Oil Boom After Spindletop

Vocabulary  Boomtown- A town that experiences a major increase, or boom, in population due to sudden rapid economic growth.  Refinery- A plant where raw petroleum is purified and is made into other products, such as gasoline and kerosene  Wildcatter- Person who drills wells hoping to find oil in areas not known to have oil.

Refinery in Houston, TX

Problems with Boomtowns  Towns were turned into crowded noisy places.  Crime, disease, and a lack of drinking water were major problems.  Towns grew so fast there was not enough time to develop water or sewer systems.

Life in the Oil Field  Most people worked at least 12 hours a day.  Pay was good, but had to work hard or would get fired on the spot.  Long hours, slick surfaces, escaping gases, and falling from a derrick were some of the dangers.  Oil well could be shut down at anytime leaving workers and their families broke.

Humble Oil and Refining Company  Later known as ExxonMobil, built the largest refinery on the Gulf Coast.

Columbus “Dad” Joiner  Struck oil in Rusk County and opened the largest oil field in the world at that time, spanning more than 40 miles.  Received his nickname because he is considered to be the father of the East TX oil field.

Columbus “Dad” Joiner

Rusk County

East Texas Oil Wells  Within the first year, 1,200 oil fields pumped out 900,000 barrels of oil per day.  The oil fields covered five counties and contained about 1/3 of the nation’s oil reserve.

Texas Oil Affects the World  So much oil was pumped that it “flooded” the market.  Texas and the U.S. fell into the Great Depression- a time of low economic activity and high unemployment  In 1930 oil sold for more than a dollar a barrel and by 1931 it sold for 8 cents a barrel.

Texas Oil Affects the World cont.  Texas and the U.S. set limits on production to control prices.  The Texas Railroad Commission had the power to regulate (control) the amount of oil that producers could supply.  Some well owners still produced oil above the limit (illegal product over the limit called hot oil).

Petrochemical Industry  Petrochemical- A chemical made from petroleum or natural gas.  In the 1920’s chemists found ways to remove chemicals from petroleum to make everyday household items.  Synthetic rubber- Rubber that comes from chemicals rather than from plants.  The processes used to separate chemicals from oil created toxic waste.  Toxic waste- Poisonous by-product from chemical production.

Amon G. Carter  Oil executive and owner of the Fort Worth Star Telegram newspaper who helped make Fort Worth a major center of aircraft production (American Airlines). TCU football stadium named after him also.  He established the Amon G. Carter Foundation for cultural and educational purposes.  In his will he provided for the building of the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth. He specified that the museum would be free and open to all.

Amon G. Carter (born in Wise County)