The East Texas Oilfield Changed This County Forever

On October 3, 1930, wildcatter Columbus Marion "Dad" Joiner struck oil on the Daisy Bradford farm in western Rusk County. That well, known as the Bradford No. 3, opened the East Texas Oilfield — described by the Texas State Historical Association as the largest and most prolific oil reservoir in the contiguous United States. The field spans parts of five counties, with Rusk County at its core.

The boom changed everything. Henderson's population grew from about 3,000 in 1930 to 10,000 by 1933. Rusk County's total population roughly doubled in six years as workers, wildcatters, and businesses poured in. New towns sprang up almost overnight. By 1993, cumulative production from the field exceeded five billion barrels. Oil and natural gas remain a major part of the local economy today.