110 years ago this weekend (1915): oil was discovered in El Dorado in Butler County. The Stapleton No. 1 oil well came in on October 5, 1915.
El Dorado’s leaders were envious when nearby towns found huge gas fields and thrived. In the 1800s, a barber in El Dorado drilled down 200 feet, but ran out of money, finding nothing. Wells in 1879 and 1882 produced only brine.
In June, 1914, chafed over discovery of oil in nearby Augusta, El Dorado city fathers contracted with Erasmus Haworth, soon to retire from his position as State Geologist, to perform a geological study of the area. His field work outlined the El Dorado Anticline, which unsuccessfully was drilled first in August, 1915…