A gusher. That’s what they called it. The Santa Rita No 1 Oil Well.
Here we stand before the very spot where history was made. In the early hours of May 28 1923 this unassuming well roared to life. It sprayed oil 250 yards across the West Texas landscape. The Santa Rita No 1 wasn’t just any well. It proved oil existed in the Permian Basin. This discovery transformed West Texas. It was the beginning of a boom.
The story of the Santa Rita No 1 began long before that momentous day. It started with Rupert Ricker a University of Texas graduate. He saw potential in 431360 acres of state land. He wanted to lease it for oil exploration. He needed $43136 to pay the filing fee. Ricker couldn’t find investors. He sold his idea to Frank Pickrell an army friend.
Pickrell and Haymon Krupp faced the same problem. They couldn’t raise enough money to drill. They sold certificates of interest. They raised over $100000. This funded the drilling of the Santa Rita No 1. They named it after the saint of the impossible. That’s because many thought finding oil here was impossible.
Carl Cromwell an experienced driller was hired. For 646 days he and Dee Locklin worked tirelessly. They averaged only 47 feet of drilling per day. They worked near the Orient Railroad tracks. Their families lived in tents nearby. Finally on May 27 1923 they struck oil. They saw gas bubbles. They knew they’d found something significant. They left to lease surrounding land. The next morning the Santa Rita No 1 gushed.
The well attracted major oil companies. Mike Benedum helped prove the area was rich in oil. The Santa Rita No 1 was only a small beginning. It led to huge oil production in the Permian Basin. In 1940 the rig was moved to the University of Texas campus in Austin. It commemorates the transformation of the university. The royalties from the well funded the University of Texas and Texas A&M University for decades. The Santa Rita No 1 was finally plugged in 1990 after 67 years of production. But its legacy lives on. The Santa Rita No 1 changed Texas forever. It stands as a testament to perseverance. It shows what can be achieved when people believe in the impossible. This is the Santa Rita No 1 Oil Well. A symbol of Texas ambition and ingenuity.