First Producing Gas Well in McMullen County and First Gas Pipeline to San Antonio

The gas came first and the oil followed. A 1915 oil seep found by Charles Byrne's son on the Frio River had already hinted at it, and in 1922 the first major oil strike came on Joseph T. Calliham's ranch. County production climbed from 10,000 barrels in 1930 to 225,000 in 1934 and 748,000 in 1940. It reached 1,335,000 barrels in 1968, and about 77 million barrels had been pumped by the end of 1989. Ranching remained the other base of the county's economy, but oil kept the boom going long after the Stephenson well blew in.

What the plaque says

First Producing Gas Well in McMullen County and First Gas Pipeline to San Antonio Thirty years before the first producing gas well was drilled in this county, traces of salt water, sulphur, gas, and oil in water wells gave hints of the presence of petroleum here. For years wildcat drilling went on, but with only moderate success. Then in 1908, a well on Charles Byrne's land began to blow warm sulphur water and gas 120 feet into the air every 8 days, arousing much interest. After this discovery, Byrne, a promoter, set out to locate capitalists to develop his petroleum deposits. Armed with a picture of the gusher and a bottle of area oil, he attracted the attention of W.M. "Bee" Stephenson, his sons Light and Donald, and others. The well they drilled here in 1917-1918, on the Tom Brown Tract, blew in at 816 feet with 62,000,000 cubic feet of natural gas a day, but for 3 months it spewed out of control because of the intense subsurface pressure and inadequate equipment. After other producers were drilled, W.M. Stephenson arranged to pipe gas to San Antonio, 68 miles north, in 1922. Among those joining this enterprise was H.A. Pagenkopf, Wichita Falls oil man. Thus petroleum took a leading role in the economy of McMullen County. 1970

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Choke Canyon State Park — 0.3 mi
  A reservoir state park on the Frio River in two units, built after a 1982 dam, with birds, alligators and fishing on land people have crossed for more than 10,000 years.

More markers nearby

• Calliham — steps away
• Townsite of Wentz — 5.8 mi
• Yarbrough Bend — 5.8 mi
• Site Planned for a Regional Trade Center: Simmons, Texas — 6.6 mi