Remembering History: On January 10, 1901, the “Lucas 1 Well” came in at Spindletop, marking the birth date of the modern petroleum industry. At 100,000 barrels of oil a day, the gusher tripled U.S. oil production overnight, and jump-started Texas’ transformation into a major petroleum producer and industrial power.

On January 10, 1901, the “Lucas 1 Well” came in at Spindletop, marking the birth date of the modern petroleum industry. At 100,000 barrels of oil a day, the gusher tripled U.S. oil production overnight, and jump-started Texas’ transformation into a major petroleum producer and industrial power.

On January 10, 1901, the “Lucas 1 Well” came in at Spindletop, marking the birth date of the modern petroleum industry. At 100,000 barrels of oil a day, the gusher tripled U.S. oil production overnight, and jump-started Texas’ transformation into a major petroleum producer and industrial power.