Major discovery of oil in Magnolia, Arkansas on June 8, 1922
Thousands of producing wells would spring up over the next decade.
MONROE, La. (KNOE) - On June 8, 1922 oil was discovered near Magnolia, Arkansas. While it was not the first oil discovery in south Arkansas, the find led to an increased confidence that oil deposits were plentiful in the region.
On July 1, 1922, an independent wildcatter struck oil near the border of Union and Ouachita Counties. Within six months, a thousand wells had been dug in the area.
The “black gold” brought thousands to south Arkansas looking for their fortune. Magnolia, Smackover, and El Dorado saw a huge population surge.
Ten counties in Arkansas would eventually produce oil: Ashley, Bradley, Calhoun, Columbia, Hempstead, Lafayette, Miller, Nevada, Ouachita, and Union.
By the end of the decade, thousands of wells dotted the south Arkansas landscape. The boom came to an end by the late 20’s, but the industry continued.
Twelve major pools were discovered between 1936 and 1947. Production between 1939 and 1967 stayed around 20 million barrels of oil each year. During World War II, the production hit more than 30 million barrels in 1944 and 1945.
The Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources located just outside of Smackover has documented the history of the oil industry in the region.
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