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Bridgetown
When the northwest extension of the
Burkburnett oil field opened in 1919, prospectors thronged
this area. Bridgetown sprang up at the Texas end of a mile-long
Red River toll bridge built for oil field traffic. It became
the largest and wealthiest of 12 communities that mushroomed
in this area during rivalry among major oil companies and
independent producers. Lease values rose from $0 to $20,000
an acre. A city of tent, shanties and a few substantial structures,
Bridgetown had a long main street with a mission church at
one end and a saloon at the other. Its post office opened
July 15, 1920. The population in the early 1920's was estimated
at 3,500 to 10,000. Litigation over river bed oil rights caused
the U.S. Supreme Court to station a receiver in the town.
He was Frederick A. Delano, uncle of future President Franklin
D. Roosevelt. With aid from Texas Rangers, Delano and other
leaders invoked law and order.
In a few years oil yields diminished,
and the jail, theaters, dance halls, and gambling houses vanished.
By 1929 only 100 inhabitants remained. By 1931 the bridge
was down. The post office closed in 1935. Afterward the site
of the makeshift oil "capital" reverted to range
and agriculture use. |
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Burkburnett
One of the most famous Texas boom towns
name was given to post office at request of President T. R.
Roosevelt after his 1905 wolf hunt with rancher Burk Burnttt
in this area. Townsite was laid out in 1907 by Joseph A. Kemp
and Frank Kell, surveyors and promoters of Wichita Falls &
Northwestern railroad. First oil discovery was Chris Schmoker
No. 1 in 1912.
A 2,200-barrel gusher was brought in
on S. L. Fowler farm about a mile from this site July 29,
1918 by a company formed by Fowler, his brother W. D. Cline
and J. I. Staley. In 3 months 200 wells had been completed
in Burkburnett townsite. A forest of derricks, money and oil
flowed freely. A bank capitalized at $25,000 got monthly revenue
of $10,000 from a well drilled at its back door. The town's
population jumped from 1,500 to 15,000 in a year. Boom area
was extended by finds on properties of Burk-Waggoner Company
and by Kemp-Munger-Allen operations to the southwest.
Town was made world famous in 1941
by the movie "Boomtown" filmed from a popular story
entitled "Lady Comes to Burkburnett".
Economy is dependent on agriculture
and oil. An important neighbor is Sheppard Air Force Base. |
