I have been LOVING the new Taylor Sheridan show “Landman.” Billy Bob Thorton is the perfect actor to play the role of Tommy Norris, VP of Operations AKA the Landman at a West Texas oil company. The whole cast is great, the story is drama-filled with heartfelt moments, a splash of humor, and a pretty awesome soundtrack.
Taylor Sheridan’s ‘Landman’ Strikes Black Gold on Paramount+
If you haven’t heard of it, here’s a trailer from streaming service Paramount+.
Kentucky’s First Landman Earned Title By Accident
A lot of the original oil wells were found by accident. I mean, it even happened to the Beverly Hillbillies. This is what happened in 1818 when landowner, Martin Beatty, hired Marcus Huling and Andrew Zimmerman to drill a well in search of brine. At the time, salt was a valuable mineral, so the brine was evaporated to turn it into salt and then turn the salt into moolah.
Where was Kentucky’s First Oil Well?
According to the University of Kentucky, the property is near the mouth of Oil Creek in what is now the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area in McCreary County. “When drilled to about 200 feet, the well produced commercial quantities of oil, which were shipped in wooden barrels by barge on the Cumberland River.”
Where Was the First Oil Well in the United States?
If you Google that question, you won’t find Kentucky as the answer. Titusville, Pennsylvania is credited with that distinction even though that well wasn’t discovered until 1859 by Colonel Edwin L. Drake. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania notes, “Drake drilled the first well specifically intended to produce oil in Titusville in 1859. His success launched a global industry upon which most of our modern lives depend.”
So even though the oil from Kentucky was sold commercially, the drilling wasn’t initially for that purpose. However, I still think it’s pretty cool that it’s the first documented oil discovery in U.S. history.
