Age of Oil And other events from

MAJOR ERAS IN TEXAS HISTORY Age of Oil Hurricane of 1900 Spindetop Populism Progressive Era Texas Railroad Commission Texas Railroad Commission James Hogg Growth of urban areas Women’s Suffrage Temperance Movement Prohibition World War I

Age of Oil 1880 – 1920 Progressive Era 1900 – Hurricane of – Spindletop 1917 – 1918 World War I 1918 – 1931 Prohibition th Amendment – Women’s Suffrage

Political, Economic, and Social Impact of the Oil Industry on the Industrialization of Texas Political impact – Involvement of the Texas Railroad Commission set limits to regulate and control oil prices Economic impact – Growth of cities and rise of boomtowns – Increased jobs and oil-related services – Development of other parts of the state – Growth of automobile industry Social impact – Improved the standard of living in Texas

Dawn of a New Era Oil first found in Texas in by survivors of the de Soto Expedition First Oil Well in Texas Drilled by Lyne Barret in Oil Springs, Texas Oil Springs has 40 wells, refinery and pipeline to Railroads in Nacogdoches, TX.

Oil – Texas Gold! January 10, 1901: Texas strikes oil at Spindletop (near Beaumont). First major oil strike in Texas! Gusher shot 100,000 barrels of oil per day until capped 9 days later. Started the oil boom in Texas. Boosted the overall economic development in Texas, especially Houston. Begins a new ERA: the AGE of OIL

IMPACT OF “BOOM AND BUST” CYCLES OF LEADING TEXAS INDUSTRIES THROUGHOUT THE 20TH AND EARLY 21ST CENTURIES Farming – Reconstruction to Progressive Era Agriculture was the leading industry in Texas Expansion of urban areas created demand of agricultural products The value of agricultural products increased Farmers continued to increase the production of agricultural products Farmers began to organize and machines were used to produce goods faster and more efficiently Prices began to drop because there were too many agricultural products on the market

New Demands for Oil Before 20th Century – Lubrication of machine parts – Greasing wagon axles – Kerosene for lighting lamps During 20th Century – Fuel for gasoline powered automobiles – Fuel for planes, tanks and ships – Fuel for farm equipment – Engine Lubricant

Spindletop –The First Gusher Spindletop Hill in Beaumont was located on a Salt Dome Pattillo Higgins and Anthony Lucas struck oil on Spindletop Hill on January 10, ,000 barrels of oil spewed for nine days before the well was capped.

Effects of Spindletop Impact: 1. Oil fields created new boomtowns and oil production companies in Texas(Humble Oil, Exxon-Mobil). 2. Most important – it encouraged oil drilling and production in other parts of Texas.

Economic Development Spindletop led to the rise of a whole new economy and new future for Texas Huge oil companies were forming Refineries built to refine oil to gasoline Pipelines and tankers built to carry oil Storage Facilities built to store oil Lumber used to build oil derricks

Texas Boomtowns Beaumont grew from a lumber town of 9,000 to 50,000 Oil Workers, speculators, gamblers, adventurers all flocked to the oil boom towns like Beaumont Very similar to what happened 30 years earlier in the cowtowns of the Mid-West and the California Gold Rush in the 1850s.

Texas Boomtowns Problems: 1. Major housing shortages 2. People had to pay for showers and toilet usage 3. Strangers, criminals, flocked to towns to make money from oil drilling and people living there 4. Lack of oil producing restrictions caused many wells to be pumped dry 5. Overdrilling and production caused severe drop in oil prices

Texas Boomtowns Benefits: Some towns flourished and grew into cities (Beaumont, Kilgore) Individuals who discovered oil quickly became very wealthy Gave rise to several major oil companies (Humble Oil, Exxon-Mobil, Texaco)

Oil in Southeast Texas After Spindletop, oil operators spread their searches throughout Southeast Texas where salt domes were found Oil Fields opened all throughout this region – Saratoga – Sour Lake – Batson

Humble Oil Company – Drillers discover a salt dome about 20 miles North of Houston, in Humble This was the beginning of the Humble Oil Company, which later became Exxon-Mobil Company, U.S.A Refineries were first located in Humble, then moved to the community of Goose Creek

Goose Creek Field Located Southeast of Houston close to Galveston Much of the drilling took place in Galveston Bay - offshore Made it easy for ocean shipping A large refinery was built here and the town was later renamed Baytown

Oil in North Texas 1901 – Petrolia-19 miles from Wichita Falls Electra – discovered by cattle rancher W.T. Waggoner had the first big boom in North Texas Burkburnett – 1918– well named ‘Fowler’s Folly’ – gusher that produced thousands of barrels a day

Other Oil Discoveries Oil in North Central Texas in 1917 Breckenridge, Mexia, Corsicana, Luling Geologists believed fault zone contained oil in Central Texas – Oil workers drilled into a fault near Luling and struck oil

Houston Benefits from Oil Boom Houston became the center of the oil business industry; “Where 17 railroads meet the sea” Petroleum companies needed the banking, insurance, transportation, and legal services Houston could provide – Houston Shipping Channel opened which allowed large ships and barges into the port.

Oil Boom Opens Other Industries Oil boom created demand for lumber for housing, businesses, and oil derrick construction. Major industry in Piney Woods of East Texas. Also created new towns built around the lumber industry.

WAYS TEXANS HAVE ADAPTED TO AND MODIFIED THE ENVIRONMENT AND POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF THE MODIFICATIONS Age of Oil Road and Railroad Systems – Road and railroad tracks were built across Texas during this period time to accommodate the fastest mode of transportation the train and the automobile. These roads and tracks allowed Texas farmers to reach new markets in and outside of Texas.

WAYS TEXANS HAVE ADAPTED TO AND MODIFIED THE ENVIRONMENT AND POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF THE MODIFICATIONS Age of Oil Hurricane 1900 – After the hurricane, the city of Galveston built a seawall and increased the elevation of the city. The environmental consequences that have occurred due to these modifications are that the city rarely floods and structures had to been raised Hurricane 1900

WAYS GEOGRAPHIC FACTORS HAVE AFFECTED THE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF TEXAS Galveston Hurricane of 1900 – Political Development City commission – new type of city government The island was raised by 13 feet – dredged sand from the bay A seawall was built to protect the island – Economic Development Industries began to move to Houston from Galveston – Social Development – 6,000 – 8,000 people were killed

WAYS TEXANS HAVE ADAPTED TO AND MODIFIED THE ENVIRONMENT AND POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF THE MODIFICATIONS Age of Oil Houston Ship Channel –Built in 1914, the Houston Ship Channel was built to connect Houston with the Gulf of Mexico to improve the economy of Houston. Since then it has been widen and deepened. The environmental results have been an increase in pollution, collisions, explosions, and oil spills. Houston Ship Channel

ECONOMIC FACTORS THAT LED TO URBANIZATION OF TEXAS New industries – oil and gas New technology in agriculture, cattle and ranching, and oil and gas Improved standard of living Transportation – Railroads – increased number of tracks and regulation of prices and standards – Roads and highways – roads and highways were built because of the increase of cars and trucks. – Workforce – the population of Texas increased due to job opportunities.

DEVELOPMENT OF MAJOR INDUSTRIES THAT CONTRIBUTED TO URBANIZATION OF TEXAS Oil and Gas – 19th century – Oil was found but there was little demand for it. – 1866 – Melrose Petroleum Oil Company drilled the first successful oil well – 1894 – Oil is found in Corsicana and drilling is encouraged in East – Turn of the 20th century – Transportation improves with use of engines that use oil – January 10, Spindletop – 1920s New Oil Fields were found in east and west Texas – World’s leading producer