Image: Library of Congress
On Oct. 3, 1930, Columbus Marion Joiner, an exploratory oil driller or “wildcatter,” discovered what would turn out to be one of the largest oil fields in the United States.
The East Texas Oil Field, stretching some 45 miles long and five miles across, quickly attracted thousands of drillers and sprouted forests of oil derricks.
The town of Kilgore had more than a thousand wells drilled into its downtown area alone, and struggled to accommodate the sudden influx of “roughnecks” and “roustabouts” who worked the drilling rigs.
In 1939, Farm Security Administration photographer Russell Lee passed through Kilgore and spent a day on a drilling rig. There he photographed the sun-baked and mud-splattered roughnecks as they worked to keep their machinery smoothly boring thousands of feet into the earth.
A worker holds onto the traveling block near the top of the derrick.
Image: Library of Congress
A worker rides the traveling block up to the top of the derrick.
Image: Library of Congress
A roughneck holds a mud-caked drill bit.
Image: Library of Congress
A worker screws a nipple onto the end of a drill stem for a test to determine direction and draft of drilling operations.
Image: Library of Congress
Workers make repairs to a pipe wrench.
Image: Library of Congress
A worker screws on a nipple.
Image: Library of Congress
A worker applies grease to the drill stem.
Image: Library of Congress
Workers put a clamp in place to bring up a section of drill pipe.
Image: Library of Congress
Workers loosen sections of pipe.
Image: Library of Congress
A worker hoses down the rotary table.
Image: Library of Congress
Image: Library of Congress
Image: Library of Congress
Image: Library of Congress
Workers' clothes dry on a steam pipe.
Image: Library of Congress
Workers confer over drill bits.
Image: Library of Congress
Workers inspect sections of drill pipe.
Image: Library of Congress
A worker probes in the slush pit.
Image: Library of Congress
Workers guide the bit through the rotary table.
Image: Library of Congress
Workers use pipe wrenches to screw together two lengths of pipe.
Image: Library of Congress
A worker rests next to various tools.
Image: Library of Congress
A worker chews on a pipe while applying grease to a drill stem.
Image: Library of Congress
Workers break for lunch.
Image: Library of Congress
Image: Library of Congress
Image: Library of Congress
Image: Library of Congress
Workers take a break to read the paper.
Image: Library of Congress
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