El Dorado in Union County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
Oil in Arkansas The Wildcatters
Photographed by Mark Hilton, August 1, 2018
1. Oil in Arkansas - The Wildcatters Marker
Inscription.
Oil in Arkansas The Wildcatters. . During the oil boom numerous individuals, or wildcatters, made their mark on the South Arkansas scene. H. L. Hunt, at one time the richest man in the world, opened a barrelhouse on Hamburger Row, made his financial stake there, and then started investing in drilling ventures in the Smackover Oil Field as the Hunt Oil Company. C.H. Murphy, the founder of Murphy Oil Corporation, was a successful businessman in El Dorado, and his timber and land holdings allowed him to start Murphy Oil Corporation now a Fortune 500 company. Pat Marr, a Texas oilman, staked a well near the Smackover Field and offered a money-back guarantee to his investors, promising them he would bring in a gusher, and he did. J. D. Nantz, a Fort Worth, Texas oilman, formed the Smackover Company and predicted his investors would be receiving $75,000 a day in income within a few weeks. Colonel T. H. Barton started with a gas gathering system, and later purchased a small refinery, expanded it into the Lion Oil Company, which at one time had several thousand gasoline stations across the mid-South. Other South Arkansas businessmen who invested in the oil boom and became successful were Joe Mahony, Emon Mahony, Sr., H. C. McKinney, John Trimble, Sid Umstead, Dean McGee, O. G. Murphy, W. E. Corey, J. E. Berry, and Dr. J. S. Rushing. Charles Murphy, Jr., the son of C. H. Murphy, took over Murphy Oil Corporation in 1947 and over several decades built the Corporation into an international oil giant. Chesley Pruet expanded an interest in a single drilling rig into a multi-million dollar oil and gas exploration company. O. C. Bailey and Boyd Alderson, former chairmen of the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission, were responsible for the orderly development of the industry during this formative period.
During the oil boom numerous individuals, or wildcatters, made their mark on
the South Arkansas scene. H. L. Hunt, at one time the richest man in the world,
opened a barrelhouse on Hamburger Row, made his financial stake there, and
then started investing in drilling ventures in the Smackover Oil Field as the Hunt
Oil Company. C.H. Murphy, the founder of Murphy Oil Corporation, was a
successful businessman in El Dorado, and his timber and land holdings allowed
him to start Murphy Oil Corporation now a Fortune 500 company. Pat Marr, a
Texas oilman, staked a well near the Smackover Field and offered a money-back
guarantee to his investors, promising them he would bring in a gusher, and he
did. J. D. Nantz, a Fort Worth, Texas oilman, formed the Smackover Company and
predicted his investors would be receiving $75,000 a day in income within a few
weeks. Colonel T. H. Barton started with a gas gathering system, and later
purchased a small refinery, expanded it into the Lion Oil Company, which at one
time had several thousand gasoline stations across the mid-South. Other South
Arkansas businessmen who
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invested in the oil boom and became successful were
Joe Mahony, Emon Mahony, Sr., H. C. McKinney, John Trimble, Sid Umstead, Dean McGee, O. G. Murphy, W. E. Corey, J. E. Berry, and Dr. J. S. Rushing. Charles Murphy, Jr., the son of C. H. Murphy, took over Murphy Oil Corporation in 1947 and over several decades built the Corporation into an international oil giant. Chesley Pruet expanded an interest in a single drilling rig into a multi-million dollar oil and gas exploration company. O. C. Bailey and Boyd Alderson, former chairmen of the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission, were responsible for the orderly development of the industry during this formative period.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1947.
Location. 33° 12.679′ N, 92° 39.783′ W. Marker is in El Dorado, Arkansas, in Union County. It is at the intersection of South Jefferson Avenue and East Cedar Street, on the right when traveling south on South Jefferson Avenue. Located in Oil Heritage Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 117 East Cedar Street, El Dorado
Photographed by Mark Hilton, August 1, 2018
2. Oil in Arkansas - The Wildcatters Marker (fourth from front).
Regionally, this marker is in Arkansas’ Gulf Coastal Plain and in Timberlands. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Piney Woods. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
3. The Wildcatters Marker is seen behind statue of Edwin Boyd Alderson, Sr.
of all markers in El Dorado.
Photographed by Mark Hilton, August 1, 2018
4. Edwin Boyd Alderson, Sr. (statue above).
Credits. This page was last revised on October 30, 2019. It was originally submitted on August 8, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,745 times since then and 76 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 8, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
