Drilling a Well

[Wayne]

Cultavating the Garden 001.jpg

Drilling a well in Lampasas County Texas. I also have a photo of the Steam Engine pulling a threshing machine on the same farm. The first picture I find interesting because of the number of people working in the garden. Makes me wonder if it is the depression and they are working for food? The picture comes from the farm that had the Original Monitor on it!

Well Drilling Lampasa Co Tx 002.jpg

[kozzy]

Possibly post depression during WW2 when they dragged in a lot of females and teens to do the farm work? The clothing sort of implies that era but it's not specific enough to be sure.

There were a ton of those programs to drag city kids out to farms to work as well as bring women out who might just be sitting at home with a spouse overseas. Remember, not every area had war production factories that which employ them but virtually every area had farms desperate for labor.

[JLM]

The drilling rig is definitely a factory built machine.You can see the large manilla rope they used to drill with beside the rig. Throughout most of Texas the Ft.Worth Spudder was a popular machine. Their rigs had a wooden frame with huge beams.In fact they continued to build them that way long after other manufacturers switched over to steel frames.

[Wayne]

I've got a yard stick that advertises the Ft Worth Spudder. Pretty amazing machine. Did you notice that pile of rope by the rear wheel it must be 2 inches are better in diam.

[JLM]

Yes that is huge manilla rope from what I understand the old timers were very cautious with their ropes that they did not rub on anything whether drilling or pulling wells. Around this area west of San Antonio alot of wells were drilled with horsepowers they were built by Krueger machine known later as Samsco and by Alamo Iron Works. I have some original pictures of a portable drill rig and a horse power set up beside the Krueger machine shop in San Antonio. I will try and post those for everyone to look at.

[Wayne]

That would be great look forward to seeing them. There is a picture in one of out history books showing an early rotary drill built here in Corsicana and it is being turned by a horse power!

[JBarker]

Great pic of an old water well drilling rig and truck.

[Wayne]

Don't see an engine wonder what they powered it with?

[JBarker]

Don't see an engine wonder what they powered it with?

I wonder too, maybe someone else can explain

[JLM]

cabletool-canon-drilling-3962945-h.jpg

Here is pic of a old rig at the ranching heritage museum in Lubbock. On those larger rigs I guess they would bring in a engine on a wagon. I do know some of the old timers would power their rigs with a flatbelt off of the tractor they pulled the rig around with.