On January 10, 1901, a drilling derrick at Spindletop Hill near
Beaumont, Texas, produced an enormous gusher of crude oil,
coating the landscape for hundreds of feet and signaling the
advent of the American oil industry. The geyser was discovered
at a depth of over 1,000 feet, flowed at an initial rate of almost
100,000 barrels a day and took nine days to cap. Following the
discovery, petroleum, which until that time had been used in
the U.S. primarily as a lubricant and in kerosene for lamps,
would become the main fuel source for new inventions such
as cars and airplanes; coal-powered forms of transportation
including ships and trains would also convert to the liquid fuel.

A drilling crew takes a break atop Spindletop Hill in Beaumont,
Texas.