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Texon oil field
Click on image to enlarge
Photo courtesy Brian R. Jack |
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Texon is located
about 3 /10 mile south of Hwy 67 on FM 1657. Here you'll see a derrick
and the well-preserved remains of Santa Rita #1, the well
that brought in the huge Big Lake Oilfield. Historical
marker provides details.
There are two "ghost towns" in Reagan
County. Texon has the greater population. The other is Stiles,
with only the ruins of the torched former courthouse (Christmas
Eve 1999).
Texon was a planned community that at one time had a population
of over 1000. The Big Lake Oil Company was sole owner of the property.
Sidewalks, street signs and mailboxes with two or three wooden structures
are all that remain. Two homes appear to be occupied and strangely
enough, as if anticipating a rebirth, the street signs are new reflective
ones, in some cases standing alongside the old wooden ones that
they're replacing. The postal service has also installed a new mailbox
looking out of place among the five-foot tall weeds.
It's obvious that there is recent activity with the wells. Hoses
and wires follow the grid of the former yards where deer and jackrabbits
now graze undisturbed and unfrightened by visitors. The abundance
of these creatures along with roadrunners, makes Texon a good spot
for observing wildlife. Texon is one of the featured ghost towns
in T. Lindsay Baker's Ghost Towns of Texas.
©
John
Troesser
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Historical
Marker:
Town of Texon
Early travelers
along many historic trails in this area found the region arid and
inhospitable. Given (1876) to the University of Texas, the lands around
this marker were leased to cattlemen. The Kansas City, Mexico & Orient
Railroad built its line here in 1911, but did little local hauling.
Development came after Frank Pickrell and Haymon Krupp of Texon Oil
and Land Company drilled for oil. Their driller, Carl Cromwell, brought
in Santa Rita No. 1, the first gusher
in the Permian Basin, on May 28, 1923.
Texon, first company town in the Permian Basin, was founded in 1924
by Big Lake Oil Company. Levi Smith, president of the firm, planned
and supervised building of the town, and Ted Williams served as city
manager for the company. Texon had stores, shops, a school, a physician,
a dentist, a hospital, a theater, a park, a well-known baseball team,
and many facilities for recreation. The post
office opened in 1926. As many as 2,000 people lived here -- boosters
claimed up to 10,000 -- manning the drilling, a gasoline plant, an
oil treating plant, and other operations. Plymouth Oil Company absorbed
Big Lake Oil Company, then sold out to Marathon Oil Company. The company
town was closed in 1962.
1977 |
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Historical
Marker:
Santa Rita
No. 1
Discovery well
for Big Lake oil field. First gusher in Permian Basin; first University
of Texas producer. On land once thought almost worthless. Fruit of
the faith of Big
Lake lawyer Rupert Ricker. Though in 1919 no oil had been found
within 100 miles, Ricker got leases on 431,360 acres of University
of Texas land in Crockett,
Irion, Reagan
and Upton counties. Soon working with him were P. G. Stokes, Big
Spring; Frank Pickrell and Haymon Krupp, El
Paso; and others. Their wildcat well, 1/2 mile south of this site,
on Ollie Parker's Ranch, was drilled by Carl Cromwell. Dee Locklin
was tool dresser. Slow and hard drilling made crew name well for Santa
Rita, Patronness of the Impossible. 4 years, 2 months and a day after
permit was filled, and at 3,055 feet, well pressure tossed the rig's
bucket high into the air. Santa Rita was a producer, the date was
May 28, 1923. This day the Permian Basin, since acclaimed one of the
greatest oil regions in the world, had its first big find. Other spectacular
fields were to follow. Multi-millions in royalty dollars have since
made the University of Texas one of the world's most heavily endowed
schools. Original rig that brought in Santa Rita now is on the university
campus.
1965 |
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Santa Rita No.
1 Plaque - The Events
Photo
courtesy Dustin
Martin, January 2018 |
Santa Rita No.
1 Plaque - The People
Photo
courtesy Dustin
Martin, January 2018 |
Santa Rita No.
1
Photo courtesy AnnaMarie Adams, April 2011 |
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Santa Rita No.
1
TE photo, September 2000
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Texon Post
Office
1926-1988
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A
house in the old residential area
"The front half of the building was the Post Office."
TE photo, September 2000 |
| "In viewing
forum, I noticed that the last
comment entered was from my father, Ronnie Delz regarding the Texon
Post Office and my grandmother. I've recently been going through old
photo albums and came across these pictures and wanted to share them.
I can definitely relate to the comments and how Texon can have such
an impact on you. For me though, it was a completely different experience
given the generational gap, but still just as special. If you'll notice
the flag flying overhead, many, many times I helped my grandmother
take the flag down and that experience is how I learned how to properly
fold the US flag! Thank you for letting me share this piece of my
family's Texon history." - Tracy Gray, August 20, 2018
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Texon
post office
Photo courtesy Tracy Gray |
Texon
post office
Photo courtesy Tracy Gray |
Texon, Texas
Chronicles
The
Long Gone Texon Oilers by Clay Coppedge
"In 1923 a former scout and lease man for the Standard Oil Company
named Levi Smith became president of the newly formed Big Lake Oil
Company and helped oversee development of the Big Lake oilfield in
west Texas, which included the Santa Rita No. 1 well owned by the
University of Texas. Big Lake blossomed into a going enterprise with
some 1,200 employees, enough for Smith to build his own town and name
it Texon in honor of the Texon Oil and Land Company, driller of the
fabled Santa Rita No. 1...." read
full artice
Santa
Rita No. 1 and the Inevitable by Clay Coppedge |
Log cabin in
Texon?
Photo courtesy AnnaMarie Adams, April 2011 |
| Photo
courtesy AnnaMarie Adams, April 2011 |
| Photo
courtesy AnnaMarie Adams, April 2011 |
Texon, Texas
Forum
Subject:
Growing up in Texon
I was born in Texon, Texas in 1942. We lived there until 1957 when
we moved to Iraan, Texas.
We lived in two separate houses during that time including the old
nurses quarters which was behind the hospital (which they moved
away) where I was born. The town was a viable village with a cafe,
drug store, grocery and dry goods store. The post office during
my time was behind the drug store. We even had a beauty and barber
shop. Our school went to the sixth grade with two grades in one
room taught by the same teacher. After the sixth grade we went to
Big Lake, Texas
to school on a school bus. Everyone knew everyone and as a child
I would wander around the town and every mother watched over for
us.
When they started closing the oil field we were sent out in all
directions for our fathers to remain with the oil company. It was
very up heaving for me because I was separated from my friends with
whom I had grown up and were like family to me. Texon was a really
wonderful place to grow up and I believe gave a foundation to the
many lives who lived there and knew it as home. - Francine Salyer
Zannidachis, January 24, 2017
Subject:
Texon & Oil field
I was born Aug. 25 1944 in the company hospital in Texon. We lived
there until 1958, my father got transferred to Andrews,
TX. I have many good memories when I lived there. I will always
remember the smell of the oil field. The old house that became the
post office, we lived in for a short period of time in 1957&58.
- James Potter, November 29, 2016
Subject:
Oil field & Texon in the 50s
I found your web site on Texas ghost towns and read the comments
on Texon, Texas. I am 64 years old and back in the '50's I spent
time in Texon with my grandparents when I was around 5 or 6 years
old! I have a lot of wonderful memories from that time. My grandfather,
Charley O. Fowler worked for Marathon Oil Company and their house
sat across the road from the oilfield. I remember asking my grandmother
one night what the fire across from the house was and she told me
it was on one of the wells. I became very accustomed to the smell
of the oil! Every year for many years Texon held a "reunion" for
residents and former residents of Texon. It was a grand time! My
grandparents' house was sold to someone in San
Angelo, Texas and placed out at Lake Nasworthy. I miss those
good old days. There's nothing there anymore. I wish the town and
the oil business there had lasted. I miss it. - Janis Potter, September
20, 2012
Subject:
Born & raised in Texon
I was born and raised in Texon. The old building pictured with the
mailboxes in front was actually the Post Office for many years.
It was owned by my parents and leased by the Postal Service. The
front half of the building was the Post Office. My Mother, Bertha
Delz, was the postmaster for many years and retired there. - Ronnie
Delz, April 03, 2008
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