It's a Gusher....Luling Oil Museum

Since Luling is a big oil town, it only makes sense to visit the Oil Museum. The museum and the Chamber of Commerce share space.

Once known as "the toughest town in Texas", Luling was established in 1874 as tar western stop of the Sunset Branch of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Almost overnight, the town grew as tents filled every vacan area with roughnecks and their families. It was nicknamed "Rag Town" as it came with every kind of good and bad.....makeshift saloons, restaurants and even a shooting gallery as entertainment.

The museum starts with displays of old business's and a history film.

Lots of town history here with lots of photos to make it come alive.

You can also see recreated business's.

Farmers and their families were just responding to the changes a railroad brings when their lives were completely changed by the discovery of oil.

In 1922, Edgar B. Davis brought in Rafael Rios #1 which proved to be part of one of the most significant oil fields ever discovered in the southwest. Perhaps his greatest discovery was the Edwards Lime. It set off vigorous exploration to find the lucrative shallow production. Almost overnight, Luling was transformed from a railroad town of 500 to an oil town of 5000.

The museum was founded in 1990 as a non-profit, educational foundation to share history with the public. The museum houses tools used in the oil industry and examples of oil production technology from the past. It traces the development of the oil industry in Luling and the Central Texas area through artifacts and documents

Salt domes form from salt water flowing the top of pipe risers.

E. Vern Woolsey was the only geologist who supported drilling in the Luling area.

Did you know that Texas was once covered by ocean?

 

The museum was very interesting and worth your time. The price is right too.....free. We learned a lot about Mr Davis and the whole oil industry in the Luling area.