide and ushered in an age of rapid regional development and industrialization that. The fifty best texas books august 1981 history, fiction, legend, drama a. Enjoy the early days of nowfamous cities, people, and events that defined the texan citizen. It is the definitive history of the petroleum industry in texas, exhaustively addressing the geology, technology and economic impact of the industry that made texas synonymous with oil. The town also became a center for oil field service companies. Tsha is the states longestrunning publisher of books on texas history, having published our first volume in 1918. The nowgiant texaco and gulf oil companies were established specifically to store and transport the millions of gallons of spindletop oil.

Crude oil production and well counts since 1935 natural gas production and well counts since 1935 last updated. Texas in transition railroads, oil, and the rise of urban. Apr 12, 2016 texas turning point is documented in a new book by historian and journalist bartee haile. The most interesting and informative books about energy security, with a specific focus on the topics of oil and natural gas. Hunt of dallas, men who are it seems almost impossible to this texan fast fading into history. The lesson plans the lesson plans and activities here will introduce students to the practice of using historical archival materials on the web, and help students learn to use documents to reach conclusions about the past. The find was unprecedented in its size worldwide and ushered in an age of rapid regional development. The thc launched the initiative on september 2, 2005 at the texas state capitol in austin. We thank the many texas rangers who have taken the time to share their lives of service and experiences with posterity.

Chapter 1 begins with texas before oil and the preconditions of development, emphasizing the first. By the next year there were 287 producing wells in the corsicana field. Literary lone stars ten best texas books books the. Oil in texas the gusher age, 18951945 by diana davids. Popular texas history books showing 150 of 650 lone star.

In 1901 one of the largest and most significant oil strikes in history occurred near beaumont, texas, on a mound called spindletop. Rystad energy, an oil andgas consultancy, estimates that, for the first time in history, the u. The giant east texas oilfield, the second largest north american oilfield to alaskas north slope, was discovered in 1930. The rise and fall of the greatest texas oil fortunes hardcover by. The book concludes with how these big rich oil families collapsed save one. History of texas initial crude oil, annual production and producing wells. In their own words oral histories of texas rangers. She learned about the oilandgas business firsthand while growing up in.