Unit 10: The Age of Oil
Section Three Notes – Turning Points
in Texas
What is a Turning Point?
Closing of the Open Range
Date: End of the 1880’s
• Before the end of the open range, cattle could
roam free and ranchers could let their herds
drink water and feed on the frontier. Ranchers
could also drive their cattle north to market.
• The invention of barbed wire and the building of
railroad lines deep into the heart of Texas led to
closing of the open range.
• As a result of fencing and the closing of the open
range, cattle drives ended and people began
fighting over land and water rights.
Open Range Continued…
Effects of the Closing of the Open Range:
• Landforms like rivers and aquifers were then
fought over. Who owned the rights to water?
• People were able to move further into west
Texas, and railroads and towns soon followed.
• Cattle drives ended, and ranchers then
transported their cattle on the nearest Texas
railroad.
Railroad Growth After 1870
Date: After 1870
• Texas was always considered a frontier state, with a
smaller population and less available transportation
than other U.S. states.
• Texas knew that if they were ever going to compete
economically with the rest of the country, they
would need a better railroad system that would
connect the large state across rivers, plains, and
hills.
• Around 1870, Texas cities and towns began to set
aside money to build railway lines. Once they were
built, it helped to end cattle drives and the open
range.
Railroad Growth Continued…
• The fact that Texas had many different types of
landforms made travel difficult before the
building of the railroads.
• By 1900, over 10,000 miles of track were laid in
Texas. It helped with the transportation of goods,
people, and news. High scale and commercial
farming became bigger because of the ability to
ship your crops to larger markets on trains.
Creation of the Texas Railroad
Commission
Date: April 3, 1891
• As the railroads expanded, more people and
businesses relied on the railroad industry for all
of their transportation needs. Because of this,
railroads sometimes over-charged people for
their services to make a higher profit.
Creation of the Texas Railroad
Commission Continued…
• The Texas legislature passed a law that
allowed the Texas Railroad Commission to
regulate the rates and operation of the
railroad industry so they wouldn’t be too
powerful.
• The TRC made sure that people were treated
fairly. This is still part of their job today.
Hurricane of 1900
Date: September 8, 1900
• Before the Hurricane of 1900, Galveston was a
prospering city. There were very few government
agencies created to protect citizens from natural
disasters.
• The Hurricane of 1900 almost completely
destroyed the city of Galveston, leaving almost
8,000 people dead. It was considered the
greatest natural disaster in the American 20th
Century.
Hurricane of 1900 Continued…
• After the hurricane, the people of Galveston tried
desperately to rebuild. They worked to build an allweather bridge so that they would always be able to
reach the mainland. They also pumped sand into the
city from the ocean floor to raise the city’s sea level.
• Today, Galveston is a major port for cruise ships.
The bridge that was built has improved
transportation. Because of this hurricane,
communications and government response during
and after natural disasters have been improved.
Spindletop
Date: January 10, 1901
• Oil was used for kerosene in the 1800’s, but it had
few other uses. Before Spindletop, many people
looked for oil in Texas, but not much was found.
• Patillo Higgins, a wildcatter, believed that oil would
be found under Spindletop Hill. It was a hill
surrounded by low plains. They struck oil on Jan.
10th.
• After Spindletop, many people moved to Beaumont
to try to make money off the oil boom.
Spindletop Continued…
• Patillo Higgins had a hunch that oil would be
found under Spindletop Hill because of the shape
of the land. The hill was surrounded by low
plains.
• Over 500 oil companies, such as Texaco, were
formed within months of Spindletop. Then an
man named C.M. “Dad” Joiner made the biggest
oil discovery in the history of Texas. All of this led
to the Texas Oil Boom, a boost in the Texas
economy, and a development of cities and
industries.
C.M. “Dad” Joiner
• He got his nickname for being known as the
“Father” of the East Texas oil field that he
discovered. The East Texas oil field stretched
from Henderson and Kilgore to Longview and
Gladewater. By 1938, he alone was worth $3
million, but sadly, he lost most of his wealth
before he died.
Completion of the Houston Ship
Channel
Date: 1914
• Houston was a growing city near the coast of
Texas, but it was still difficult to get people and
goods on ships through Buffalo Bayou’s narrow
waterways.
• In 1914, the Houston Ship Channel was
complete, and the waterways of Buffalo Bayou
were deepened and widened for larger ships to
sail through.
Completion of the Houston Ship
Channel Continued…
• The completion of the Houston Ship Channel
led to a population boom in the area. Oil
refineries and factories were soon built near
the channel so that the companies could be
close to the new transportation route.
The Spanish-American War
In 1895, the Cubans started a revolution against
Spain for their freedom. America supported
their fight for independence, especially after it
was suspected that Spain destroyed the U.S.
battleship Maine that was docked in Havana
Harbor in 1898. This event caused America to
declare war on Spain. People from all over
America came to Texas to train at military bases,
with the weather being similar to Cuba’s.
The Rough Riders
Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, later a
U.S. President, came to Texas to recruit and train
troops. Men of all ages joined his 1st U.S.
Volunteer Cavalry. Known as the Rough Riders,
his teamed trained in San Antonio and were the
first U.S. troops to land in Cuba. They became
famous for their defeat of Spanish troops at the
Battle of San Juan Hill.
Results of the Spanish-American War
U.S. forces fought Spain in Cuba, the Philippines,
and Puerto Rico. After defeating Spain and
winning the war, the U.S. gained control of all
those islands. Winning this war really expanded
America’s foreign power in world politics. Also,
Texas continued to play an important role in the
training of U.S. troops for battle.
Events Leading to World War I
When World War I began in Europe in 1914, the
Allied Powers – Great Britain, France, and Russia
– were fighting the Central Powers – Germany,
Austria-Hungary, and Turkey. Most Americans
wanted to stay neutral, but Germany then sank a
British passenger ship called the Lusitania, killing
1,198 passengers, including 128 Americans.
Germany also promised Mexico to help them gain
back their lost land from the U.S., including Texas.
This made us declare war on Germany on April 6,
1917.
American and Texan Involvement in
World War I
Once war was announced, many Americans
volunteered, including 200,000 Texans. Before
going to fight in Europe, many soldiers came to
Texas to train. World War I was a dangerous and
bloody war. Still, four Texans won Congressional
Medals of Honor for their bravery in World War I.
President Wilson had many advisors who
were from Texas, including Edward M. House of
Austin.
Economic and Social Effects of World
War I
In order to help out the soldiers overseas, many
Texans purchased war bonds to raise money for the war
and gave up certain foods so that more food could be left
for the men fighting. Texas’ oil, agricultural, and lumber
industries production increased. There was almost
full employment in Texas at this time because of the
wartime economy. Women became more involved
in agriculture and business with the men gone. But
at the same time, Germans in Texas faced
discrimination. More than 5000 Texans died before
Germany surrendered in 1918.
World War I Leads to World War II
After World War I, Germany and Italy were left
crippled. The people of these countries felt
desperate for leadership and soon turned to a
new form of government known as fascism,
which allows for a very strong central
government led by one individual. Under
fascism, the needs of the nation are more
important than that of individual people. Adolf
Hitler of Germany and Benito Mussolini of Italy
began to expand their military forces.