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Spindletop: birth of the modern petroleum industry...
Spindletop: birth of the modern petroleum industry...
Item # 674868
January 13, 1901
HOUSTON DAILY POST, Texas, Jan. 13, 1901
If ever there was a newspaper which heralded the birth of the oil industry in America, this is it.
Although discoveries were made in various locations long before this date, this discovery--to be known as Spindletop--marked the emergence of the oil industry at a time when the automobile and other industries were experiencing rapid growth, coinciding with the need for this new product.
As noted by Wikipedia, the January 10 discovery at Spindletop marked the birth date of the modern petroleum industry. At 100,000 barrels of oil a day, the gusher tripled U.S. oil production overnight. Some of the companies chartered to exploit the wealth of Spindletop, such as Gulf Oil and Texaco, are part of today's Chevron Corporation.
For those with ties to the oil industry, this issue, heralding the onset of this world-impacting discovery, cannot be overstated.
Four column head at the top of the ftpg: "Solid Stream Of Petroleum" and subheads: "The Flow of the Beaumont Well Continues to Grow Stronger Hourly" "Two Hundred Feet In The Air" "Is the Oil Forced by the Tremendous Pressure Under It" "An Endeavor To Control The Flow" "Is to Be Made Today, but Success by Is No Means Assured" "Syndicates Are Now Being Organized" "To Invest in Jefferson County Lands in the Interior as Well as at Beaumont."
A 3 1/2 by 6 inch diagram shows what is supposed to be the flow of the oil stream from North Texas to the coast. An informative caption gives additional details.
A landmark newspaper on the birth of the modern oil industry, and terrific to have in a Houston newspaper as Beaumont was just 85 miles away.
Complete in 28 pages, evenly toned, somewhat pulpish as were all issues of the era, a few minor margin tears, generally good.
Category: The 20th Century
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