Lancasters Lease Land to Oil and Gas Developers in Erath County, Texas
Three deeds in a row, almost all identical, tell the story of farmers in Erath County, Texas, who leased a portion of their land for oil and gas exploration in 1915.
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| Oil Well Drill, Texas Patent 732,925 Portal to Texas History |
The company had within a year to demonstrate whether there existed gas or oil in paying quantities in or under the lands, they were to put in a test well and the lease would be valid for five years. If oil or gas was found within that first year, then the lease would remain in effect until the oil or gas was exhausted.
If oil or gas was found, then $200 per year for the gas from each well and “the lessee shall have free gas from any well for domestic uses.” The pipes were to be built underground below plow depth. Wells had to be further than 200 feet from any building. Any crops damaged had to be covered. A yearly fee of $1 was to be paid per acre.
Ebenezer Loveless’ land covered 35 acres, George W. Lancaster’s land covered about 72 acres and William C. Lancaster’s land covered 73.8 acres.
Healdton Oil & Gas Development Co.
To discover more about the exploration of oil and gas in
Erath County, I checked the newspapers in Erath County. I did not find much
except there were many leases for oil and gas drilling but not much detail about
the companies doing it. Here is one article from May 1915 about drilling at
Duffau, which was located east of Alexander, not far from my farming families.
“Oil Men Ready to Bore at Duffau
Messrs. A.T. and C.L. McGee of the Healdton Oil Company,
have been in the Duffau territory several times in the past ten days assisting
Dr. Oxford, A.L. McAnally, E. Bowie and J.C. Laney in leasing up the land here,
preparatory to starting the drilling within the next few days. The work of
leasing has been crowded as fast as possible in order to get the machines in
here at the earliest date. But as we go to press we are informed that some of
the people in the desired territory wanted by the company are still holding out
refusing to lease. This condition is to be regretted very much by the community
at large as the majority of the people of this section have leased gladly and
willingly, but now a few are holding the drilling or testing out of this
territory of indefinitely as ?? of building out their property.”[2]
It seems the newspaper was encouraging the exploration of gas and oil, thinking the area would benefit from a boom in oil and gas production.
Another article, dated from September 1915:
“At 1600 feet oil was struck in the Strawn field in a well
owned by the Healdton people.”[3]
However, Strawn is a place and not a person, located in Palo Pinto County,
north of Erath County.
It’s a Bust
On 25 April 1917, W.J. Oxford of the Healdton Oil and Gas
Company filed in the recorder’s office a cancellation of oil leases throughout
the county. W.C. Lancaster, G.W. Lancaster, and E. Loveless, were among the
many names mentioned in the transaction. They found no oil or gas and thus
surrendered the leases and “declare the lands of each and every one of said
lessors free from the operation of the leases.”[4]
So, the thought that my ancestors made some money with the discovery of oil or gas on their property is all naught. It is interesting though that there were companies who explored many places in Texas searching for oil and gas.
However, in 1919, W.C. Lancaster leased property to H.E. Manning and J.T. Magrude at the rate of $10 per acres for the purpose of mining and operating for oil and gas.[5] Nothing must have come of it, because W.C. Lancaster sold the same land to W.J. Goodman in 1921.[6]
Great stuff can be found when one explores the deed records
of our ancestors.
[1]
Erath Co, Texas, deeds, v. 134, p. 135, lease, E. Loveless & wife to
Healdton Oil & Gas Development Co, 1915. Also, ibid, v. 134, p. 138, lease,
W.C. Lancaster & wife to Healdton Oil & Gas Development, 1915. Also,
ibid, v. 134, p. 139, lease, G.W. Lancaster to Healdton Oil & Gas
Development Co, 1915.
[2] “Oil
Men Ready to Bore at Duffau,” Stephenville Empire, 28 May 1915, p. 6,
col. 3.
[3] No
title, Stephenville Tribune, 10 Sep 1915, p. 4, col. 1.
[4] Erath
Co, Texas, deeds, v. 138, p. 510-13, cancellation of lease, W.J. Oxford to W.C.
Lancaster, G.W. Lancaster, E. Loveless, et al.
[5]
Erath Co, Texas, deeds, v. 161, p. 432, lease, W.C. Lancaster & wife to
H.E. Manning, et al, 1919.
[6]
Erath Co, Texas, deeds, v. 184, p. 444, W.C. Lancaster & wife to W. J.
Goodman, 1921.
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At least they tried to make money from the possibility of oil and gas! It made sense to at least try.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know much about oil and gas exploration before this. Very interesting! Deeds are incredible resources as well as newspapers.
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