Montana oil and mining journal., 1940-10-12
BY c. E. MATsON

When the writer first arrived in
Kelvin the town bOaSted OF one
hotel, one store and bOxcar used
as a depOt. There were the re-
mains of an old lumber yard which
was pretty badly wrecked from the
wind but which had prOspered dur
ing the land boom. Gordon Camp
bell was drilling for oil about three
miles from town. His engineers, Mr..
Lincoln and James MacgOwan, and
office force ate at the only eating
place which was operated by James
Rock and his wife.
Campbell'S we'll site was located at
a scenic spot on flat short distance
below the Rimrock, the escarpment OF
the Keyin-Sunburst field; Very. lew
people had any faith in oil ever being
struck in this part of the country, but
Campbell's faith was undaunted He
continued his drilling as the money
was forthcoming.
Stevenson Got Money
L. c. Stevenson was the financial
wizard on the project and was success
ful in raising the money TO carry this
first well to completion.
Mrs. Campbell was on the job often
and always expressed her hope that
her husband would be successful in
this undertaking. She realized her
wishes as far as the finding OF oil was
concerned, for, eventually, Campbell
struck the liquid gold for which ne
had been looking. Financially, how
ever, Mrs. Campbell's dreams did not
materialize.
This discovery of oil, in 1921, was
made in the district now one OF the
biggest oil fields in the country IN
About this time L. C. Stevenson en-
gagged the services of Jameson and
Howard, who made the original map
for this field and Staked out the site
for Stevenson's first prospective Oh
well. W. E. Burks had been given the
contract for drilling this well about six
miles north and east from the Camp
bell discovery" well on land designat-
ed as good only for sheep pasturage.
The well site was on land homestead
ed by Richard Davey and was short
distance from what is now SunburSt.
This town. like its neighbor, Kelvin, was
hardly on the map.
Increase Stock
Stevenson. with his brothers, rela-
fiVeS, DR.. Beaupre, George Davis and
others, organized the Sunburst Oil and
Gas company. While this first well was
being drilled the capital stock of the
company was increased and they took
In Dorsey Hager and Mr.. Elder Chen
kAld11uLdCbH4GA VI tAAI LAY Gt4AACA " 0NnA5%t
Hager, an experienced oil geologiSt,
was at the well site, drilling was now
In operation and hole was being made.
At last the depth was reached where
they expected to find oil, but 1t looked
very diScouraging. Burks, the con-
tractor, had about given up the idea
that oil would be found underneath
his derrick and had gone to Kevin.
While he was in Kevin, Burks and a
bunch of us were standing in front Of
the only hotel when Sam Teagarden
publisher of the Oil Field Bulletin
rushed up shouting that oil had been
struck in StevenSon'S No / well. We
did not believe it as Burks had just
left the well short time before be-
cause he considered it a failure as far
as oil was concerned.
Oil Proven There
In order to prove that his statement
was true Sam Teagarden produced
written statement signed by Dorsey
Hager stating that oil had been found
at a shallow depth in what is now
known as the Sunburst sand.
The well was estimated as one
hundred barrel producer. This written
statement changed the complexion OF |
things and Bill Burks wasted no time /
In getting into his car and going dt
top speed for the new well. Sam Tea /
garden sent the news In to the Great |
Falls papers and soon the world heard