The Great Kennewick Oil Rush
Speculators and geologists descend on the valley as local officials dream of transforming the region into a major manufacturing center.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Kennewick is all stirred up over the gas and oil possibilities. With its terminal rates and excellent rail and water transportation facilities, and the fact that it is located at a great distance from any large city, it has caused visions of a large manufacturing center. State Geologist Landis has completed an investigation and reports all indications favorable for both oil and gas. The present well is now producing 310,000 feet of gas per day, and high-grade paraffin located in the district is a strong indication that both oil and natural gas exist here. The well has been flowing for two years; a sheep herder once touched a match to it and it burned for several months without diminishing the pressure. Ex-Governor M.E. Hay, who holds land in the vicinity, reports that a new company headed by Herbert C. Harris has arrived with a professional drilling outfit, leading many to believe the area will experience a massive oil boom within the year.
“I would not be at all surprised at you people experiencing considerable of an oil boom within the next twelve months.”
This 1916 oil fever highlights the long-standing Washington dream of economic transformation through industrial resource extraction. The 'boom' mentality described here mirrors the intense speculation cycles that have characterized the Columbia Basin for over a century.
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