Jim Van Blaricum - The famous Lucas Gusher, 1901 Jim Van Blaricum - The famous Lucas Gusher, 1901 The modern oil industry was born on a hill in southeastern Texas. This hill was formed by a giant underground dome of salt as it moved slowly towards the surface. As it crept, it pushed the earth that was in its path higher and higher. This dome was known by several names, but the one that stuck was "Spindletop". Through the later half of the 19th century, Pennsylvania had been the most oil-productive state in the country. All that changed on January 10th, 1901. Native American Indians in the area had been aware of oil seeps for centuries, and used this tar they found at the surface to treat a variety of ailments. Some would even drink the stuff in hopes that it could cure digestive problems. In 1543, Spanish explorers discovered that black, sticky tar found washed up on the beaches along the Texas coast could be used to waterproof their boots. Jim Van Blaricum In the late 1800's, Texas had produced minor amounts of oil, starting with a well in 1866 drilled by Lyne T. Barret near the east Texas town of Nacogdoches. This field, known as "Oil Springs", was finally exploited again in 1888, when a crew of drillers from Pennsylvania had a well come in at 250 - 300 barels per day. This find attracted other oil companies, and it would only be a matter of time before the huge, untapped potential of the underground reservoirs was discovered. Jim Van Blaricum - Corsicana was really the first big producing field in eastern Texas. This field, like so many others in the early days of oil, was discovered when local businessmen drilled deep wells looking for water, not oil. Amazingly, the first drillers in this area perceived the oil zones they reached as annoying nuisances, and often drilled past these zones to get to the water they were seeking. H.G.Damon and Ralph Beaton had a bit more foresight, and formed the Corsicana Oil Development Company. They brought in famed Penn...
