About 1910, exploration in Wichita County was active. Development moved at a snail’s pace originally, but discoveries near Burkburnett in 1912 and 1917 resulted in renewed attempts, and a field that was regarded as shallow suddenly became one of extensive resources. The field was even extended into the channel of the Red River. In general, the land was in the hands of small farmers, so this was the little man’s field. Far to the south, the Goose Creek field in Harris County had been attracting attention since 1907. By 1911, a well on the edge of San Jacinto Bay was reported to be flowing several hundred barrels a day. In 1913, the Legislature enacted into law at the recommendation of Commissioner of the General Land Office J. T. Robison a plan whereby San Jacinto Bay, which was owned by the State, could be opened for development on a royalty basis. The first permit for this purpose was issued on August 18, 1913. The first royalty, $33.97, was paid to the General Land Office in April, 1914. Six years later, royalties from this source had increased to $600,000. The Goose Creek field is still producing. An interesting chapter in the history of Texas oil has to do with natural gas. In 1913, a well was drilled on top of 50-foot-high chalk cliffs on Nueces Bay near Corpus Christi. As the drill cut through the cap rock and into the gas chamber at about 2000 feet, the well blew out, a hole was torn in the ground, the derrick fell in, and the gas burned with a roar that was audible for miles. Four hundred yards away another well was drilled, and precautions were taken to avoid the previous calamity. The precautions were without avail, however, and the experience was repeated. An eyewitness described the scene: Rushing gas came out with such tremendous force that a crater was torn some two hundred feet in diameter and made the ground and housetops snowlike with white sand for some six miles. The gas was dry. It ignited. A flame some one hundred and fifty feet in diameter shot up two hundred or more feet high and tossed up boulders as large as a peck measure as one would a baseball. The light could be seen forty miles and when I approached to within warming distance of the flame the earth trembled like a mass of jelly. In northeast Texas, some small production was discovered on Tar Island in Caddo Lake in 1914. Caddo Lake is on the Marion-Harrison County line. Three years later, oil discoveries began shifting to West Texas. At Ranger in Eastland County on October 17, 1917, oil was discovered. Uncontrolled, the producers allowed their wells to flow thousands of barrels a day, and in many cases wells were practically exhausted within six months. Though the Ranger field is still producing today, the great period of activity lasted only about five years. From Ranger, oil exploration drifted to the north in Stephens County. The Stephens County field is reported to have produced up to 90,000 barrels a day at its zenith.