Spindletop anniversary

For over 40 years, Gladys City has given visitors a glimpse into life in the historic Spindletop oil field circa 1901. Now, Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown will host the 121st anniversary of the day the Lucas Gusher came in on Spindletop Hill, south of Beaumont, and marked the birth of the modern petroleum industry, which was Jan. 10, 1901.

Organizers are inviting the public to Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown on Saturday, Jan. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to visit the 15 buildings that recreate life on Spindletop Hill and in Gladys City as well as the gusher reenactment.

After unsuccessful attempts, Anthony F. Lucas along with others brought in new heavier and more efficient rotary type bit to drill. From October to January 1901, the group struggled to overcome the difficult oil sands, which had stymied previous drilling efforts, but on Jan. 10, mud began bubbling from the hole. The startled roughnecks fled as six tons of four-inch drilling pipe came shooting up out of the ground. After several minutes of quiet, mud, then gas, then oil spurted out.

The Lucas geyser, found at a depth of 1,139 feet, blew a stream of oil over 100 feet high until it was capped nine days later and flowed an estimated 100,000 barrels a day. Lucas and Al and Curt Hamill finally controlled the geyser on Jan. 19, when a huge pool of oil surrounded it, and throngs of oilmen, speculators, and onlookers had transformed the city of Beaumont.

By 1902, there were more than 500 Texas corporations doing business in Beaumont. Many of the major oil companies were born at Spindletop or grew to major corporate size as a result of their involvement at Spindletop. The Texas Company, later named Texaco, Gulf Oil Corporation, Sun Oil Company, Magnolia Petroleum Company and Humble, later Exxon, were just a few of the major corporations who fled to Beaumont.

Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown is located at 5550 Jimmy Simmons Blvd. near the campus of Lamar University in Beaumont. For more information, call (409) 880-1750.