Linne Oil Field
Historical marker location:The oil discovery in this field in 1955 was the most extensive and significant in the area. It was preceded, however, by several earlier strikes. Maple C. Hughes, a wealthy rice farmer from Louisiana, drilled the Austin Chalk formation on property owned by Fritz Mueller, striking oil in 1953. At the time, it was the largest oil find in the area, and soon speculators and oil drilling companies came to Wilson County in search of quick wealth.
On the heels of the Mueller discovery, the L.H.&S.A. Olson Drilling Co. of Midland leased acreage from merchant Oscar W. Linne that had been part of the Old Polley Plantation. The company found oil on April 1, 1955, on what would be named Linne Poth A Sand Field. The discovery dwarfed other finds in the area. By the next year, the company completed over 30 wells in the field that yielded high quality oil.
The Linne oil discovery had a profoud impact on the economy of Wilson County. Although dating later than most major oil finds in Texas, this one still led to a similar economic boom for the discovery area. The county's population grew as businessmen flooded in and discovered additional fields. More importantly, the impact was long-lasting. From 1967 to 1968, Linne Field produced another 25 wells as the oil industry continued to grow. Additionally, O.W. Linne Well No. 1 was still producing over 50 years after its initial founding, and the field has supplied millions of barrels of oil over the years, continuing to be an important source of tax revenue for Wilson County. (2006).