Vivian in Caddo Parish, Louisiana — The American South (West South Central)

Roughnecks & Roustabouts

Photographed By Jason Armstrong, February 28, 2021

1. Roughnecks & Roustabouts Marker

Inscription. It happened again in 1906. The discovery of oil and gas in northwest Louisiana set the stage for yet another upsurge in the fortunes, and the population, of north Caddo Parish.

Logging in the 1880s and railroads in the 1890s had already altered the appearance of the area by toppling acres of pine forests, laying miles of railroad track, and dotting the railways with fledgling villages and towns.

But as one oil well after another gushed black gold, roughnecks and roustabouts flocked to the area. Tag along families lived in tents and makeshift shanties. Land agents and speculators dreamed of dollars to be made. Merchants opened shops along unpaved streets.

The fortunes of local boomtowns varied. The settlement of Trees, that sprang up on the land of Joe Trees, grew, wilted, and virtually disappeared. Vivian, on the other hand, doubled in population between 1900 and 1910. In 1911 alone, 92 new homes altered the town's footprint. Then, in the 1930s, just as the local economy caught its breath, new oil strikes triggered one more boom in Vivian's economic ups and downs.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1906.

Location. 32° 52.317′ N, 93° 59.128′ W. Marker is in Vivian, Louisiana, in Caddo

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Parish. Marker is on SW Front Street, half a mile north of East Arkansas Avenue, on the right. Located under Gazebo outside of Chamber of Commerce building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 NW Front St, Oil City LA 71061, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Transportation & Timber (here, next to this marker); Agriculture (here, next to this marker); Vivian Railroad Station (within shouting distance of this marker); The Adams-Fuller House (approx. 6.3 miles away); Hosston Methodist Church (approx. 6.4 miles away); Hosston Post Office (approx. 6.4 miles away); Discovery-Rodessa Oil Field (approx. 6.9 miles away); Frog Level (approx. 7.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Vivian.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 7, 2021. It was originally submitted on April 7, 2021, by Jason Armstrong of Talihina, Oklahoma. This page has been viewed 151 times since then and 10 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on April 7, 2021, by Jason Armstrong of Talihina, Oklahoma. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.

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