The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-09-26
1)|[ DREAM
N ELD0RAO0
\ lIlstory Of Famous Kansas
Field Contains Many In
teresting Facts.
! FIRST WELL A SHAFT
Money Did Not Last Long
Enough. to Prove Out
Pioneer Tests.
FIRST WELL A SHAFT
BY r. b. Laurence.


" that the founders OF the beautiful
- little city. nesting like a perfect
gem at the junction of the Walnut rivc
ers. surrounded with the stately trees
from which the rivers take their name,
was named "El Dorado meaning the
Land Of Gold'" Little did they dream
At this time that the fertile valley and
the surrounding pastures giving promise
OF wonderful crops and magnificent
herds OF cattle. was undcrlaid with the
greatest pool Of liquid gold petroleum
only waiting the hand Of man, with his
improved machinery to puncturc the
"cap-rock," allowing the treasures
boarded perchance for millions Of years.
TO pour forth through the steel castings
and by the alchemy Of The refinery TO he
coined inie the real gold o. the com
nsrrial woIld
The flash OF distant lightning, and
the low muttering of the thunder, are
Gods signals to mankind, and when
needed note the approach Of great CON
flicts. So did The God OF Nature
endeavor TO make known to men the
great wealth over which they were
walking. The first indication observed
by men Of the presence OF thi, oil and
gas were seepages In the water wells
IN the various portioM Of the present
field. Drillers with tkeif crude ma
chinery often made the air lurid when
their sand pump brought up traces OF
rock OIL, which practically spoiled
the we'll for stock purposes.
Away back in the year 1877 while
TIE snow was yet upon the ground, one
Mr. Z. Gimlin, in drilling a water we'll
on the koogle ranch south OF ri Do
RADIO, a short distance from the ranch
house, had indication of oil. Purporting
to be in close touch with the spirits. and
that he was in fact spiritual medium
controlled by the spirit of an Indian
who bore the name "Myantic,". and fol-
lowing the spirits suggestion. reported
his dream of oil to the early citizens
OF FL Dorado About this time the Fl
Dorado silver cornct band, in fact on
April TO- 1877, was organized by NJ. II.
N. Logan, treasurer; George Younk-
man and Ira Morgan, the only charter
members now living Hod Harvey, a
brother Of c. w. Harvey, secretary of
the 81 Dorado commercial club was its
first leader. Many.of the citizens of Fl
Dorado threatened to leave town IL
that "darned" band didn't quit maxim
- much noise" But the band was
composed OF men who do things. and
tfe noise they made at that time seems
TO have grown TO the great and contin-
uees industrial war of the present day.
This band together with other lead
~ citizens Of FL Dorado, organized
= June, 1877, "Oil City Oil company"
The stock was placed on sale.
Everybody bought a little and some
mre; 1he money was given to Mr..
Gimlin, and again following the
.unch or instructions given him by
Ayantic," Mr.. Gimlin began digging
. shaft' towards the bowels of the
eosth, where the spirit OF the Indian
tod him he would surely strike petro-
leum. The money did not last very
loag. This company 'blowed up and
lives only in the memory OF the early
citizens. About ten years later on the
property just west of the J. d. Adams
residence, Just over the hill in Wcs,
Fl Dorado, then owned BY DR.. r. n.
lawrence, a water well was drilled BY
W.. +. Stroger, and at depth Of
eighty-five feet, much to the disgust of
Mr.. Stroger trace of amber oil was
found DR.. Lawrence brought a pin, OF
this oil TO Mr.. Alva Sheldon, then editor
Of the FL Dorado Times, who gave Ahc
find extensive publicity. Mr.. Stroger
declared that was only rock oil" and
was "the bane Of the water well drill
en-" The FL Dorado Prospecting AMI
Mining company, w r McGinnis Ct al,
organized December b. 1887, with D. NJ
Elder as superintendent, and drilled a
we'll near the old wooden mill in Riy.
esside, dne north Of Fl Dorado. This
we'll was drilled to about 100 feet
l@mense volumes OF salt water only
were found. Later Mr.. Strogcr con