A forest of oil well derricks at Sour Lake, Texas

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The resort town of Sour Lake, 20 miles northwest of Beaumont, was transformed into an oil boom town when a gusher was hit in 1902. By 1912, overdrilling had already caused the field pressure to decline drastically.

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W.D. Hornaday Collection, Prints and Photographs Collection, Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission. 1975/70-3632.