J. J. Moore No. 1 Oil Well
Snyder, Scurry County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(1.4 miles south) First producing oil well in Scurry County; opened a major West Texas petroleum area. Drilled February to October 1923 by E. I. (Tommy) Thompson, W. W. Lechner and E. E. (Buddy) Fogelson of Loutex Corp., W. A. Reiter located the well. Leon English was field geologist. Drillers were Jesse Thomas, Begossa Murphy, Tom Mann, Charlie Dodson, Sim Taylor. The tool dresser, James O. Jarmon, was the only man working the well from top to bottom. Pat and Mike Moore, the young sons of the landowner, helped to fire the steam roller. The drill struck a pressurized reservoir of "cold air" (nitrogen and helium) unique in Texas at that time. It blew mud and water 60 feet above the well head. Soon harnessed, it replaced steam to operate the drilling. It also refrigerated food and water. Completed to 3575 feet and plugged back to 1800 feet in the San Andres formation, the J. J. Moore No. 1 has yielded over 500,000 barrels of oil; is still producing. Several "dusters" were drilled nearby in 1924. Exploration was further discouraged in the 20s by low prices; eventually, however, here in the Sharon Ridge Field over 2200 wells have been brought in. In 1948 deep wells began to tap the canyon reef in Scurry; the county now has over 4,000 oil wells. (1966)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Drilled through most of 1923, the J. J. Moore No. 1 became the first producing oil well in Scurry County and opened up a major West Texas petroleum region. The drillers struck something strange along the way—a pressurized reservoir of 'cold air,' actually nitrogen and helium, that blew mud sixty feet skyward and, once harnessed, powered the rig and even refrigerated the crew's food and water. Still producing after more than 500,000 barrels, the well heralded a field that would eventually see thousands of wells drilled in the county.
Why it matters
This pioneering well launched the West Texas oil boom that reshaped the region's economy, marking the moment a ranching county became part of America's petroleum frontier.
The story behind this marker
AI contextThe era
In 1923, when the J. J. Moore No. 1 was drilled, West Texas was mostly ranch and farm country: wide, dry, and thinly settled. Oil had already changed other parts of Texas. The Spindletop gusher near Beaumont in 1901 set off a boom on the Gulf Coast, and the 1910s and early 1920s brought wild booms to North and Central Texas. The vast sedimentary basins of West Texas were still largely a gamble.
That was changing quickly. In the same year this well was drilled, the Santa Rita No. 1 came in on University of Texas lands in Reagan County, a famous discovery that helped open the Permian Basin. Wildcatters were pushing west in search of the next great field, often with limited geological knowledge, much hope, and steam-powered rigs.
The 1920s were also a decade of wild swings in oil prices. A discovery could make fortunes, but low prices could just as easily stop drilling cold. That boom-and-bust rhythm shapes this marker's story.
People & events
The well was a team effort, and the marker is unusually generous in naming everyone who took part. E. I. 'Tommy' Thompson, W. W. Lechner, and E. E. 'Buddy' Fogelson of the Loutex Corporation drilled it from February to October 1923. W. A. Reiter chose the location, and Leon English served as field geologist. The drilling crew included Jesse Thomas, Begossa Murphy, Tom Mann, Charlie Dodson, and Sim Taylor. The tool dresser, James O. Jarmon, was the only man who worked the well from top to bottom.
There were young helpers too. Pat and Mike Moore, the sons of landowner J. J. Moore, pitched in to fire the steam boiler. It is easy to picture two ranch boys feeding a fire while a crew of strangers drilled into their family's land in search of oil.
Then came a surprise. The drill hit a pressurized pocket of 'cold air,' actually nitrogen and helium, which was a rare find in Texas at the time. It blasted mud and water sixty feet above the wellhead. The crew turned the problem into an asset. They harnessed the gas to run the drilling in place of steam, and as the gas expanded and cooled it even chilled their food and water. The well went on to produce more than 500,000 barrels, and according to the 1966 marker it was still producing.
Its place in the American story
The J. J. Moore No. 1 was Scurry County's first producing oil well, and it opened a major West Texas petroleum area. After it, the Sharon Ridge Field grew to more than 2,200 wells. Growth was not immediate. Several dry holes followed in 1924, and low prices in the 1920s discouraged further exploration. The early oil business was a gamble even after a success.
The bigger boom came later. In 1948, deep wells began tapping the Canyon Reef formation in Scurry County and set off a rush that transformed the county. By the time of the marker it had more than 4,000 oil wells. This story is typical of how West Texas oil developed: a pioneering well, a long pause, and then new technology and deeper drilling that unlocked far more.
Together, these discoveries helped make West Texas one of the most important oil regions in the world, fueling cars, industry, and national power through the twentieth century. The strange helium strike is also a reminder that the ground under the Great Plains held more than oil, since helium would become a strategic resource in its own right.
If you visit
The marker notes that the well itself lies about 1.4 miles south of the marker site, so treat the marker as your window onto the story. Stand there and look out over the land. It is easy to imagine a steam rig on the horizon, two boys stoking the boiler, and a sudden roar of gas spraying mud sixty feet into the air.
As you drive around Scurry County, watch for the pumpjacks nodding in the fields. They are the living descendants of this well, and they carry the story forward from a single 1923 wildcat to thousands of wells.
Snyder makes a good base for exploring the oil heritage of West Texas. It fits naturally into a longer road trip across the Permian Basin, where towns and museums tell the story of the boom from different angles. Respect private property and oilfield sites, which can be hazardous and are usually off-limits. The history is best enjoyed from the road.
Written by AI to add context, grounded in the marker’s inscription and the historical record. The inscription above is the original, unaltered text.
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Related people
- · E. I. Thompson
- · W. W. Lechner
- · E. E. Fogelson
Themes & tags
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