Welcome to Rafael Rios Park

Welcome to Rafael Rios Park. . On August 9, 1922 the trajectory of Luling changed forever when oil was discovered 6 miles northwest of town on a 126 acre plot of land named "El Rancho", which was owned by Mexican immigrant Rafael Rios, Sr. The Rafael Rios #1 discovery well opened up an oil field 12 miles long by 2 miles wide and Luling grew from 1500 people to 5,000 almost overnight, making it one of the 12 biggest oil fields in the U.S. A ceremony attended by many of his descendants was held in August 2016, to officially rename this space "Rafael Rios Park"., Captions , Lower Left: Rafael Rios, a compassionate man with a generous heart, migrated from Mexico at the age of 13 in 1867. It is said that he and his brother Fermin purchased 126 acres each on the steps of the Caldwell County Courthouse in 1887 for a total of $1,386.00. "El Rancho", was located 6 miles northwest of Luling in the Stairtown area and has become famous for its role in the discovery of the Luling oil fields. Edgar B. Davis once told him "today you are driving a carriage with horses, but in a few months you will be driving a car." He also advised Rafael that "there will be many men around who will want to buy your land and your leases but do not ever sell your oil rights" advice that was passed down to many generations of descendants. , Middle Right: The site before Luling Main Street decided to beautify this blighted spot in 2006. The architectural design staff at the Texas Historical Commission helped with design plans. , Lower Right: The Rafael Rios #1 discovery well was the 7th and final attempt to find oil in the Edwards Limestone formation by Edgar B Davis and his newly formed United North South Oil Co. Geologists' opinions were mixed on the prospects of a true producer in this area, but Mr. Davis's nagging intuition paid off when at a depth of 2161 ft., oil began to flow freely. Rafael Rios #1 averaged 100 barrels a day over a span of 8 decades until it was capped In January of 2001. Its discovery has led prospectors to produce 156,588,000 million barrels over the lifetime of the Luling oil patch to date.