Greenvine Gas Discovery
Greenvine, Washington County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(2 mi. Northwest) Apparently the first use in Texas of natural gas for fuel occurred in 1879 near here. William Seidel, a farmer, grist mill and cotton gin owner, and merchant, trying to dig a water well, struck gas at approximate depth of 106 feet. The gas was piped to a farmhouse nearby. Production of gas and oil has spread to 210 Texas counties; 27 pipeline companies export gas. Annual rate of production is about 8 trillion cubic feet. Texas has 42.3 per cent of the proven gas reserves in America, and it has a 19,895-foot well, believed to be world's deepest. (1967)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1879 near here, a farmer named William Seidel was digging for water when he struck natural gas at about 106 feet—apparently the first time natural gas was used for fuel in Texas. He simply piped it to a nearby farmhouse. From that accidental beginning grew one of the defining industries of the state, spreading across hundreds of counties in the decades that followed.
Why it matters
A chance discovery in a Washington County field marks the humble start of the Texas oil-and-gas industry that would transform the state and the nation.
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Related people
- · William Seidel
Related events
- · Greenvine natural gas discovery of 1879
Themes & tags
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