Golden Cycle Well Gushing Oil on Fire [Photograph]
Name/Title
Golden Cycle Well Gushing Oil on Fire [Photograph]Description
Photograph by Bertrand de Graffe of the Golden Cycle Well gushing oil on fire on April 24, 1919.Context
In 1912 oil was discovered west of town; larger strikes were made in 1918 and 1925. These strikes drew thousands of people to the area. By late 1918 wells in the Burkburnett oilfield were producing 7,500 barrels per day, 20,000 persons had poured into the oilfield region, and twenty trains ran daily between Burkburnett and Wichita Falls. In addition, nineteen refineries processed the locally produced oil. The town's unpaved streets reportedly became lined with newly formed stock offices, brokerage houses, and automobiles stuck in the mud. An article published in Cosmopolitan magazine, "A Lady Comes to Burkburnett," captured the spirit of the times and later inspired the 1940 film Boom Town, starring Spencer Tracy and Clark Gable. By the mid-1920s Burkburnett's population reached 5,300. The photographer, Bertrand de Graffe, was the local oil geologist who confirmed the potential production of the Killam-Condren Oil Company.Category
Oil & Gas Industry
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