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"C'mon Frank you cant miss! This is a sure thing but I just dont have the capitol to develop it myself - its too big." There was a long moment of silence, broken only by the clacking of the train wheels as Frank Pickrell and his friend and sometimes business partner Haymon Krupp looked at each other skeptically. After excusing themselves the two men retired to another car and discussed the deal. It was risky - VERY risky. What Rupert Ricktor was proposing was a long shot at best - to take over claims in 4 Texas counties for oil exploration. Sure there had been some limited amount found around the Permian Basin in the past but it was small amounts not worth producing and the nearest refinery was along the Texas gulf coast over 500 miles away.
"What do you think Frank?", Krupp asked.
"I dont know Haymon. I know nothing about oil and have no idea where to start. Plus there's that $43,000 filing fee due with the land office in 30 days. It seems risky but Rupert and I were in army intelligence together during the war and hes a good guy."
"I know its risky and could be expensive. Hes offering us the entire claim for $2,500. I think we should do it. I know some people we can sell shares to and raise the $43,000. Lets do it."
And so with that, Frank Pickrell and Haymon Krupp purchased the exploration rights to drill on 431,360 acres of West Texas scrub land owned by the University of Texas in Reagan, Upton, Irion and Crockett counties. What the two men didnt know was that Rupert Ricktor had already spent months trying to sell shares in his oil venture and found no takers. Facing a deadline he turned to his old army buddy Frank who he knew had done well in El Paso after WWI. As with Rupert, Both Frank and Haymon found no takers in their efforts to raise funds from their friends and associates. Krupp finally borrowed the money to cover the fees with the land office and eventually sold shares to his friends in New York.
The next step was to find someone who could actually do the drilling. For that Frank turned to longtime oil worker Carl Cromwell for $15 a day and stock in the newly formed Texon Oil Company. Carl moved his family to the site which was to be their home for the next several years. Their "home" was little more than a shack located next to the railroad tracks of the Oriental Railroad with the nearest town (Big Lake, TX) a two day horse ride. For 646 days, Frank and his on again/off again crew drilled and drilled, averaging no more than 4.7 feet a day.
Late on May 27, 1923, the bit drilled into the dolomitic sands, called "Big Lime," just above the 3,050-foot level. Cromwell shut down the well when he saw gas bubbles escaping from the casinghead. The driller and his tool dresser, Dee Locklin, were convinced they had an oil well and left the site to lease surrounding mineral acreage while the discovery was yet unknown (an asshole move no doubt but Cromwell made a ton of money and used it to help a lot of people).
Early on May 28, with no further drilling, the Santa Rita roared to life, sprayed oil over the top of the derrick, and covered a 250-yard area around the site. Thus began what became the biggest oil boom in US history and creating more millionaires than any other industry. Soon the town of Texon was founded near the site of its first well. Texon was considered a model oil community. A grade school, a church, a hospital, a theater, a swimming pool, a golf course, and tennis courts were built by the Big Lake Oil Company. The Texon Oilers, a semiprofessional baseball team, were started. Privately owned businesses began including a drug store, a cafe, a boarding house, a tailor-shop, dry-goods and grocery stores, barber and beauty shops, a service station, a dairy, an ice house, and a bowling alley.
Ownership passed on to successive oil companies including Plymouth Oil Company (in 1956) and Ohio Oil (now Marathon Oil) in 1962, which chose not to maintain the town that had at that time 100 residents. In 1986, the post office was closed.
Today the town has a population of zero. The only standing building is the monument to the well that started it all. Mesquite now stand were houses, businesses and churches once flourished. All that is left of the town that started the West Texas oil boom is a crumbling oil derrick, a plaque and the memories of the few citizens still living who once resided there.
1. The well that started the West Texas Oil Boom
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3. Parked in front...
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7. Remains of a structure mixed with mesquite.
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9. The only concrete left in town.
See More on Flickr!
https://www.flickr...tos/133983270@N06/
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Wow somebody else found Texon? any houses left? good pics.
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I was about 45 minutes north of the town meeting with a pipeline company and knew I probably wouldnt have another chance anytime soon to see it so I headed down there. The town is completely devoid of any structures other than the one I photographed and a field office for a pretty big independent oil company. It actually worked pretty well as I met with the field foreman and was able to make a sales call!
At one time the town had over 2,000 people although they boasted 10,000. Never let it be said that Texans are not given to hyperbole.
See More on Flickr!
https://www.flickr...tos/133983270@N06/
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Thanks for taking time to write this up. A good read, well written.
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Your writing skills are excellent! I'm embarrassed to say I've lived in Texas most of my life and I have never heard of Texon or the story behind it. Great read, thank you for sharing.
I wandered till the stars went dim. |
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