The story begins with a well drilled into a salt dome in the Beaumont area in far southeast Texas. On January 10, 1901 a Captain Lucas was in a local store when the shopkeeper received a frantic call from Lucas’ wife telling him that the well the Captain was drilling a few miles away had “spouted” and blown out. The well site known as the Lucas No. 1 was located in a place called Spindletop. Lucas quickly drove his horse and buggy to the wellsite where he could see a steady stream of black liquid spewing out of the hole, settling on the derrick and other equipment.
TEXAS HISTORY NOTEBOOK 