Pattillo Higgins
Pattillo Higgins | |
---|---|
San Antonio, Texas | |
Occupation(s) | Businessman, geologist |
Pattillo Higgins (December 5, 1863 – June 5, 1955) was an American businessman and a self-taught geologist. He earned the nickname the "Prophet of Spindletop" for his endeavors in the Texas oil business, which accrued a fortune for many. He partnered to form the Gladys City Oil Gas and Manufacturing Company, and later established the Higgins Standard Oil Company.
Early life
Pattillo Higgins was born to Roberto James and Sarah (Raye) Higgins on December 5, 1863, in
When he was seventeen, he pulled a prank on a black Baptist church that got the attention of a sheriff's deputy. The deputy fired a warning shot over Higgins' head, after which Higgins fired back and delivered what would later turn out to be a fatal hit. The wounded deputy managed to fire again, striking Higgins in his lower left arm. Higgins' arm would later become severely infected, requiring amputation from the elbow down. Higgins was put on trial for the murder of the deputy, but he would be found not guilty by a jury that perceived his act as self-defense.[1] After his acquittal, he worked as a logger along the Texas-Louisiana border, apparently unhindered by his lack of an arm.
It was in 1885 that he attended a Baptist revival meeting where he made the decision to become a Christian. Realizing that the lumber camps were not the ideal place to maintain a good morality, he decided to return to Beaumont, Texas to establish himself as a businessman.[1][2]
Venture into business
Higgins ventured into real estate at first, and with the money that he saved as a logger, he started the Higgins Manufacturing Company to manufacture bricks. The business sparked his interest in oil and
Partnership with Anthony Lucas
Unwilling to give up hope of striking oil, Higgins placed numerous ads in industrial magazines and trade journals in an effort to spark others' interests in the prospect of hitting a successful well at the site. Only one man responded to the ads, a Croatian-American named
The Lucas Gusher at Spindletop
In late October 1900, with the help of the experienced crew of Al and Curt Hamill from Corsicana, drilling began again. This time, the drilling would be done using a newer, heavier, and more efficient rotary type bit.[9] Over the next several months, work was difficult maintaining the drilling through the underground sands. On January 10, 1901, the six tons of four-inch (102 mm) drilling pipe began to shoot up out of the hole, sending the roughnecks fleeing for safety. The geyser shot oil over 150 feet (46 m) high and flowed an estimated 100,000 barrels per day (16,000 m3/d).[9] The well was at a depth of 1,020 feet (310 m), and as it turns out, was at the precise location as initially predicted by Higgins. The well would not have struck oil if it had been drilled just 50 feet (15 m) to the south.[10] The well, which was dubbed "Lucas 1", had an initial flow rate greater than all of the oil wells in the United States combined in that day.[11] The Spindletop oilfield churned out over 3 million barrels (480,000 m3) the first year of operation, and over 17 million barrels (2,700,000 m3) the following year. This effectively brought an end to John D. Rockefeller’s world monopoly.[12]
Lawsuit against Lucas and the Gladys City Company
Higgins sued Lucas and Gladys City Oil, Gas and Manufacturing Company for royalties, using the basis that the second lease was invalid because the first lease had not yet expired when the second was enacted. After the parties settled out of court, Higgins formed the Higgins Oil and Fuel Company located at the center of Spindletop. This company was vulnerable to takeover bids due to Higgins' over-zealous land prospecting, which enabled the
Later life and death
Higgins' lifestyle was varied in interests and occupations. Along with working as a wildcatter, his diverse activities involved
Higgins World's Oil Company
From the Prescott Evening Courier – Dec 23, 1905: Articles of Incorporation for the "Higgins World's Oil Company"
References
- ^ Handbook of Texas Online. Accessed October 9, 2006.
- ^ ISBN 9780876112366.
- ^ a b "Who Was Patillo Higgins? Archived 2006-08-07 at the Wayback Machine." Thinkquest.org. Accessed October 9, 2006.
- ^ a b Alva Ellisor. "Looking Back-ward - The Texas Oil Boom Sets the Stage for the Rockhounds Archived 2006-09-23 at the Wayback Machine." Houston Geological Society Published August 1, 1998. Retrieved on 2006-10-17.
- ^ Archie P. McDonald, PhD. "When Oil Became An Industry." TexasEscapes.com Accessed October 9, 2006.
- ^ Mary Fritz. "One Day That Shook the World – After Spindletop, Everything Changed." American Association of Petroleum Geologists Accessed October 9, 2006.
- ^ Robert L. Gaston. ""Wanderings Around the Patch - Discovery of the Spindletop Oilfield"". Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved 2006-09-08.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). DrillingInfo Community Accessed October 9, 2006. - ^ Handbook of Texas Online. Accessed October 9, 2006.
- ^ Handbook of Texas Online. Accessed October 9, 2006.
- ^ Staff Writer. "What's Oil Doing on the Spindletop Dome? (cont’d) Archived 2016-07-28 at the Wayback Machine." Paleontological Research Institution. Accessed October 9, 2006.
- ^ Staff Writer. "More About the History of Spindletop, Texas (cont’d) Archived 2017-05-20 at the Wayback Machine." Paleontological Research Institution. Accessed October 9, 2006.
- ^ Staff Writer. "The History of Oil in Southeast Texas (pg 3) Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine." Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum Accessed October 9, 2006.
Further reading
- East Texas Historical Association, "A self-taught Texas wildcatter: Pattillo Higgins and the Hockley Oil Field", by Ronald H. Limbaugh, East Texas Historical Journal, Vol 34 No. 1, 1996, Nacogdoches, Tx 75962
External links