Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-08-31
First Oil Development
In the Tulsa District
Earliest We'll Drilled in At Red Fork in Summer of 1901
Is Yet Producing At 542 Feet-Laying Tulsa's
Commercial Foundation An Und0ubted Future

vations and deductions, and to him
belongs great credit for Intelligent
reasoning He was one of the great
est American scientists and geolo-
gists, The writer's father, Charles
Clinton GSi8-SS), believed from the
study ~ geology and Of he local con-
ditions that much rich mineral would
be found along the 96th meridian,
Amos +. Stoelsmith OF Butler, Pa
GS35-l913), drilled a well on Nlchol
creek where Taneha is now located,
In 1894. no oil was found but a
formation which satisfied geologists
that II was near was discovered,
John S, Wicks Of Butler, Pa, was
d field man for Mr.. Steelsmith and
located the Nichol creek we'll lie
learned its log and with Judge J. A.
HeydriCk and number ~ other But
Ter men and some Creek Indians,
secured a lease from the Creek ma
tlonal council for all the land west Of
the seth meridian.
Red Fork oil In 1901.
No more work was done until
the early 90's when IL was decided 70
do some prospecting, and Or. ]. c. w.
Bland, then Of Red Fork, and Or.
Fred S Clinton of Tulsa secured the
location OF the first oil well in tbs
present Tulsa district. The well was
located on the sue A. Bland allot-
ment, Just north of the present town
site Of Red Fork in the edge Of the
timber on the south and cas-, side OF
the Red Fork hills. 1t was drilled
in at j42 feet June %, 1901 and is
yet producing oil.
Tho Kansas city Star and other
papers Of large circulation placed
staff correspondents on the ground
and featured the discovery to he
whole world.
Importance Hard TO Grasp.
Few Of our Widr-yisiOued drcamera
could grasp the Importance of the oil
discovery 10 Tulsa, the nearest large
town. Thousands Of acres I'm this part
Of the Creek nation were not allotted
until after the Red Fork well was
known, when every available allo'tee
was soon sought ana his filings se-
cured at the earliest opportunity. No
deeds had been issued to any of the
lands outside Of Muskogeo and NiCin-
ity. SO the blanket lease given by
the Creek council was not approved,
and after long and tiresome wait
the secretary Of the interior promul-
gated rules and regulations for the
plhHpttllIB lbl anu bIllIllE 'l 'Il
wells. Guffey and Galley We're the
first large operators on an extensive
scale to enter the Tulsa-Red Fork
field.
1t was but short time after APP
proved leases could be had before
operators Camc here from Kansas,
the Usage nation, Texas and all the
eastern fields.
The men who secured the railroads,
helped supply the hotel facilities,
commence and complete the First
National building, providing means to
transport, feed and house the grea'
numbers of oil and near-oil men, laid
the commercial foundation for Tulsa.
over 100000 barrels Of oh are
produced annually in Tulsa trade ter
ritory, and that puts over $5O,O00,0O
in circulation When the oil ana gas
have been exhausted the great farm
Ing coal mining and manufacturing
lnteres. will be developed and Tulsa
will wonder why it was ever neccs-
Fary to even doubt her future com
mercial prowess.