Spindletop was the greatest oil well ever seen. It is estimated that the well at its peak flowed between 80,000 and 100,000 barrels per day. This gushed marked the beginning of a new age for the world—the Petroleum Age. Although Pennsylvania was the location of the first oil well and Russia could claim the first gushers, the vast quantities of oil discovered at Spindletop first made possible the use of oil as an inexpensive, lightweight, and efficient fuel to propel the world into the twentieth century.

 

The name “Spindletop” dates from before the Civil War when a slight rise of ground just south of Beaumont, Texas became known as Spindletop Hill. The heat waves, rising from the surrounding prairie, gave a grove of trees on the hill the appearance of a spinning top. Many ghost stories were associated with the hill, actually static electricity, was often seen dancing there in the moonlight.

 

An Austrian born mining engineer, Capt. Anthony F. Lucas, had heard of Spindletop Hill when developing salt mines in Louisiana. After traveling to Beaumont he became convinced that there was oil at Spindletop and leased land from the Gladys City Company in 1899, When his first attempt failed, Lucas was ready to quit until his wife urged him to seek outside financing and try again. Lucas went to the famous Pittsburg wildcatting team of James Guffey and John Galey. They were interested in Lucas’s prospects and approached Andrew Mellon for money to continue the operations.

 

Guffey and Galey hired the best rotary drillers available. In spite of tremendous difficulties they reached 1000 feet by Christmas. After returning from the holidays they encountered new problems. Upon reaching solid rock their drill lodged in a crevice at 1006 feet. At approximately 10:30 a.m. on January 10, 1901, while attempting to free the drill from the crevice, the famous Lucas Gusher blew in. Oil sprayed over 100 feet above the derrick for nine days until the well was capped.

 

By 1902, 285 active wells were operating on Spindletop Hill. Over 600 companies had been chartered. Although most vanished overnight, some such as the Texas Company (Texaco), J. M Guffey Petroleum Company (Gulf), Magnolia Petroleum Company (Mobil), and Sun Oil Company went on to became giants of the industry.

 

The boom at Spindletop was short lived. Overproduction depleted the oil and ruined many wells. By 1903, the first had begun to decline and within ten years Spindletop Hill was virtually a ghost town. In 1926, Spindletop boomed again when new technology led to discovery of oil on the flanks of the dome through deeper drilling. Better conservation methods prolonged Spindletop’s second life and the little Gladys City community remained active until the site was cleared during sulfur mining activities in the 1950’s.