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Farms, Hogs and the Conroe Oil Boom

by Robin Montgomery
 
When George W. Strake hit a mother lode of oil on 5 June 1932, the great Conroe Oil Field was born. Repercussions for Conroe and Montgomery County were mind-boggling. The City of Conroe, bent low at
the time by the depression blanketing the country, almost overnight became transformed, assuming the label of “The Miracle City.” But served negatively were many residents living in the midst of the third largest oil field in the nation. A sampling of the impressions of these residents was recorded in a column by Allison Sanders of the Houston Press in March 1933.

“Daggone it, anyway . . .how come these fellers want to come in heah an’ mess up Montgomery County this way?”, lamented one of the respondents of Sander’s survey.  He furthermore lamented, “It was a good
country . . . . The land would grow anything—after the trees had been cleared away. Now look at it. Spoiled!”        
 
Another respondent to the Sander’s interview observed, “They sure ruined this country for farmin’.” He then added,  “I’ve got two producin’ wells, one drillin’, and another located on my land.” But he was yet disquieted, elaborating thusly,“but I’m figgerin’ on movin’ on somewhere else.”  As further basis for complaint the respondent revealed that, “They’ve trampled over all my fields, broke down all my fences. Why ‘fore these oil men came I had 300 head o’ hogs runnin’ through these woods.”Then he gave his supposition of what had happened to the hogs, “They’ve mostly been [eaten] now.” ” As to how he arrived
at that conclusion, he surmised, “I reckon [this is so for] I didn’t eat ‘em.”

For many of the early settlers, then, the oil boom broke the happy rhythm of their existence. It limited their access to deer and bear and the freedom to roam and raise their families in peace. But the pioneers of the pre-oil boom days were a hardy lot. Their legacy is a thriving area characterized by visionaries who, while celebrating their colorful past, are creating a future the envy of much of the rest of our state and country. 
 
The author’s special thanks to Don Granger of Grangerland for the article referenced.

Thank you.


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