While many consider Barry County to be paradise on earth, one item that many residents of past have envied of their southwestern neighbors was an ample supply of oil bubbling from their own backyard. 

For the latter part of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century an extensive search for valuable mineral resources has been made of the area, with limited results. Way back in 1895, the county thought they had struck it rich at the P.E. Roller farm between Seligman and Washburn, when an oil well was drilled under the direction of Col. G.W. Ervin of Exeter, previously of Texas, on the Sugar Creek Township farm. 

According to an 1895 newspaper article, people had known of oil seeping from the ground for more than 30 years. and locals had used the supply “for axle grease and coarse lubricator.” 

After drilling for 452 feet, it was reported that they found “28 feet of black shale that is heavily saturated with oil” and beneath that another 20 feet of oil-bearing sandstone. In February 1896, the newspaper reported that a depth of 900 feet had been reached at the P.E. Roller oil well with “prospects good,” but not good enough to mention again in future newspapers. 

In 1922, there was a report of “quite a bit of enthusiasm about the oil well at Jenkins.” Apparently, oil sand was reached at a depth of 1,702 feet. Commercial Clubs at Crane, Monett and Aurora gathered pledges to enable continuing operations. However, an attempt to replace a leaking casing brought the mast down on the well. 

Afterwards, it was decided that a more advanced rig was needed to complete drilling and the current rig was moved to Kansas. It doesn’t appear that work was ever resumed. The following year, a Monett merchant who had invested in the venture was selling parts of the well as fence posts. 

Other local attempts at oil riches began in 1923, with a well drilled at the Garfield Maness farm near Stella in Newton County, and another near Jane in McDonald County.  

In 1923 Bert Dennison of Ponca City, Okla., and member of the Osage Tribe, attempted to develop an oil well close to Washburn. A mining lease in an old abstract of title at the Barry County Museum lists the location as the W.L. Black farm in Township 22, Range 28, Section 33, less than a mile south of Washburn, with the agreement for 1/8 well royalty, notarized by G.B. Windes, Black’s nephew. 

However, William Black never lived to see any royalties, as he died that same year, and the lease sold to Perry Hoefer. In a newspaper account from 1924, Dennison claimed to have invested nearly $40,000 in the venture. By 1926, the well had reached a depth of 3,500 feet. 

By 1928, $50,000 dollars — nearly $1 million dollars today adjusted for inflation — had been sunk into the project. Local businessmen injected another $2,000 in funds to keep the project going, but by 1929, all that remained of Dennison’s company seemed to be unpaid bills listed in the court section of the local newspaper, such as a note due to the Bank of Eureka Springs. 

He filed for bankruptcy in Oklahoma in 1930. According to his obituary, Bert Dennison died at the age of 87, in 1972 in Ponca City, returning to farming for the remainder of his life in the Osage. 

Frances Bacon is credited with saying “Important families are like potatoes. The best parts are underground.” 

History shows us that the opposite appears to be true when it comes to our dreams, the best ones are kept above the ground.

Jeremiah Buntin is a historian at the Barry County Museum. He may be reached at [email protected].