Eagle story
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The document summarizes the story behind an historical marker located on Highway 83 between Mission and Sullivan City in Texas. It describes how the marker commemorates Jim Sullivan, who sold his land to fund an unsuccessful search for oil. However, the man who purchased Sullivan's land, John Lawrence, struck oil there in 1934 in one of the highest producing wells in Texas. Though Sullivan did not find riches through oil, the nearby town of Sullivan City was named in his honor as a lesson about persevering in pursuit of one's dreams.
Eagle story
- 1. Rainbows end the pot of gold
- 3. My business travels took me to the Rio Grande Valley across a stretch of Highway 83 between Mission and Sullivan City, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, there stood a solitary Historical marker. I promised myself as I whizzed by on several occasions that............................... one day I would stop read the marker satisfy my curiosity.
- 4. one day What the heck. QuickTim e a nd a GIF d eco m pre ss or a re ne ed ed to s ee this pictu re . I stopped on the lonely stretch of pavement to read history. It was nearing dusk and barely visible in the fading light as its shadow was cast on the empty field behind it. I sauntered up and began to read. It took much less than a minute before my feet, legs and thighs were on fire as the vicious Texas fire ants found me easy and delectable fare.
- 6. Never the less, I managed to digest the words on the marker. Armed with that information I set about researching the event. I came to be enlightened on the store behind the story by the centanarian sage who solely manned the dark and dusty outpost of Due to my wretched experience collecting the chiseled message from the historical record and the anecdotal yarn woven by the last survivor of the
- 7. The historical record is just part of the story. So it seems, Jim Sullivan namesake of Sullivan City once owned the property. Wildcatters were flooding in to West Texas in search of the black gold. Sullivan, intent on cashing in on the rush; set out to acquire a grubstake to plum the deserts and fields of West Texas. He reportedly sold his property in Hidalgo for a pittance but in any case it was enough for a rig, a crew and a start. He dug, he drilled, he prayed and drilled and drilled and despite his desperation, perspiration and persistence the Texas tea eluded him.....but........ Marker number 2470 John M. Lawrence No. 1 oil well was brought in September 18, 1934, near this site by veteran driller Otto C. Woods. Well flowed 1,000 or more barrels a day. At first the oil formed a lake beside the well. County has produced 20 million barrels of oil.
- 8. Finally, broke and broken and with barely the strength to breathe he received the news. John Lawrence whom Sullivan had traded his fallow soil for the hope and the coin to set out on his venture in search of riches........... brought in one of the highest producing oil wells in Texas. Sometimes referred to as Big Bertha. His spirit was shattered in learning that the great fortune he spent his life to discover
- 9. Seriously, a great lesson to be sure. They named the nearest town Sullivan City in his honor. I established my marketing company there in deference to the lesson he had learned for the benefit of us all. to everyone who reads this epitome let this be a lesson to take to heart before you set off on your course to search for the end of the rainbow