It seemed like between 1900 and 1936 the national passtime was poking holes in Titus County dirt in hope of finding untold riches, only to come up with another dry hole. Someone would drill a test well and interest in oil and royalties would increase. The well would turn out to be another dry hole, and interest would wane until someone else drilled another well, then "black gold" fever would hit again.
Most early drilling took place in southern Titus County and around Cason in the western edge of Morris County, with some drilling in northern Camp County and eastern Franklin County. The excitement caused by these drilling tests brought many people to Cason and Mt. Pleasant. Cason became a bustling community with several businesses and a bank during that period. There was lots of traffic on the street as people conducted their business, and it looked for a while like Cason might grow into a thriving community. However, Cason's fortunes passed in tandem with those of the drillers who hoped to bring in producing wells. Today, few buildings remain in the Cason community to give testament to the hopes and expectations present there during the early to mid 1930s.
Drilling and producing oil is dangerous work, and was even more so back then. Several men were killed and injured in the search for oil.
Then as now, drilling for oil was very expensive, with only a small chance to receive a return on the investment. Hindsight is 20/20 and we now know that Titus County's only productive oil deposits are found in the far northern part of the county. Back then they didn't know and a string of dry holes didn't keep them from trying just one more time. Lots of money was made and lost drilling for oil and trading leases in Titus County, but the hardy men continued drilling until oil was finally discovered near Talco, Texas in February, 1936.
There were so many wells dug and play-by-play stories printed about them due to the great expectations of finding oil that we quit documenting each and every one due to the time and printing costs involved. However, stories of the perseverance that local oil men showed while hitting dry hole after dry hole deserve recognition, because without their continued optimism and the determination to to try just one more test, Titus County would be a far different place.
Therefore, we present a few stories of early attempts to find oil in Titus and surrounding counties to relate some sense of these hardy men's optimism and perseverance and the excitement that oil drilling brought to Titus County.
Early Attempts 1900 - 1930
According to R. L. Jurney, Titus County's first oil test well, which was a dry hole, was drilled on the east side of Mt. Pleasant near the turn of the century.
In about 1912 William D. Sanders and A. Reid drilled a 2,000 foot deep oil test well, which was also a dry hole, on the Henley Survey about two miles south of Mt. Pleasant.
Oil interest lagged until 1919 when Col. Humphreys, who brought in the Mexia Oil Field, drilled a test well near the Ripley community. That well created lots of interest and numerous leases and royalties were bought and sold. One Friday afternoon the well had reached about 4,000 feet when word got out they struck oil, and the well was shut down. By Saturday morning Mt. Pleasant was full of lease buyers and oil men from everywhere, and oil fever ran high. However, on Sunday night the well's owners invited several prominent Mt. Pleasant citizens to view the core test, and it was found that the well was a "dry hole." Unknown parties had poured a barrel of crude oil in the well. The movement of this barrel of oil was later traced and found to have been shipped from Saltillo to Pittsburg by rail, and then brought to Mt. Pleasant.
On Monday morning you couldn't give leases away. The people who "salted" the well may disposed of a little royalty and a few leases as a result of the scheme, but they did not profit much.
Between 1919 and 1935, "oil fever" ran hot and cold in Titus County several times.
During the early 1930s, several wells were drilled in southern Titus County from the Cason area to the Macon community in the edge of Franklin County. Most of the drilling was in the Cason area.
Walcott No. 1 - Cason - March, 1930
In March, 1930, interest ran high again when drilling was started on the Walcott No. 1 test well on the Smith survey near Cason, just inside Titus County. About 250 people attended the ceremony. Mr. Anderson and Mr. Murrell, who drilled the well, announced that the well was properly financed by outside capital and they were looking for oil. They said that no stock was for sale in the project and they did not expect to profit from selling stock. Walcott No. 1 well was abandoned in early June. Core tests were made when the well reached 3,710 feet, and it was thought that the drill had penetrated oil sand. However, swabbing offered no encouragement for a producing well.
John C. Rogers - Camp County - 1929-1930
Also in March, 1930, preparations were being made to resume drilling on the John C. Rogers well in Camp County, east of what is now U.S. Highway 271. That test well had reached 1,920 feet in 1929 before drilling was stopped.
Texas Oil Company leases Titus County land - May 9, 1930
The Texas Oil Company (which later became Texaco) was the first major oil company to take an interest in leasing Titus County land for drilling exploration. On May 9, 1930, they leased land belonging to Mrs. Alma Coker and L. V. Garnier in southeast Titus County. It was felt that other major companies would become interested in Titus County because of Texas Oil Company's interest here.
Deep Rock Oil Company - 5 miles S. of Mt. Pleasant - May 13, 1930
The Deep Rock Oil Company started another test well on May 13, 1930 on the Sim Smith place about five miles southeast of town, a short distance from the road leading to the Cypress community. Deep Rock was a leader in opening new fields and geologists claimed the test well had good prospects of hitting oil. Deep Rock had drilled only twenty-eight feet when a severe storm came through on May 16th and damaged their rig. Drilling had to be stopped, because the storm blew down their wooden derrick and damaged parts of the drilling equipment. Undeterred, they repaired their rig and began drilling again by May 31. Deep Rock's expectations caused drilling interest to increase and many people watched the well's progress closely.
On Saturday afternoon, July 5 the Deep Rock rig hit heavy gas pressure that forced slush over the top. Tests showed that there was a good showing of oil bearing sand where the gas was found, the driller had penetrated too far and struck salt water, which was a bad indication for bringing in a paying well. The well produced 500,000 cubic feet of gas and showed slight oil and lots of salt water. The crew succeeded in cutting off the gas and water, and drilling continued on Monday morning.
J. E. Fitzpatrick, Deep Rock Oil Company president, and Virgil Whitworth, chief geologist, visited Mt. Pleasant on Tuesday, July 8 to inspect and direct deepening the well. As a result of their visit, on July 10 Deep Rock announced it would start another well northwest of Monticello in Titus County within a few weeks. This well was drilled near Macon, south of Winfield.
Deep Rock's well southeast of Mt. Pleasant once again hit trouble in latter July, when, pardon the pun, they hit a deep rock (for real). The drill struck a large, unusually hard rock at 4,444 feet that it could not penetrate. The drillers wore out several bits trying, but without success. Therefore, they abandoned the test well and began taking down their machinery and derrick.
On Wednesday, July 30, 1930, drillers began moving their equipment to the Macon location to begin drilling the test well that Deep Rock's president had announced earlier in the month.
In late October, the Deep Rock Oil Company closed a contract to drill their third Titus County test well on the Ed McElroy place near East New Hope, southeast of Mt. Pleasant. Its two previous wells made good showings, and the strata that the drill passed through indicated that oil was present somewhere in the area. However, this well, too, was a dry hole.
Drill a Well, Strike Oil, Make Instant Cash! - February 2, 1931
To stimulate oil exploration and the jobs it would bring, the Mt. Pleasant Chamber of Commerce decided to follow Longview's lead and offer a $5,000 bounty to the first driller who brought in a producing oil well in Titus County and within ten miles of Mt. Pleasant. To do this, they put up $5,000 in bonds.
Longview people raised a similar amount and made the same offer some time before. A short time later, a driller brought in the Longview well and was simply waiting for production to continue for sixty days before receiving his pay off.
The Chamber's only requirements were that the well must be a commercial well that produced oil in paying quantities, and must produce oil for at least sixty days. They felt that with the interest being created in Northeast Texas after the Kilgore and Longview fields were discovered, the $5,000 might stimulate Titus County's oil activities and it was possible that the giant East Texas field might be extended to Titus County.
However, the Clarksville Times reminded the Chamber that nine years before, in February, 1922, oil excitement ran high in Red River County, too. The people of Clarksville offered a $50,000 cash bonus, ten times as much, for the first well producing 100 barrels a day that was brought in anywhere in Red River County. There was still no well and the bonus was never paid.
Clayton Browne Test Well Announced - February 22, 1931
Clayton D. Browne, who owned 22,000 acres of land in Titus and Morris Counties, announced in the Sunday, February 22, 1931 Dallas Morning News that he had contracted with W. F. Reynolds and associates of Oklahoma to drill a test well on the Savage tract of his property about fifteen miles northeast of Mt. Pleasant in Titus County. Drilling was to begin in May.
Mr. Browne also contracted with the T. G. Shaw Oil Corporation on the Dyer survey ten miles northwest of Naples, and with the Selby Oil and Gas Company and the Lewis Production Company on the Coffey survey, seven miles northeast of Naples.
The Rotondi Test Well - March 3, 1931
In 1930 Stephen J. Rotondi and associates leased 6,800 acres of land situated two miles east of Mt. Pleasant. Geologists felt that the location was very favorable for oil production.
On Tuesday, March 3, 1931, timber for a derrick to be used to drill a deep test well was placed on the ground on the Rogers property, known as the old Tingle farm, and a short distance south of the Cotton Belt railway. Land owners were paid $1 per acre on the same day and they immediately crowded both Mt. Pleasant banks.
Five thousand acres of the 6,800 were turned over to Perry V. Cook of Houston, who was contracted to drill the test well as deep as 5,000 feet if necessary. Mr. Cook began moving a rig from Lee County to the Rotondi test site at once.
Rotondi and Associates would retain 1,300 acres of the remainder of the lease. Something over two hundred acres had been leased by the Deep Rock Oil Company.
Mr. Cook began active work erecting the derrick for the test well on Wednesday, March 11, 1931 and work went quickly. Erecting the derrick increased oil interest to a large extent, and its construction work put a stop to rumors that legal complications would prevent drilling.
Shore Line Oil Company Organized in Mt. Pleasant - March, 1931
In March, 1931, a group of Mt. Pleasant businessmen received the charter for their newly-formed Shore Line Oil Company, created to drill on holdings in various parts of the Rusk and Gregg County fields.
Shore Line Oil had 2,500 shares of non-par value stock. Its officers were: C. H. McDonald, owner of the Jefferson Hotel, president; Bryan Blalock of Marshall, vice president; Claude McDonald, treasurer; and M. C. Jaynes, manager Texas Milk Products Company's Mt. Pleasant plant, secretary. Those men and T. R. McDonald of Mt. Pleasant and D. B. Short of Marshall were directors.
C. M. (Dad) Joiner Visits Mt. Pleasant - April 15, 1931
Interest in prospect of striking oil in Titus County was peaked again when C. M. (Dad) Joiner, famous for discovering oil in East Texas, visited Mt. Pleasant on April 15, 1931. His producing well in the Henderson area brought the largest field in the United States at the time.
Forty or more people attended a reception for Mr. Joyner held in the Chamber of Commerce offices. He came to Mt. Pleasant at the urging of Col. Sidney Suggs, who had recently visited relatives here. Col. Suggs, Mr. Noble, and Mr. Reynolds, accompanied Mr. Joyner here from Dallas.
Mr. Joiner was introduced and made a short talk. He said he was certain there was oil in Titus County, and believed it so strongly that he bought an additional 5,000 acres of leases to go with the 5,000 he already owned in Titus County near the Morris County line.
Mr. Joiner had contracted to drill a test well just south of Sulphur River in northern Titus County, where geologists said a fault line appeared to be an oil structure. Mr. Noble, Mr. Reynolds, and Col. Suggs of Oklahoma, Dr. Jenkins of Daingerfield, F. B. Caudle of Mt. Vernon, C. H. McDonald, E. I. Lazarus, A. H. O'Tyson, H. G. Brown and Mrs. Alma Coker of Mt. Pleasant also made short talks about future oil development.
C. M. Joiner - 12 Miles N of Mt. Pleasant - May, 1931
Drilling on the Joiner test well was started on May 15, 1931 and began the 1931 oil development in Titus County. The well was located on the Clayton D. Browne property on the Vard Evans survey, 12 air-miles from Mt. Pleasant in northern Titus County. The property was along the Sulphur River fault line, where geologists predicted that oil would be discovered some day.
About 150 people were present during the afternoon for a big barbecue to celebrate starting the well, where several barbecued sheep and hogs and a big washpot filled with mulligan stew were prepared for the occasion. Drilling began late in the evening.
On July 1, 1931 the well reached about 1,800 feet when it hit a sizable gas pocket. The well, like others before it, also turned out to be a dry hole. Undeterred, Mr. Joyner bought oil and gas leases and a major part of the royalty on 22,000 acres in Eastern Titus County and an adjoining 4,780 acres in Morris County from Clayton D. Browne of Dallas in June, 1931.
Flanagan - Piney Community - July, 1931
Drilling began on the Flanagan test well in July 7, 1931. The Flanagan test, also called the Sinclair test, was located in the Piney community nine miles north of Mt. Pleasant on Jim McGill's land. The well was on the ridge running east and west just south of White Oak Creek.
By July 29, the well had been temporarily abandoned when salt water was discovered in sand thought to have been the Woodbine formation at 3,850 feet, and arrangements were made to remove the machinery. However, the promoters decided to continue drilling and instructed the drillers strengthen the derrick and continue drilling in an effort to locate the Trinity sand, considered as one of the heaviest oil producers. By August 20, the well had reached 5,000 feet, and the plan was to continue to 7,000 feet. However, this too was a dry hole.
Burkhalter & Buchanan - Cason - March, 1932
The Burkhalter & Buchanan test well, also known as Staggers No. 1, was located on the Staggers tract, two miles north of Cason just inside Morris County. This well caused lots of excitement in March, 1932 when rumors began flying that it had come in as a producer. Quite a number of Mt. Pleasant people drove to the well to get first hand information, but were surprised to find it was not even being operated and had been closed down at noon the previous day until casing could be secured to keep it from caving in.
On Thursday, March 30, leasing became unusually active after it was reported that the drillers were setting casing in preparation for a thorough test at around 4,000 feet. It was said that a core taken a few days before showed the drill was in a formation that usually tops producing wells in the Gregg County field. Drillers attempted to take another core, but the sand was so loose it couldn't be brought to the surface for inspection. People familiar with oil wells said that was a very favorable indication of oil, which prevents sand from packing enough to make a core test.
Most leases brought $1.00 and $2.00 per acre, but some near the well sold as high as $10 per acre, and the high priced sales caused lots of the excitement. A 30 acre lease near the well was known to have sold for over $90 an acre.
A "Christmas tree" is a large array of valves used to control oil and gas flow from a well, and setting the Christmas tree is one of the last things done before bringing in a well. Drillers began setting the Christmas tree on the well on May 4. People saw this as a certain sign the drillers expected a producing well or they would not have gone to this extent to control the flow when the well was brought in.
Excitement was at a feverish pitch in Mt. Pleasant and surrounding towns because almost everybody in Titus, Morris and Camp Counties had followed the well's progress and wanted to know the test results. Rumors circulated on Monday afternoon, May 9 that drilling the well's cement plug would begin that night, so hundreds of people remained at the site until after midnight.
