Gans wildcat well brings in flow of gas

— Sequoyah County Democrat, May 9, 1924

From the files of Your Sequoyah County Times

25 Years Ago

(From the May 9, 1999, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —A tornado which swept through Sequoyah County between noon and 1 p.m. Tuesday was classified as an F-2, on a scale from F-1 to F-5. Albert Marquez, county emergency manager, said Friday.

Marquez said, “the F-2 category tornado was confirmed by the Tulsa Weather Service. The weather service said the tornado touched down in the Short area then traveled northeast toward the Sequoyah and Adair county line then into Crawford County, Ark.

Marquez said county officials are working getting federal assistance for those who had damages as a result of the tornado.

Most of the damage was by trees toppled or splintered, Marquez said, and many of the trees fell on roadways and had to be pulled off or cut and removed from the roads by county road crews.

50 Years Ago

(From the May 9, 1974, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —St Clair Lime Co. entered a plea of not guilty Tuesday to charges filed by Asst. Dist. Atty. Wesley Bennett that the company was polluting Sallisaw Creek near Marble City.

By entering a not guilty plea, the company indicated their desire to let a jury determine their guilt or innocence in the matter.

In filing charges against the company, the state alleges that the pollution is in violation of Enrolled Senate Bill No. 144 signed by Gov. David Hall on April 8 of this year.

The charges in the case stemmed from a sworn statement by Andy Calloway, a state game ranger from Vian, who alleges he received numerous complaints from people in the Marble City area about the situation.

Calloway said he had contacted the state Waterway Division and two pollution experts from the agency took pictures of polluted water running through the Marble City plant and into Sallisaw Creek.

Calloway alleges the company is making no attempt to hold the lime water back in a moat that is between the plant and the creek.

75 Years Ago

(From the May13, 1949, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —Off with the old, and on with the new!

That’s the cry that will greet you men on Saturday, May 14. By all the rules of well regulated society, Saturday has been officially declared STRAW HAT DAY in Sallisaw by Mayor Ivey.

Local merchants are ready to supply you with the very latest chapeau in beautiful straws that are sure to please both head and her. For your convenience, Holder’s, Mayo’s and Seaman’s stores are advertising their merchandise in today’s TIMES —Earl Allread, who left Sallisaw several months ago to enter foreign service for an American oil company this week returned to Sallisaw to make his home and to resume management of The Shoe Market No. 3 store. The store is owned by Allread and Fred McKaughan of Fort Smith.

During his absence the store has been managed by Mrs. Geo. Griffin who will remain as a saleslady. Mrs. Dillard who has been working as a saleslady will work as extra.

Mrs. Allread has joined her husband here and they have an apartment at Mrs. Mabray’s.

Allread announced that work would start soon on a number of improvements that they plan to make on the store interior.

—Tom Bown Brittain, Sallisaw band instructor and nationally famous twirler will again be instructor of the Drum Majors and Twirlers Institute held July 5 to 16 on the north campus at Oklahoma University.

100 Years Ago

(From the May 9, 1924, issue of the Sequoyah County Democrat) —Is the Gans wildcatter going to open the doors to another oil and gas center? This question is being asked in Sallisaw. A flow of gas estimated from five to seven million feet blew in early Tuesday morning at the well being drilled on the B.B. Ralph farm one mile east of Gans by W.A. Radley and associates.

The gas well is creating considerable excitement in Sallisaw, Gans and over the state, and it is building visions, for the populace of a booming oil and gas town and a busier commonwealth. The Gans well will either prove Sequoyah County another oil and gas center or it will prove that there is no paying fluid beneath her soil, and the decision will be reached within the next few days. It is the opinion of experienced oil men that the Gans well has a fifty-fifty chance of becoming an oil gusher.

Hundreds of people from Sallisaw and other points flocked to Gans and soon made of that small city a metropolis for a day. The crew was busy Tuesday moving back the boiler and getting things in readiness to drill on down into the sand at the command of Mr. Radley and associates. People who visited the well were quite confident that after the drilling is resumed on into the sand the process would bring in an oil well. There has been a number of tests in Sequoyah County and the Gans well is the first to bring any indications that this county might be developed into an oil and gas center. The gas well west of Vian, which was discovered a few years ago, played out after a year service. The well west of Vian was found at a shallow depth.

—C.C. Myers of Locust Grove, Oklahoma, has purchased the Joe Knowles’ bakery and will operate the same in the future. Mr. Myers has been in the bakery business for a number of years and knows his business. The local plant is being rehauled and everything put in first class condition. Mr. Myers has moved his family here and is occupying the Johnson house on Elm and Chickasha avenues.