Big Lake

History

In 1919, Rupert Ricker began the process of leasing 674 sections of University of Texas land, part of their Permanent University Fund. Unable to fund any test wells, Ricker sold the prospect to Frank Pickrell and Haymon Krupp, who organized the Texon Oil and Land Company. The company geologist, Hugh H. Tucker, picked the drill site, claiming a structure wide and long. The initial drill site was about west of Big Lake, north of the Orient Railroad tracks at what became Texon. They hired Carl G. Cromwell to spud the first test well in 1921, using cable tools. On the afternoon of 27 May, oil showed in the bailer. Then, on the morning of 28 May 1923, the Santa Rita No. 1 gushed oil after drilling to a depth of . Initial production was 100 BOPD, which overflowed the earthen tanks, and then onto the ground for over a month before casing could set. The oil was then shipped by tank car to a refinery in El Paso. Michael Late Benedum bought the Texon find, and formed the Big Lake Oil Company, in October 1923. By 1924, Benedum had established the Big Lake oil field as the first major oil field in the Permian Basin. In 1926, this field had 74 wells producing a total of 32,317 BOPD.

Geography

Big Lake is located at (31.193908, –101.458834). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. Big Lake was served by the Kansas City, Mexico, and Orient Railway, and continues to be served by its successor Texas Pacifico Transportation.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  126
• White-winged Dove

  Zenaida asiatica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  118
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  116
• Eurasian Collared-Dove

  Streptopelia decaocto (Frivaldszky, 1838) · Aves
  108
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  93
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  91
• Great-tailed Grackle

  Quiscalus mexicanus (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  91
• Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

  Tyrannus forficatus (Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  82

Largest nearby schools

• REAGAN COUNTY EL
  Elementary · BIG LAKE · 424 students · 11.8:1 ratio
• REAGAN COUNTY H S
  High · BIG LAKE · 226 students · 9.8:1 ratio
• REAGAN COUNTY MIDDLE
  Middle · BIG LAKE · 151 students · 7.9:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.7 — 2026-09-08
  25 km SW of Garden City, Texas
• M 3.6 — 2026-09-05
  26 km SW of Garden City, Texas
• M 2.5 — 2026-08-15
  37 km SSE of Midland, Texas
• M 2.6 — 2026-08-13
  21 km W of Garden City, Texas
• M 2.8 — 2026-08-01
  23 km SW of Garden City, Texas
• M 2.7 — 2026-08-01
  24 km SW of Garden City, Texas