First Producing Gas Well in Kleberg County
Kingsville, Kleberg County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Natural gas was first encountered in 1912 by Frank House while drilling for water on the Oscar Rosse farm. Other efforts to obtain fresh water resulted in more gas pockets or water contaminated with salt or oil. An unsuccessful attempt was made in 1915 to develop gas production. In Oct. 1919, the Kleberg County Oil and Gas Company was formed in Kingsville by lumber and hardware merchants Charles H. Flato and his son, Charles, Jr., oil sales manager H. C. Dennett, grocer J. F. Ivey, postmaster Marcus Phillips, Kingsville mayor J. C. Nolan, and retail merchants Sam Sellers, Ben F. Wilson, and C. M. Allen. The company leased the Rosse farm on October 30, 1919, and contracted Hammill and Bess Drilling Company of Bay City to drill a well. The Rosse No. 1 was completed on January 16, 1920, at a depth of 3,000 feet. Pipelines were soon laid into Kingsville to supply businesses and residences with gas. Another well, the Rosse No. 2, completed in March 1920, was the first producing oil well in the county. The discovery of gas and oil in the county provided a foundation for economic growth through development of petrochemical and refining industries.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Kleberg County's petroleum age began by accident in 1912, when Frank House struck natural gas while drilling for water on the Rosse farm. Local merchants and civic leaders organized the Kleberg County Oil and Gas Company in 1919, and their Rosse No. 1 well came in at 3,000 feet in early 1920, soon piping gas to Kingsville's homes and businesses. A second well that spring became the county's first producing oil well, laying the foundation for a petrochemical economy.
Why it matters
This chance discovery launched the oil and gas industry that would reshape South Texas, part of the petroleum boom that transformed the state's economy.
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Related people
- · Frank House
- · Charles H. Flato
- · H. C. Dennett
Themes & tags
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