LOS ANGELES DISTRICT : DEVELOPMENT. 
159 
1892, an oil well was sunk at Second Street Park by Messrs. Dolieny & Connon. As 
soon as this well was found to be a success other wells were sunk on adjacent lots, and 
the Second Street Park oil field grew rapidly. By the end of 1895 there were more 
than 300 wells within an area of less than 4.000.000 square feet. During 1895 the price 
of crude oil at Los Angeles fell to a ruinously low rate, the average price for that year 
being 60 cents a barrel. Indeed, there were sales at a much lower rate—it is said even 
as low as 25 cents a barrel. The reason for this depression was the lack of cooperation 
among the oil producers and the lack of facilities for storing and handling the oil. 
Early in 1896 the price of oil commenced to recover, and in July, 1896, it had reached 
$1 a barrel. The reason of this recovery was the diminishing of the supply, the organi¬ 
zation of the oil producers, and the increased facilities for storing and handling the oil .a 
Development in the central field proceeded eastward until it 
encountered the disturbed and barren beds in the region just west of 
the Sisters' Hospital, where exploitation ceased. On the theory that 
this break was only local and that the productive zone continued 
eastward along the strike of the oil-bearing strata, a well was sunk by 
Maier & Zobelein at the corner of Adobe and College streets, in what 
is now the eastern field. This well was completed in November, 1896, 
and as soon as it was found to be successful many other wells were 
begun in the immediate vicinity, and by the middle of 1897 the wells 
in the new field were almost as closelv crowded as those in the old or 
central territory. Prospecting was continued east of Los Angeles 
River, but no economically productive wells were developed. 
The exploitation of the western field and the extension of the cen¬ 
tral field from the corner of Quebec street and Ocean View avenue 
westward took place largely during the latter part of 1899 and 1900. 
Some wells, notably the Ruhland, at the corner of Seventh and 
Hoover streets, and several of the Maltman wells, north of the Baptist 
college, however, were sunk previous to 1897. 
The entrance of the Salt Lake Oil Company into the Rancho la 
Brea region in 1901 marks the beginning of the development of the 
field now bearing that company’s name. For years the oil seepages 
and brea on this ranch had been known, and large quantities of brea 
had been hauled away for paving purposes. At least one prospect 
well had been put down near the brea deposit, but no important 
results were obtained from any of these operations. The first well 
drilled by the Salt Lake Company was abandoned on account of the 
caving in of the casing, caused by gas pressure. This fact being con- 
strued as a good indication, several other wells were sunk in the same 
localitv until finally a “gusher" was struck and the value of the field 
assured. Since the beginning of 1902 the development in this terri¬ 
tory has been rapid, and now it stands first in importance among the 
oil fields south of Santa Barbara County. 
Owing to the proximity of the wells to each other the oil-bearing 
strata in the central and eastern fields have been rapidly exhausted, 
a Bull. California State Mining Bureau No. 11, 1897, p. 5. 
