The first successful oil well was completed around 1921 and the first successful gas well was completed a year earlier, but the Midwest State No. 1, spudded in 1927 using a standard cable tool rig and found oil on June 13, 1928 at a depth of 4,065 feet is considered to be the well that … Continue reading Oil Discovery In Hobbs
history
Joe Cooper Recalls Youth In Jal Area
Memories of the days when he first came to Lea County were revived by The Jal Flare's special edition in Joe Cooper, who lives ten miles north of Jal. He came here in '10 from Pyote, Texas with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. James M. Cooper, and has lived in this area for the last … Continue reading Joe Cooper Recalls Youth In Jal Area
“New Town” For Lea County, 1934
New Town To Appear On Lea County Map Lea County is to have its "Eldorado." A new town by that name would open up, beginning Tuesday, July 24, projected by L. A. Daniel, who first put Hobbs on the map. "Eldorado is located on the railroad and highway, 16 miles south of Eunice, 8 miles … Continue reading “New Town” For Lea County, 1934
Oil Discovery in Jal
On March 7, 1939, the Jal Flare contained an article that recounted the first oil wells in the area. The first discovery well was a wildcat, the Rhodes #1. Drilled in 1927 by Donley Brothers it produced a gas and sweet oil well that flowed mostly gas and some oil. It was quickly followed by … Continue reading Oil Discovery in Jal
William Standifer Williams and Minnie Alice Anderson Williams
William Standifer Williams was born in the early 1860s in Chattanooga, Tennessee to Samuel Lowry Williams (1807-1898) and Katuriah Taylor Williams (1825-1893), a farming family. His father was one of the earliest Anglo residents of that area and is known as the Father of Chattanooga. William was one of the youngest of some thirteen siblings … Continue reading William Standifer Williams and Minnie Alice Anderson Williams
Pioneer Woman Tells of First Days of Jal
Mrs. A. Q. Cooper First Saw Site of Jal in Eighties Mrs. Cooper first visited Jal at the age of eleven. She came from Palo Pinto. She later went to Chattanooga, Tennessee to attend school. After marrying Mr. A. Q. Cooper in Midland, Texas she moved to Jal in 1896 to make her home. Mrs. … Continue reading Pioneer Woman Tells of First Days of Jal
Creation of Lea County
Governor Lindsey has affixed his signature to the Lea County bill, which creates the twenty-eighth county in New Mexico. Lea county takes a strip off the eastern side of Eddy county, also a big piece from the southeast part of Chaves county and will have an assessed valueation of about $6,000.00. Lovington is named as … Continue reading Creation of Lea County
Rededication of the World War II Memorial Plaque (May 30, 1950)
The formal observance of Memorial Day dates back to around 1868. Before that year, a tradition had developed whereby the graves of the soldiers killed in the Civil War had been decorated with flowers. Since then, poppy flowers have become associated with Memorial Day observances. On Memorial Day, May 30, 1950, Lea County residents honored … Continue reading Rededication of the World War II Memorial Plaque (May 30, 1950)
Joseph C. Lea, Namesake of Lea County
Joseph Calloway Lea was born November 8, 1841 in Cleveland, Tennessee to Dr. Pleasant Lea and Lucinda Francis Calloway Lea who had married three years earlier in Monroe County, Tennessee. Joseph was the second son born to the couple after Thomas C. Lea (1839) and was followed by brothers Franklin Houston Lea (1843), Alfred Erskine … Continue reading Joseph C. Lea, Namesake of Lea County
Opening the Cowboy Hall Of Fame and Western Heritage Museum
Western Heritage on Display at Cowboy Hall of Fame By Sue Seibert A journey into the colorful history of Lea County and the Llano Estacado will shortly become a reality as progress toward completion of the Lea County Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center nears conclusion. The Center, housed on the campus of New … Continue reading Opening the Cowboy Hall Of Fame and Western Heritage Museum
Old Lea County, N.M. 