Before the Corsicana field came in, however, efforts had been made to develop the Beaumont location as an oil-producing area. Nearly ten years passed before the famous Lucas gusher came in producing a spectacular 4,000 barrels a day. Other wells were drilled in the same area, and the Texas coast suddenly became a paradise for oil developers.
The next major development in Texas oil history came in that same coastal region. At Sour Lake in Hardin County, a gusher came in in 1902, and it is reported that some wells have produced 10,000 barrels a day in this field. Drilling in this field had been going on since 1893. When the 1902 gusher was drilled, the supply of oil suddenly exceeded the demand, and oil was being sold for 15 cents a barrel. An average 1957 price was about $2.85 per barrel.
In 1903, the Batson field in Hardin County was discovered. The Permanent School Fund experienced its first sensation from this field. A surveyor discovered a scrap of unsurveyed school land near the oil field and filed to purchase it at $10.00 per acre, thinking the General Land Office unaware of its true value. To the contrary, the chief clerk of the Land Office held out for $1,500.00 per acre. He received what he asked for, and the School Fund profited by $23,025.00 from the sale.
One of the most productive oil fields in Texas was developed at Humble in January, 1905. The well that brought in the field began producing at 8,500 barrels per day.
Matagorda County caused some excitement in 1908. Its best producer yielded 7,200 barrels per day, but the field soon declined.
About 1910, exploration in Wichita County was active. Development moved at a snail’s pace originally, but discoveries near Burkburnett in 1912 and 1917 resulted in renewed attempts, and a field that was regarded as shallow suddenly became one of extensive resources. The field was even extended into the channel of the Red River. In general, the land was in the hands of small farmers, so this was the little man’s field.
Far to the south, the Goose Creek field in Harris County had been attracting attention since 1907. By 1911, a well on the edge of San Jacinto Bay was reported to be flowing several hundred barrels a day. In 1913, the Legislature enacted into law at the recommendation of Commissioner of the General Land Office J. T. Robison a plan whereby San Jacinto Bay, which was owned by the State, could be opened for development on a royalty basis. The first permit for this purpose was issued on August 18, 1913.
The first royalty, $33.97, was paid to the General Land Office in April, 1914. Six years later, royalties from this source had increased to $600,000.
The Goose Creek field is still producing.
An interesting chapter in the history of Texas oil has to do with natural gas. In 1913, a well was drilled on top of 50-foot-high chalk cliffs on Nueces Bay near Corpus Christi. As the drill cut through the cap rock and into the gas chamber at about 2000 feet, the well blew out, a hole was torn in the ground, the derrick fell in, and the gas burned with a roar that was audible for miles. Four hundred yards away another well was drilled, and precautions were taken to avoid the previous calamity. The precautions were without avail, however, and the experience was repeated. An eyewitness described the scene: