Spindletop to Port Arthur Oil Pipeline Corridor

On January 10, 1901, the landscape of Texas changed forever. On that day, the Lucas Gusher came through at the Spindletop oilfield, discovered on a salt dome formation near Beaumont. Flowing at an estimated 100,000 barrels a day, the Lucas Gusher marked the beginning of a Texas oil boom that would last for decades. Many of the nation's biggest oil companies, including the Texas Company (Texaco), Gulf Oil Corporation, Sun Oil Corporation, Magnolia Petroleum Company and Humble (Exxon company), began at Spindletop. Capitalizing on the vast new oilfield, the Port Arthur Townsite and Land Company, which had been creating infrastructure for a railroad and shipping terminal city, deeded an oil pipeline right-of-way to James M. Guffey and John H. Galey. The line transported oil from the Spindletop oilfield to Guffey's refinery, which became the Gulf Refining Company of Texas. Within three years, more than 500 miles of oil pipelines had been constructed in southeast Texas. Further expansion by Guffey's company linked Port Arthur to oilfields in Oklahoma, and his refinery became one of the largest in the United States. Area oil pipelines boosted both the Texas and U.S. economies with new businesses, technology and other advances. The pipelines enabled companies to collect and refine Texas oil reserves, and Port Arthur's location allowed product to be delivered quickly around the country. The Texas petroleum industry played a large role in U.S. involvement in both world wars and helped establish the nation as a 20th-century superpower. (2004)

Spindletop to Port Arthur Oil Pipeline Corridor is a historical marker in Port Arthur, Jefferson County, dedicated in 2004. It is one of 109 historical markers documented in Jefferson County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 137 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.8965, -94.0059 near Port Arthur. The nearest cataloged historic site is Early Texas Oil Pipelines (historical marker), about 1.6 miles away. Others within a short drive include Oil Tanker Service, Rock Island Baptist Church, and Israel Chapel A. M. E. Church.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5245013118. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.