Oil Industry

Oil Industry. . For years major oil companies had contended there is "No oil in East Texas." They were proven wrong when Columbus Dad Joiner's third oil well hit the Woodbine Sand on October 3, 1930. Joiner's Daisy Bradford #3 roared in at a depth of 3,592 feet and produced 300 barrels a day. Followed closely by the Lou Della Crim #1 and the Lathrop #1 wells, a great ocean of oil was discovered in Rusk, Gregg, Smith and Upshur Counties. The field is 40 miles long and 3 to 10 miles wide and contained 140,000 acres. The Depression was no more, the economic structure of East Texas was changed forever., The original derricks of the 1930's were made of wood. Later metal was used. From 1945-1980 derricks and rigs drilled to the Pettit and Travis Peak Formations, 7,000-8,000 ft. deep. 1980-2001 wells were drilled to the Cotton Valley formation at 10,000 ft. and Lime Formation at 12,000 ft. The Railroad Commission of Texas reported that from 1939 to 2001, 41,836 wells have been drilled in District 6, which includes Rusk County., The oil derrick was donated by Mustang Drilling, Ltd and the pumping jack donated by T.L. Churchman.