Early Texas Oil: A Photographic History, 1866-1936 (The Montague History of Oil Series, No. 1)

Early Texas Oil: A Photographic History, 1866-1936 (The Montague History of Oil Series, No. 1)

by Walter Rundell Jr.

Hardcover Cloth 260 pages with Three hundred twenty-eight photographs. Condition Very Good Dust Jacket Good. Stated first edition 1977. Handsome black boards and gilt embossing shows off this Clean, tight, square copy with no marks, highlights or bookplates. Book Well kept with the usual shelf wear. Edges have the usual yellowing. Pages are lightly toned with minor signs of wear and/or age. An unclipped dust jacket is discolored with age with the considerable shelf wear - tears, scrapes, wrinkles and chips. Not an ex-library, book club or remainder copy.

A captivating glimpse into the transformative impact of oil on Texas during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

At the turn of the century, oil revolutionized the Texas economy, leaving indelible marks on the state's landscape and society. In this volume, Rundell presents an eyewitness record through 328 contemporary photographs of the early days of the Texas oil industry. These images capture the essence of an era when oil wells sprang up across the state, bustling boom towns emerged, and fortunes were made.

The journey begins with Lyne Barret's modest well near Nacogdoches in 1866—a symbolic start to an industry that would soon reshape Texas. As photography matured, it documented the entire history of Texas petroleum. The commercial success of the Corsicana well three decades later marked a turning point, and the iconic Spindletop gusher in 1901 ushered in a new era. Fields like Saratoga, Sour Lake, Humble, and the Permian Basin followed suit, each with its own story of discovery and transformation.

The photographs reveal the lives of oil-field workers—drillers, roustabouts, and tycoons. We witness bustling towns, derrick-crowded fields, primitive refineries, and oil tankers under sail and steam. The lens captures the human element—the excitement, labor, and challenges faced by those who shaped the Texas oil industry. Walter Rundell's accompanying text provides historical context, emphasizing the people behind the wells and the impact of oil on their lives.