Hidalgo County's First Oil Well
La Joya vicinity, Hidalgo County, Texas
Marker Inscription
John M. Lawrence No. 1 oil well was brought in September 18, 1934, near this site by veteran driller Otto C. Woods. Well flowed 1,000 or more barrels a day. At first the oil formed a lake beside the well. County has produced 20 million barrels of oil. (1968)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
On September 18, 1934, veteran driller Otto C. Woods brought in the John M. Lawrence No. 1, Hidalgo County's first oil well, near this spot. The gusher flowed a thousand barrels a day or more — so much that oil at first pooled into a lake beside the derrick. The strike opened a field that would ultimately yield some twenty million barrels.
Why it matters
It marks the moment the lower Rio Grande Valley joined the great Texas oil economy, adding petroleum to a region long defined by ranching and farming.
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Related people
- · Otto C. Woods
- · John M. Lawrence
Themes & tags
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