Gaston Museum's Education Program

Life In The East Texas Oil Field

• A living history presentation for 7th grade students on museum grounds
• Presented annually the 1st Wednesday in October
• Program length approximately 1 hour
• Appointments required
• Cost $1 per student - no charge for teachers (teachers are requested to give student count and fee to museum attendant upon arrival)

Previous Demonstration Sites Were:

• The students are divided into small groups and assigned a guide, who will direct the group to the proper site at the proper time. All groups should finish at the same time.
• The students hear an abbreviated history of the area before the oil boom, the discovery of oil, and some of the area changes brought about by this discovery. The focus is to "Step back into the 1930's" and help the students understand how life was during that time period.
• Living in a 'Tent House'
• A 'Wash Place' - doing the family laundry with a wash pot, tubs and ironing with irons heated by fire
• Church site - mini brush arbor
• Living in an Oil Company Camp
• School site - crowded community schools - how they coped, a class under a tree
• Boom Town - businesses, entertainment, etc.

GENERAL INFORMATION

October 3, 1930, oil was discovered in Rusk County. Columbus Marion "Dad" Joiner brought in the first well, the Daisy Bradford #3. The field grew to be the East Texas Oil Field - the largest oil field in the world, (at that time 140,000 acres) - an important part of Rusk County, East Texas and Texas history. This program will take the student back in time to the 1930's and allow them to view different aspects of life in the oil field, a time when life was focused on home, church and school.

The goal of the Gaston Museum is to help the students better understand life's joys and struggles of early "Life in the East Texas Oil Field." This program is directed to schools in the East Texas Oil Field, but open to other schools also. The program is a scheduled day. In event of a rain out - the date will be moved to the next Wednesday.

FOR APPOINTMENT: