Seminole Oil Field Camps

Abstract

A TYPE of agglomeration peculiar to any petroleum producing area is the oil field camp. Many of the producing oil fields of the world, and particularly those of the Mid-Continent area, were discovered in regions of sparse to moderate settlement. In such areas, when oil is discovered, there is no place to house the incoming population. In the Greater Seminole Area, of east central Oklahoma (Figure 1), towns and cities had not developed where the discovery wells were drilled. In 1920 Seminole, Earlsboro, Maud, and Konawa were small villages of less than 1,000 population. Wewoka, the largest village in the producing area, had a population of only 1,520. . Since these villages were serving only as small trade centers for the farmers of the area, they did not increase in size a great deal, if at all, between 1920 and July 1, 1926. Between July 1, 1926 and January 1, 1927, four of the world's largest producing oil fields, Seminole City, Bowlegs, Earlsboro, and Searight, were discovered. All were centered in the area about Seminole and Earlsboro. With the discovery of oil came thousands of people seeking work. The housing facilities of the villages within the area were taxed beyond capacity. The roustabouts, drillers, and roughnecks were mostly single men who needed only rooms in which to live, but the permanent employees, such as pumpers, pipeline walkers, and gang bosses, were married men who desired to bring their families with them. Since the villages could not supply homes for these families, it was necessary for the oil companies to do so.