The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-04-21
THRIVING TOWN
SPRINGS FROM
Desert WASTE
TAFT Grows Into a Full Pledged
City in Space of a Few
Weeks
Business Comes With a Rush
and Population Leaps to
1000
Banks and Mercantile Houses
Established in the New
Community

Springing up as oil towns do the city
of Taft in the Midway field grew from
a few scattering tents and shacks al
most in night. Lumber and building
materials were shipped from Bakers
field in trainloads. Stores opened up
before there was a roof To shelter the
stocks. Business came with a rush
and from a couple of hundred people
the population jumped 10 1000 For
days men were busy wiring for the
installation of telephone and lighting
systems. New warehouses for oil well
supplies were thrown together and i'm
few days they We're doing business
Though some of the oil towns boast
of being shifted mile or so between
dawn and darkness Taft has a better
record. 1t was made before its citizens
were aware of it. The various demands
called for the establishment of branches
in many industries. Opportunity was
open to the merchant. the stablemau,
the hotel keeper and the clerk. Banks,
agencies and business of every kind
found a place in the first rush.
UMBsEN LOCATES TOWN
The California Oil World of Bakers
field tells of the development of Taft
as follows:
"Of growth and boom there seems To-
be no end in this town. Houses go up
over night. Vacant lots which were
bare yesterday show upreared struc-
lures today. A brickyard is to be es-
tablished, planning mill viii be erected.
a large garage has just been finished
and two banks are under way, one a
branch of the Oil and Metals bank Of
Los Angeles and the other promoted by
J. w Jameson and backed by San
Francisco capital Water systems are
planned, the town will be lighted. the
streets improved and sidewalks laid"
With the establishment of the city
and the marvellous growth of business
comes the news of big deals which are
TO be made or which have been closed
in the Midway field
Not long ago g. II. UmbSen of the
San Francisco real estate firm of that
name purchased so acres from +. J.
Boust in section 23-32-23 on the site
of Boust City. Umbsen has already
laid out townsite there.
BIG PRICES FOR LAND
The San Francisco Midway company
with which Douglas Mcbride. George
Lyon and c. T. Whittier are associated
bought from S. A. Johnson the south
half Of the southwest quarter of
24-31-23
Considerable interest has been
shown in the 40 acres of the southwest
quarter of 5-32-23 by Oakland and
Los Angeles capitalists The prOpN
erty was recently leased by Harry w.
Thomas from NJ. 2. Waite and has been
turned into the Midway Premier oil
company, which has been incorporated
for $500. 900. Connected with the organ
ization are B. G.. Adams of the Adams
pipe line of Los Angeles. Harry W.
Thomas of Bakersfield, John NJ Mcleod
and Fred V. Gordon of Los Angeles.
The Kern Valley bank of Bakersfield
is treasurer.
Tav+ NTOv-ar,ber tho (,tar01.ae 5eV-eI-
opment company purchased the north
half of the south half of 1889. from
S. A. Johnson. paying $4,000 for an so
acre strip one mile wide. The company
is a close corporation. Incorporated
for 5000. 900. Connected with it are c..
w burlington of the Kron tanning
company, r. c. Dorsey of Fresno, j. H.
Bingham of Fresno, Stewart Middlemas
of San Francisco, Jack McClurs Of
Fresno
OVER $1,000 AN ACRE
A tract of 24O acres of 34-32-2S has
been leased from the Pioneer for 40
years by r. H McCreary. who with his
associates has organized the klOndike
petroleum company, Incorporated for
$3.50. 900. With McCreary are J. W.
Ragesda1e and z. W. CoSely OF Coal
inga and J. o. Hickman of Hanford.
Work has begun on the lease OF 40
acres of the Los Pazos company, for
which $50, 900 was paid. The lease is
located in section 36-32-23- A % per
cent royalty lease was secured some
time ago by the Midway Manchuria
company of San Francisco on 40 acres
on the Amber so in section 26-3122.
W. NJ Barnard of San Francisco pUr-
chased 100 acres for $1,000 per acre on
section 16-32-24.
The north half of the northwest
quarter OF section 14-31-S2 was pur-
chased by l.. c. Torrance OF the United
oil company from the Bear creek COM
pany, which held an option on the land
for $3.50 an acre.
A San Francisco company purchased
the east half Of the southeast quarter
OF section 23-31-22, from the Logan oil
company for more than $1,000 an acre.
These merely indicate some OF the
recent transactions near the bustling
city of Taft.