The Great Texas Oil Boom of the 1920s created a demand for labor like never before. As many as 24 different horizontal drilling operations sprouted up in the last years of the decade. The boom, however, would soon end.
And when it did, so did the careers of some well known oilmen. At least that’s what we think – perhaps they just took a different path to something greater?
The world has changed so much since those days, and one man’s life certainly changes when he leaves his home and moves to greener pasture far away. A lot can change in four short decades; these are just some examples from country brazos vs pecos .
The Great Texas Oil Boom – the beginning
It’s the year 1920 and the country is in the midst of a once-in-a-lifetime oil boom. Oil companies are racing to exploit the huge deposits of crude oil that were previously unknown and uneconomic.
They are looking for ways to extract these deposits and make a profit. One man is at the forefront of this new industry. He is controversial, to say the least, but also hugely important. His name is Nelson W. Aldrich. Aldrich was born into a prominent family in Rhode Island in 1857.
He studied political economy at Harvard University, where he became involved in Republican politics. He then went to work for some of the most important Republicans of his day.
He was the assistant secretary of the US Department of Treasury under President Theodore Roosevelt, who made him a special assistant on the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). In 1913, he became a member of the Rockefeller’s Board of Directors, which was then the most powerful board in the US. Aldrich was an influential member of the Republican party.
At the time, the oil industry was a completely new idea and the whole concept of an alternative fuel source was pretty much a pipe dream.
However, by the early years of the 20th century, technology had progressed to the stage where it was being seriously discussed.
Rural life changes for the better
In the 1920s, rural life was very different from today. People lived in small towns or rural areas, close to where they had grown up. They were likely to have been born in the same town, or nearby, and they were close with their family and friends.
There were not many strangers because people knew each other and generally knew their neighbours too. Each town had its own traditions and laws, which were different from other towns. In the 1920s, however, rural life did change for the better.
Not only was there the booming oil industry to provide jobs, but there were also cars and other new inventions that improved people’s lives. Electricity was being used more and more in cities, and people could now watch TV and listen to the radio.
This meant that people didn’t have to be stuck in the same small town all the time. They could travel to other towns to find new jobs, new friends, and new activities.
Decision to move to city
During the boom, rural areas saw an influx of young workers looking for work and a better life for their families. As a result, the rural population decreased in some areas and increased in others.
For instance, Texas saw a huge influx of people from other parts of the country. This caused many people to decide to move to the big cities. In Texas, many people found work in the booming oil industry.
Soon, people realized that if they wanted to get a good job, they should move to the city. People who decided to move to the city could find work in a variety of different fields. Many of these jobs were related to the booming oil industry.
In fact, there were many people who decided to move to the city because they wanted to get a job in the oil industry. They saw it as a good opportunity to make a lot of money.
Wartime career for young men
The boom created a huge demand for labor. Farmers, loggers, and other people who had worked on their own land were put out of work, as mechanization took their jobs away.
Those who didn’t have jobs were forced to look for work in the cities or on the farms of their relatives. This created a problem, as there were no jobs for all these people. The boom also saw the birth of large cities, which meant that people had to move away from small towns or rural areas.
This was also true for young men who wanted to make a better life for themselves and their families.
South of the river and north of the border
The boom was short-lived, and it ended abruptly in the early 1930s when the price of oil dropped below $2 a barrel. This caused a lot of pain, and many people lost their jobs. The Great Depression was also a factor.
This was a time when people were scared and looking for answers. Many turned to religion and some believed that there was a link between the oil industry and the “evil influences” of the 1920s.
A lot of people were also angry at how the oil companies had made their money in the first place – they were angry at the unfair advantages the companies had. This anger led to laws that made it harder for oil companies to make money.
The end of an era, the start of a new one and lessons learned
The boom was short-lived and very powerful, but it had an important impact on Texas. The population increased, and the state became a leader in oil production. The population also became more urbanized, and the cities became centers of culture and business.
The oil industry also created many jobs in other industries that depended on oil, such as railroads and shipping. The oil industry also played a role in the development of state government. The boom also had an important impact on Texas politics. It led to the election of many politicians who were connected to the oil industry, such as Lyndon Baines Johnson.
This helped to shape the state’s future, but the boom also had an impact on the country, as people became more aware of environmental issues. This led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other environmental protection laws.
Summary
The 1920s saw the beginning of the great Texas oil boom. This boom was short-lived, but it led to many changes in Texas, such as the influx of people to the state, the rise of cities, and the creation of the oil industry. The boom also had an impact on Texas politics, as it led to the election of many oil-connected politicians.
