Have you ever heard about the oil boom in Texas? In 1901,
Anthony Lucas', while working for a salt mining company in
Louisiana, noticed that the gentle mounds on the Gulf Coast
as salt domes - were natural traps for oil. He drilled the
famous 'Lucas Gusher' at Spindletop in Beaumont.
From 1902 until 1920, oil was discovered in Petrolia, Electra,
Burkburnett, Breckenridge, and Desdemona in Central Texas.
During these early years, a gusher often produced oil uncontrollably,
sometimes for many days. Oil soaked into the ground, ran off
into nearby creeks and gullies, or was channeled into nearby
pits that had been hastily dug. Oil was often stored in pits
or vast open tanks. The results were inevitable - waste and
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The "Lucas Gusher" Oil Well, Beaumont, Texas, January