Spindletop to Celebrate 125th Anniversary with New Displays

By Bianca Thomas, Staff Writer, The Beaumont Enterprise

  New displays commemorating the 125th anniversary of Spindletop’s oil boom will soon be unveiled as part of a celebration in Beaumont.

  The Beaumont Heritage Society and the Jefferson County Historical Commission will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday at Spindletop Park, located at 5975 Ohio St. Community leaders, local officials, historians and residents are expected to attend the event unveiling the new interpretive panels.

 The interpretive displays will highlight the people, technologies and lasting impacts of the Spindletop oil discovery. The exhibit features historical photographs, firsthand accounts and major milestones from the Spindletop era, creating an educational experience for visitors. The panels will remain on display year-round.

 Judith Linsley, co-author of “Giant Under the Hill: A History of the Spindletop Oil Discovery,” will be present at the ceremony. “The Lucas Gusher changed the course of history, inaugurating a new fuel age,” Linsley said. “This site will preserve this important story for future generations.”

   The event is open to the public and starts at 9:30 a.m. Light refreshments will be served and brief remarks will be given by representatives from Jefferson County.