Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-05-10
WEDDING ON


was also selling lots on the east
side OF town at the same time
while Nick Engle had just plated
new addition on the south.
"The we'll was drilled but did
not find the liquid gold. Never
theless. this celebration will long
be remembered. Since then, sun
burst has really been on the map
and later in 1926 this same Nick
/ Engle sold a large part Of his farm
TO the International Refining Co.,
on which site the present Texaeo
refinery now stands. Also more OF
his farm was taken over for the
tank farm Of Illinois Pipeline COM
pany. and Bill O'Haire's dream OF
making Sunburst an oil city took
permanent form.
Now in 1871 We see this same
oil town OF Sunburst forging ahead
under an administration with Will
liam Halter at the helm as mayor.
This past season Sunburst construc-
ted several miles of cement side
walks. mostly in the residential dis
tricts. The business district now
is proud OF full regulation width
cement walks in place of the pio-
nesr board walks Sunburst has
good baseball-football field, all en-
closed and modern, also an airport
close by. Shade trees. beautiful
lawns. yards and gardens adorn the
resience districts.
This town is we'll prepared to
take care Of the trade In its terri
tory 1t has three hotels that would
be a credit to any town. good
theater building and dance hall and
numerous places of business OF all
branches. John Huntsberger is the
postmaster, also city attorney. Har-
~ Rhone. pioneer citizen, is pro-
prietor of the modern Northern
hotel E. L. Grimes is proprietor of
the Sunburst hotel and bus depot
while Bill O'Haire is in possession
of the third hotel across the street
from the Sunburst hotel, where the
townsite office Is located.
There is also a good place to
eat at O'Haire's hotel and the pio-
, ner restaurant man ''Jocky''
Holmes is still holding down the
pioneer eating place in Sunburst.
yes. a good many OF the old timers
are still on deck in this oil town.
The Texaco formerly Information
alb refinery has been expanded un-
| til il is now the outstanding re-
finery in capacity in the State of
Montana. Just north of this large
plant the company has erected
flock of modern homes for its en-
ployes nice lawns, shade trees, ce-
ment walks and all the trimmings.
Sunburst has a modern high school
that would be a credit to any town.
Then again Sunburst now has a lot
OF nice homes. Located on the Sun
shine highway, 1t is the gateway to
the border. l 0 miles distant. and to
the rich Sweetgrass Hills district.
This is the 1871 Sunburst; the
| stream-line Sunburst This town is
composed OF wide-awake citizens
who are out for doing things and
| getting them done. With such mod
ern facilities as sewers, the best of
| Il Is really modern, transformed
from prairie lands of a few years
water, natural gas and electricity,
ago. and supported by not only the
two refineries and the oil bust
ness but by its elevators and other
agricultural activity
| Back before the days of acid
/ in this oil field, "Old Man Essex
and others drilled a well south OF
town and had good oil showings
| but not commercial in those early
| days. At the present time much
smaller showings have produced
| large wells with the use of acid.
Some OF those abandoned wells were
rated several barrels per day and
/ yet the operators walked away
from them. Nor has the commune
to forgotten the old Sunburst Boyce
gusher: the enigma will some day
be solved by another gusher. The
''Boyce gusher" proved beyond all
doubt the existence OF a larger pool
Of oil east from Sunburst.
/. Now they have oil just a short
distance northwest from this town,
added to the showings OF Kelvin
Oil & Gas west of town. 1t is now
up to some oil operator with the
use Of that never failing steel bit
to locate the real Sunburst oil
pool. 1t is here and some cour-
ageous party is going to be well
rewarded for his efforts sooner or
later. 1t will be found.
Eyes, this North Country is still
in its pioneering stage and the
town of Sunburst is included. Who
can predict the magnitude of the
ultimate outcome of this vast oil
and gas empire?"