It's a gusher!

Currently in Rockport, Texas (outside of Corpus Christi)
Heading to Harlingen (near South Padre) next, then on to San Antonio and Austin

The last day we were in Beaumont, we visited the Spindletop museum run by Lamar University.
The Spindletop dome was a mound created by underground salt deposits.  One observant man noticed oil leaking from the salt as it was being harvested.  A few folks drilled a couple of times and...nothing.
Then in early 1901 - the Lucas Gusher hit.  Paydirt.  The oil boom in Texas was on!

Memorial to the Lucas Gusher

The Memorial was on the original site until 1979 but then needed to be moved because the ground it was on was soft and the memorial was sinking.

Folks rushed to Beaumont to make their fortunes.  Clapboard buildings sprung up to service the workers and their families.  The development was named Gladys City after a child known to the man who conceived the layout.

Replica of Gladys City

We learned a bit about life in Beaumont during the turn of the 20th Century.  First, the Barber Shop.

Not only could men get a shave and a hair cut, they could rent the chairs to sleep in overnight since housing was short.  They could even get a tooth pulled here.  Yuck!!

The all important Saloon.

When our Johnny saw this sign, he really thought we were going to sit down to a cold PBR.  Sorry Johnny, the sign is just to give an air of authenticity to the museum village.

A good blacksmith is a necessity during an oil boom - somebody has to keep all the tools working well.  It's this guy.

He really is a blacksmith and the shop is operational.  He volunteers at the museum in the hopes of getting kids interested in being blacksmiths in order to keep the craft alive.

There was a lot more information regarding the importance of photography, printers, and the oil stock exchange.   History lesson for the day!

I then talked Johnny into driving through the Oaks Historic District thinking we would see some older homes like in some of the streets near downtown DG (Downers Grove).  Wrong again.  There were some beautiful older homes open to tours.  But there were also many homes in disrepair.  We enjoyed looking at several lovely homes with varied architecture along with their well manicured lawns and gardens.