On The Ball

A car passes through the gateway to Oil City, Louisiana at daybreak.

An old rig on display in Oil City, Louisiana.

It’s hard to say if Oil City, Louisiana was ever truly “on the ball.” Like other boom towns in the Northwest corner of Louisiana, Oil City seemed to spring up overnight when black gold was discovered in 1905.

In 1910, the first off shore oil well was built and land prices went from fifty cents to $500 an acre and the population peaked at 25,000.

But it was hell.

Most of the structures in town were tents placed along a disorganized labryinth of unpaved roads. Law enforcement tied drunks to an oak tree. Railroad passenger were advised to lower their blinds when the train stopped to avoid seeing prostitutes plying their trade or witnessing the occassional murder.

It was best to just pass through Oil City.

Things got better. By 1933 the town had numerous restaurants, hotels, and six churches.

It feels like the town is struggling again. There are no hotels. No restaurants and even many of the churches are gone. I could photograph for hours and only see one or two people.

Will it come back? Maybe. It always has before.

For now, though, it’s 1910 all over again and most people are just passing through.

https://www.townofoilcity.com/history

https://people-tales-facts-of-ocla.blogspot.com/p/boom-town.html