The East Texas Oil Field transformed Gregg County

In 1931, oil was discovered in the East Texas field — one of the most productive petroleum finds ever made in the United States. Gregg County sat at the heart of the field, which stretched across parts of several East Texas counties. The county’s population shot from about 16,000 to over 100,000 in a matter of weeks as workers and speculators flooded in.

At peak production, around 1933, nearly 12,000 wells operated in the field. Ninety-five refineries were eventually built to handle the output. Bank deposits, post office receipts, and freight shipments all surged. New roads, schools, hospitals, and a courthouse were built in the early 1930s as tax revenues soared. The Texas Railroad Commission eventually imposed production limits to prevent overproduction and stabilize prices. This history is detailed in the Handbook of Texas.