The history of the Winnsboro oil boom is a transformative era that saw a quiet farming community turn into a "rip-roaring boom town" almost overnight. The boom brought immense wealth, a surge in population, and a period of lawlessness that required legendary figures to restore order.

Chronological History

• The Prelude (1930s-1940): During the Great Depression, Wood County faced high unemployment, reaching 15% by 1935. Most residents lacked modern conveniences like electricity or indoor plumbing. This changed on December 5, 1940, when the Hawkins strike brought the first major oil discovery to Wood County.

• The First Spark (1941): In January 1941, a wildcat well on the C.B. Kennemer property in the Coke community (eight miles southwest of Winnsboro) began producing 57 barrels of oil an hour, signaling the start of a major boom.

• The Winnsboro Explosion (1944): The boom officially hit Winnsboro in April 1944 with the Gulf wildcat well. Cotton fields were rapidly replaced by oil derricks, and the population jumped by 1,200 to 1,500 people as workers and "boomers" flooded the area.

• Peak Boom Years (1944–1955): By 1944, every vacant building in the business district was occupied, and new businesses, including five oil field supply houses, moved in. The housing shortage became so acute that roughnecks often slept in their cars, and the Office of Price Administration (OPA) eventually ordered rent controls in 1945. The "boom days" lasted approximately ten years, ending around 1955 as drilling became more selective in proven fields.

Notable Characters of the Era

The oil boom was defined by colorful and influential individuals who shaped the town’s character:

• James Spence ("Texas Slim"): A tall, "Wyatt Earp type" City Marshal hired to tame the unruly boom town. Known for wearing a ten-gallon hat and a large six-shooter strapped to his leg, he filled the jail with "drunks, bullies, and other lawbreakers".

• "Lone Wolf" Gonzaullas: A famous Texas Ranger who reportedly quelled a riot in Winnsboro with his mere presence, fulfilling the legendary "One riot, one Ranger" slogan.

• Bobby Manziel: A well-known discovery operator from Tyler who drilled the first producing well in Wood County and later brought in another producer north of Quitman in 1944.

• Lee and Jean Ray: Arriving in 1951 with "not two coins to rub together," Lee started as a bulldozer operator for oil field roads. He eventually became a successful operator and served two terms as Mayor of Winnsboro (1964–1967 and 1985–1987).

• C.B. Kennemer: A prosperous farmer upon whose property the major 1941 Coke wildcat well was drilled. Despite the new oil wealth, he famously claimed he "wouldn't want oil wealth to affect his agricultural status" and continued plowing his fields as the well came in.