Spindletop

The city’s Spindletop oil field, discovered in 1901, was the world’s largest for decades.

The Spindletop Showdown will continue GTBR’s mission of connecting industry.

Richard is ninth in a line of Port Arthur fire chiefs that dates back to 1897 and the city’s first fire chief, Frank Trost, known for his famous photograph of the Lucas Gusher at Spindletop.

A low rumbling sound came from underground, and then, with a force that shot 6 tons of 4-inch (100 mm) diameter pipe out over the top of the derrick, knocking off the crown block, the Lucas Gusher roared in and the Spindletop oil field was born.

As a result, a number of startup oil companies at Spindletop, such as Texaco and Gulf Oil, grew into formidable competitors to Standard Oil.

Oil drillers looking for another Spindletop particularly sought out other salt domes, and were often successful.

Populist sentiment against Standard Oil was particularly strong at the time of the Spindletop discovery.

Spindletop was the first oil field found on the US Gulf Coast, and prompted further drilling, and further oil field discoveries.

Standard Oil, being formed well before the discovery of the Spindletop oil field and a demand for oil other than for heat and light, was well placed to control the growth of the oil business.

The Monument, erected at the wellhead in July, 1941, was moved to the Spindletop-Gladys City Museum after it became unstable due to ground subsidence.

The museum features an oil derrick and many reconstructed Gladys City building interiors furnished with authentic artifacts from the Spindletop boomtown period.