East Texas Oil Field
HENDERSON (1930) On this date in 1930, oilman Columbus Marion Joiner struck oil when the Daisy Bradford No. 3 blew near Henderson in East Texas. Other wells just miles away also began to strike oil. Soon, everyone realized that they were all sitting on the largest oil field in the world. 
Within two years over 100 wells per day were brought into production, many lined up side by side. Kilgore had 1,100 wells within the city limits, an on one 1.2 acre section near downtown, produced more than 2.5 million barrels of oil. In all, the East Texas Oil Field has produced over 5.2 billion barrels of oil, and still counting. 
Joiner, being the father of the East Texas Oil Field, was given the nickname "Dad" Joiner. Ten years later, beset with financial problems, Dad Joiner was forced to sell his oil wells and royalties to H L Hunt, who later became a billionaire. Joiner died in Dallas with a very modest net worth. Much of the JR Ewing/Cliff Barnes feud in the television series "Dallas" was based on the Hunt/Joiner rivalry of the 1930s.

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