An Oil Field Family: Jess Hudson

Photo (1)

Although this family was in nearby Creek and Okmulgee counties during the boom peak of 1917 to 1929, they reflect the same journey of many manies in Payne and other counties where oil transformed life and communities. Jesse Hudson had married in Cario, Illinois a widow with a young son, Effie Algerty Ray Conner in 1914. For a time they lived in Butler County where Jesse worked as a teamster in the logging industry there. Soon however, tales of good jobs and good pay in Oklahoma's forests lured them to move to Okmulgee, Oklahoma in 1917 in a covered wagon, pulled by a team of mules from the logging work. Oil, however, was soon seen as the more lucrative field and Jesse used his team to haul oil field equipment (steam boilers, cable equipment, etc.) to various exploration and drilling sites in north eastern Oklahoma. He later went to work for Southwestern Oil and Gas Company and then for the City of Bristow. He died in a gas line explosion there in 1929. Photo Key (1) :Jesse Hudson with crew from Southestern Oil ca 1925.

Photo (2) Jesse Marvin Hudson, Jesse Hudson, Curtis Ray Hudson with oil tank in the background. Possibly Bristow, Ok ca. 1928.

Photo (3) Jess Hudson and wife Effie Algerty Ray Hudson, in front of one of the new houses built to provide homes for a flood of people coming into the areas of Creek, Okmulgee, and Payne counties ca. 1920.

Photo (4) Curtis Ray Hudson, ca 1926-27 in Bristow, Creek Co., Ok

Photo (5) The Hudson family came to Oklahoma in about 1917, in a covered wagon from Missouri pulled by these mules. Jesse used them in his teamster work hauling loads and supplies.

Photo (6) Jess Hudson's horse/mule team 1920's with pole and cable tackle, Oklahoma

Photo (7) :Steam boiler being hauled by Jess Hudson, his team, and with family members in photo, ca 1920's. Child on wheel is step-son Freeman "Red" Conner and boy on mule is Jesse Marvin Hudson, son.

Photo (8) Oil expansion led to better paying jobs and prosperity to even the most humble workers. For about $600 dollars a person could buy an automobile, like Jesse Hudson did.

Photo (9): Close up of Jess Hudson and his mules.

Photo (10) : As wages and skills increased so did the possibility of nicer housing. The Hudson's had moved in a covered wagon and lived in a tent when they first came to Oklahoma from Missouri. This was a step up indeed.

Photo (11): Jess Hudson and team raising the mast on cable tool drilling rig during 1920's

Photo (12): Below, probably around Okmulgee ca 1920 a rough oil field shack was home to the Hudson family. Here Freeman Conner (step-son) and Jesse Marvin Hudson (son) show off their hunting gear. Note the oil derrick in background.