Corsicana — An oil city

By Gelene Simpson

June 09, 2008 11:55 pm

— Yesterday, June 9, was important in 1894 here in Corsicana. It was the day that the first major oil discovery in the state was made, according to the calendar published by the Texas House of Representatives, 2008. If you think that water is a big issue in these parts now, then you should have been here in the 1890s because the city council of Corsicana and the fire chief F.N. Drane were mulling over the problem even then. Nothing would do but for the council to hire some drillers. The drillers turned out to be H.G. Johnston, E.H. Akins and C. Rittersbacher from Saline, Kan. These men had a good reputation. But instead of cool, clear, water, they got oil! And, picture this — the residents of Corsicana were not happy. They had ordered water and this black stuff would not do to drink.
Of course, the attitude changed when money started rolling in and many uses for the oil were found. One of them was for a way to settle the dust on the streets and make black muddy roads more passable. One of these roads ran in front of our house — South 18th in the 194Os. Oil has a very strong smell, especially in the summer when the hot sun brings it almost to a boil. And bare feet cannot withstand the scalding effect. But it was better than nothing.
I was not alive in 1923 to see when the J.K. Hughes-McKie No. 1 well came in and caught fire almost immediately. But Jane Dunn Taylor made a real study of the details about the beginning of the oil industry in Corsicana, and I read pages 24 to 29 in “Navarro County History Vol. I,” compiled by Wyvonne Putman, 1975.
What interests me most about this terrible fire was that the billowing smoke could be seen at night as far as Hubbard. That means that it would definitely have been visible seven miles south of Dawson where I am situated.
This fact calls up many mental images of oil storage tanks catching fire in the Magnolia tank farm across from my childhood home. Mother would make sure that we were up and dressed, ready to make our escape if necessary. We never actually had to leave the house, but I’m sure we lived it over and over in our imagination.
If you are thinking that Corsicana has been just a sleepy little town throughout its history, it’s just not so. We still have people alive who remember that many Saturdays in their youth were spent going up and down Beaton Street meeting and greeting friends. It is said that people would even cut through the alleys to avoid the press of the crowd.
Some say that it was a wonder that people in Corsicana during the boom years didn’t go completely wild. Strong leaders in the government of the town prevented that outcome. One of these leaders was the District Judge Hawkins Scarborough. I never knew him, but his daughter Ann Scarborough Johnson was one of my favorite teachers in the sixth grade at William B. Travis Elementary School. The Texas Rangers came in to help from time to time. Once there were as many as 158 people incarcerated in the old jail. Talk about crowded!
When I was growing up, one of the places Daddy worked was the Oil City Iron Works. It has a long history. Yes, Corsicana was and is a city that oil built, and many of the longtime supporters of the city benefited from those early oil years.
No one can say that Corsicana doesn’t have one of the best art complexes of any town its size. The Warehouse Theatre, the Palace Theatre, Martin’s Music Hall and the number of artists close by make this area one of the best places to live for people who love creativity and entertainment.
Think of Navarro College. Just driving through the campus gives me a thrill. And events at The Cook Center compare favorably with anything else I have seen in a town in the area.
But back to the subject of water. In 1923, Mayor J.8. Eubank and the city made a profit from selling water from Lake Halbert to the oil companies. From this money came a new county jail without the necessity of levying a tax.
But you never can tell what will happen when dealing with water. Wells have a way of drying up. As we have seen of late, lakes can shrink to almost nothing with a couple of months without rain. We may think when gasoline is so expensive that it is an absolute “must.” But think again. Water is necessary for human life itself! If you don’t have gasoline, you surely better have plenty of water. Cool, clear water! W-A-T-E-R!!!
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Gelene Simpson is a Daily Sun columnist. Her column appears on Tuesdays.

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