60 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES 
discovery of oil at a horizon lower than that of any other source then 
producing in the Texas fields not only changed over night the re- 
sources and status of the community and of its individual members, 
_ but opened new possibilities of finding deep productive sands through- 
out the State. The Luling field was discovered by Edgar B. Davis, 
a shoe manufacturer of Brockton, Mass., who drilled to the Edwards 
limestone, against the counsel of other oil operators, at a cost of 
$200,000. The large fortune which he gained from his success was 
shared with the rapidly growing community; streets were paved, 
clubs and orphan homes were developed, and the Foundation farm of 
1,200 acres was established near by with a trust fund of $1,000,000 
for experimental farming for the benefit of the people of the region. 
a 
|260'] 
4,000° 
|G 
Jase 
Ficure 5.—Section across Salt Flat oil field, Caldwell County, Tex. Tertiary: 
Ti, Indio formation; Tm, Midway formation. Cretaceous: Knt, Navarro and 
Taylor clays; Ka, Austin chalk; Kw, Georgetown limestone overlain by Del Rio 
clay and Buda limestone; Ke, Edwards limestone 
There are three productive oil fields near Luling—the Salt Flat 
field, to the northeast of the town; the Darst Creek field, to the 
southwest; and the Luling field, to the northwest. There are also 
some smaller pools. All have the same geologic relations. 
The many derricks of the Salt Flat oil field are conspicuous north 
of the tracks a few miles east of Luling. In 1930 this field produced 
from 15,000 to 27,200 barrels a day, with a total of 7,305,000 barrels 
for the year, from about 330 borings. Their average depth is 2,700 
feet, and most of the oil comes from the Edwards limestone, which 
has been lifted by a fault with upthrow of about 375 feet. The field 
was discovered in 1928 and up to the end of 1930 had produced 
21,116,554 barrels of oil.*® The field is about 2 ,000 feet wide at most 
ot 6 miles long, extending along the main finde: which trends north- 
east. The surface beds are sands and shale of the Indio formation, 
_ ® Southwest Texas Oil Seouts Assoc.,Bull. 1, 1930. 
