1930: Not a good year

1930: Not a good year

    The OHS Bronchos had a 1-6-1 season in 1930.

    Odessa Golf Club: In March, the Odessa Golf Club was organized with 21 members, and construction began on the town's first golf course, located a mile east of town on an 80-acre strip of land along the Bankhead highway. The nine-hole, 3,145-yard course, which also included a clubhouse and swimming pool, was completed in mid-April.

    Oil well fire: In late April, the Skelly-Amerada No 1. University oil well caught fire after it was shot with nitroglycerin. The blaze began when rocks, forced out of the hole by an explosive gush of oil, struck the steel crown block and produced sparks. As sparks ignited the stream of oil, it became a fiery geyser that took a hundred men working round the clock nearly 26 hours to extinguish. The blaze caused $40,000 in damage to the site, but fortunately no one was injured.

    Cowden discovery well: The Southern Crude Oil completed the J.M. Cowden discovery well in September. The company leased 3,200 acres from the J.M. Cowden estate in October 1925. At that time, the nearest producing wells were more than 100 miles away in Reagan County. The investment paid off, though. The J.M. Cowden Number One well initially produced 272 barrels per day, but increased to more than 700 barrels a day after the well was shot with nitroglycerin in January 1934. Since the Cowden field initially lacked a pipeline system, major development of the oilfield did not occur right away, despite many promising discoveries. By the end of 1937, North Cowden had drilled 127 wells with a combined potential of 35,482 barrels per day. During the subsequent year, 24 new wells were completed, increasing production potential to 128,177 barrels per day.

    Headlines

    * Odessa first appears in the U.S. Census, showing a population of 2,407. Ector County had 3,958 residents, which made its population less than that of Wink, which reported 3,983. Midland's population was 5,484.

    * The 1930 census shows that 122.8 million people are living in the United States.

    * Legislature adopts "Friendship" as the Texas state motto.

    * Architect Henry Charles Trost designs El Paisano Hotel in Marfa. Trost also designed the San Angelo City Hall in 1928.

    * In off-year elections, Republicans lose their majority in the House of Representatives and their edge in the Senate is decreased to one vote, 48-47. The GOP had controlled both houses of Congress since 1918.

    * As the nation's economic crisis deepens, the Bank of the United States closes in December. National unemployment is estimated at 4.5 million.

    * Writer Dashiell Hammett publishes "The Maltese Falcon."

    * Astronomers identify the ninth planet, Pluto, whose existence had been predicted by mathematicians.

    * The American Lutheran Church is formed in Toledo, Ohio.

    * Legendary golfer Bobby Jones announces retirement after a phenomenal year in which he won the British and U.S. Open tournaments and the British and U.S. Amateur titles.

Click here for 1930 Stats