Martin Yates, Jr.

Martin Yates, Jr.. “It is my boiled-down, concentrated, solidified and undiluted opinion that the oil development in this Valley so far is only a preliminary skirmish compared with the artillery that will soon follow.” – Martin Yates, Jr., 1924 , The brochures singing the praises of the Pecos Valley in 1907 described the orchards and farming of the area, boasting of the plentiful water supplied by artesian wells. Martin Yates, Jr., a journalism graduate of Westminster College of Fulton, Missouri, eager to find a career, came to Artesia on the recommendation of his cousin, Emma Yates Gilbert. , It was the numerous and noncommercial shows of oil in those water wells that inspired Martin to begin the search for oil. With all the attributes perfect for an oil wildcatter, his curiosity, tenacity and willingness to take risks led him to stay with the search through thick and thin. From the beginning he had a public spirit to invest in the area as a growing community rather than a boomtown. , Martin was a contagious optimist. Even after years of unsuccessful attempts by himself and numerous other wildcatters, he was able to convince Mr. Van Welch to keep his drilling rig in New Mexico and drill three more wells – the Illinois #1, #2 and # 3. , Over time, the oil exploration family efforts that Martin began evolved into Yates Petroleum Corporation, HEYCO, MYCO, Yates Drilling Company and Abo Petroleum Corporation, all very active New Mexico independent producers.