Francis John (Frank) Trost
(June 24, 1868 - August 4, 1944)
Frank Trost, the photographer of record on the day the Lucas Gusher erupted in the Spindletop Oil Field, came to Port Arthur in 1895 from Kansas City, Missouri, where he had been involved in real estate. He opened a photography studio at this site and turned his hobby into a successful business.
On January 10, 1901, Trost was notified of the events at Spindletop, just south of Beaumont. With his unwieldy camera equipment in tow, he managed to take at least one photograph of the gushing oil before sundown. Photographic methods were still in their infancy, so the image was created with a glass negative Trost manufactured in his studio. The photo appeared in newspapers all over the United States and in some foreign countries. It was in such demand that Trost made as many as 250 prints per day and sold them as quickly as they were printed.
Aside from his significance as a recorder of this momentous moment in Texas history, Frank Frost also served his adopted hometown as a city alderman, city commissioner and fire chief. Trost died at home in 1944 and is buried in a local cemetery. He was survived by his wife, Katherine, and two daughters who continued his work at the Trost Studio.
Erected 2002 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 12784.)
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Location. 29° 52.432′ N, 93° 55.977′ W. Marker is in Port Arthur, Texas, in Jefferson County. It is on Procter Street south of Shreveport Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Port Arthur TX 77640, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Texas’ Golden Triangle. It is also in the American South, on the Gulf Coast, and in the Piney Woods. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Remembering Ancestors (approx. 0.2 miles away); Port Arthur-Beaumont Interurban Railway (approx. 0.2 miles away); South County Office Building (approx. Ό mile away); Lakeshore/Lions Park (approx. 0.4 miles away); Arthur Edward Stilwell (approx. 0.4 miles away); Gates Memorial Library (approx. half a mile away); Port Arthur College (approx. half a mile away); a different marker also named Gates Memorial Library (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Port Arthur.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 25, 2020, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. This page has been viewed 1,216 times since then and 74 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 25, 2020, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. 3. submitted on March 1, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia.
