The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-12-19
When The Chances of Healdton Hung
AS By A Straw-Bit OF Early History

The discovery of the Headton field
brings back to the minds of the oil
fraternity men who were here at the
time, recollections Of the days when
surface observation held sway over ge-
ology, and when. the old-time oil
.mellers' actally had some men con-
WINGED that they possessed the natural
instinct of feeling the oil underneath
the ground over which they trod.
1t was in the spring of 1913, that
the Red River Oil Company, a firm
which was financed by Robert Watch
orn, and under the management of DR..
j. NJ. Critchlow drilled successfully
three dry holes in its efforts to locate
oil in this territory These busters
were in the vicinity OF Marietta.
Immediately after the abandonment
of the third failure. Mr.. Critchelow
was introduced to Writ Franklin, of
this city, by P. c. Dings, Mr.. Frank
lin made u proposition to Mr.. Criticize
low, whereby the latter was to drill
III acreage in the Healdton dis
trict owned by s. A. Apple, Writ
Franklin. Ed Gait and Roy NJ. John
son. The four men offered Critchelow
one thousand acres Of the land in eX-
change for the. financing of the drill
ing. Mr. Critchelow declined, and re-
turned to Marietta, where he Pro
ceeded to close up his affairs there.
lie remarked 10 some Of mis- friends
that he was through seeking oil in
southern Oklahomaf." and would abaf
don all prospects there. One night hr
became engaged in conversation Wit
Ii. p. Nichols, who at the time was
drilling contractor. Mr.. Nichols cas-
ually mentioned that the structure
west Of the Healdton post office look
ed very good for oil possibilities, and
Mr.. Critchelow Immediately became in
terested and inquired whether or not
the district which Mr.. Nichols speci-
fled contained land owned by Writ
Franklin ct al He was then informed
that the acreage of the syndicate was
little south Of the best production,
and that, in the belief of Mr.. Nichols,
and which later turned out to be cor
rect, the best direction was the north
and northwest,
Mr. Critchelow again revived his
hopes of finding oil in southern Okla.
homa, as a result Of this converse.
tion, and Immediately phoned the syn
dicate that he would drill the well.
provided that he received 5000 acres
Of leases, which the syndicate deliv.
cred 10 him.
Mr.. Critchelow placed Mr.. Nichols
in charge Of the drilling operations,
and the we'll was located ana drilled in
the center Of section s, is-3w. Parties
interested in the well, other than Mr..
Critchelow. were dissatisfied with the
location, and many condemned it 'in
words. However, Mr.. Critchelow re-
fused TO debate the decision of loca-
ton made by Mr.. Nichols, and the
well was drilled as originally planned.
During the drilling of the well. Mr..
Critchelow returned to his home at
Titusville, Pennsylvania. He remain
ed there until he received word that
the well had drilled into the pay
sand and was producer. Due to the
many reverses which he had formerly
received in his oil ventures, he could
hardly realize that he had struck 1t
right, and it was ten days before he
arrived at Healdton.
Cheap Healdton Leases
Unlike the great activity which ex'
lists in almost every oil field territory
where a wildcat well had been brought
in, people were rather slow in invest
inp IN the Uealdton district Those
who did buy, purchased acreage south
OF the we'll This was due chiefly to
the fact that the southern portion
was prairie land and clear, and the
rise in elevation was more perceiv-
able. North OF the we'll the lanf was
heavily wooded, which, although there
really was elevation there, was sort OF
camouflaged by the trees, etc. The
value Of leases south OF the well was