The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-06-25
TULSA OIL. BOOM
IS q YEARS OLD
First Well in This Vicin-
ity Drilled In at
Red Fork
FOUND PAY AT 600 Fl.
Doctors Clinton and Bland of
Tulsa Financed Original
Test Near Red Fork

Today. June 25. is the twenty
first anniversary Of the discovery OF
oil in the vicinity of Tulsa, for on
June 25. 1901. a well drilled by
Fred S. Clinton and Or. J. c. w.
Bland. found the 600-foot sand at
Red Fork.
The well was strated early in
May by Drs. Clinton and Bland,
with Judge j. a. Hydrick OF Butler,
Penn, and John Wicks Of the same
place constituting the experienced
members OF the oil firm. The locd-
tion was on land not then allotted,
adjoining the townsite of Red Fork.
the land belonging to Sue a. Bland.
The well was drilled with an ordi-
nary prospector's outfit ny Perry
II. Crossman OF Joplin. Mo. whose
only experience had been confined to
drilling prospect holes in the lead
and zinc district OF southwest Mis-
souri,.
Mr.. Crossman and ais one assist
tant were grub-staked with borrowed
money, and money was also hor-
rowed from the Frisco station agent
on a prOmissory note 20 pay tho
freight on the drilling rig from JOp-
lin TO R"l Fork 4 contrac, was
Iluub NuHCn ITbNlutu lIiN IN lHe
event OF striking oil, n portion OF
the townsite OF Red Fork adjacent
to the well was TO be turned over
to the drillcrs and promoters as n
bonus for their enterprise. Wells had
previously been found In Kansas; al
so in the Bartlesville ana Chelsea
districts, but owing to the absence Of
land titles in Indian TERRITORY little
development work had been done
the title 10 all indian iand At that
time being held In common by the
respective tribes.
Attracts Attention.
The discovery well attracted much
attention, and Fred S. Bard. then
correspondent for the Kansas city
Star in Oklahoma and Indian Terri
tory, visited Red Fork and gave the
news story OF the discovery wide
publicity Bard's stories carried the
Tulsa dateline and this city soon be-
gan TO fill up with oil men and
Tulsa's first oil boom followed i'm
mediately Tulsa and Red Fork took
on the aspect Of real oil cities, Tents
were erected In Red Fork and n real
estate market Immediately became
active, property rising from 10
cents per front foot TO IS dollars
per front foot, a price up 10 that
time unthought OF. Many oil com
panies were formed. stock was sold.
other wells were drilled, and by rea-
son of this discovery well the large
oil companies began 10 systemati-
cally invade and develop the field.
4 form of oil lease was finally
agreed upon and approved by the
secretary OF the interior, under which
commercial drilling contracts, valid
in a court OF record, could be secured
and the oil industry in this section
OF the Mid-Continent field had ar
Sived
1t is entirely fitting that on this.
the twenty-first anniversary of the
local oil business. when that impor-
tant event has iust reached IT'S ma
iority, that the people OF Tulsa, the
worlds oil capital, should remember
ana pay tribute TO the pioneers. Dr.
Fred S. Clinton and DR.. j. C. W
Bland. who, as the real original
oil operators OF the Tulsa district,
laid the foundation stones for greater
Tulsa. 2l years ago,