(Drumright, Okla.) You could easily see the derrick sitting high on a hill on the west side of Hwy. 99, halfway between Drumright and Oilton. It was part of the past, an oilfield dinosaur, a rare piece of history. No longer in use it set on Berexco’s Star Lease, but things were about to change.
Drumright was making preparations to celebrate its Centennial year! What began as a few farms, grew overnight to a bustling boom town with the discovery of oil on March 17, 1912. So a handful of concerned citizens began planning a whole year of Centennial events for 2012 to mark this milestone.
From the beginning, the committee discussed ideas for some kind of permanent marker for such an important time in the life of our community. It was discussed to commission an ornamental metal derrick sculpture, but Randy Scott had an idea brewing in his head. Why not the real thing? What would it take to secure the real deal, dismantle it, move it to town, and reassemble it? Could it be done, and if so, what would it cost?
The Drumright Historical Society’s board of directors particularly liked the idea. After all, the museum is dedicated to the oil and gas industry that built our community and is full of oilfield artifacts, inside and out. The board decided they would like this derrick project to be their contribution to the Centennial. So Randy, with the support of the DHS board, went to work.
Berexco was contacted, and after much consideration, agreed to donate the derrick to the museum. Next on the list was where to set the derrick. Research revealed several lots just to the northeast of the museum were owned by the family of Jack B. Sellers. The family was contacted and immediately agreed to donate the lots to the city to be used by the museum. The derrick would not have gotten off the ground without these two generous donations, but the work had just begun!
Rick Sellers of Keystone Gas provided a brush clearing crew who worked for one week to remove years of brush and head high vegetation. This clearing revealed a nightmare of old foundations, concrete, cellars, and lot of junk and debris. Mike Matherly of D & E Dozer volunteered to tackle the monumental task of cleaning up what was left and leveling the lots. The work of these two companies laid the foundation for what was next. A concrete pad was needed for the derrick to stand on, and Mike Cherry Concrete volunteered the labor with Drumright Historical Society providing the needed funds. Now all was ready for the derrick to be moved and set.
Unfortunately, this is where the project stalled. Although much had been done to this point, what was left to do was even a greater challenge! A crane was needed to dismantle and reassemble the 84′ derrick. The call for help was put out and Larry Armstrong of A+ Welding volunteered their crane and expertise. Next bucket trucks and labor was needed, and Jeff Morphew of ME3 Oilfield Service came to the rescue. The final piece to this puzzle was the trucking which was provided by Steve and Truman Weaver of Earl-Le Dozer. Earl-Le also provided a bucket truck, and labor was provided by all three companies along with Swinea Well Service.
This part of the project took almost a week to complete and was so unique it drew an audience of curious onlookers every day. The hot summer sun and the level of difficulty of the work did not deter the dedicated crew from accomplishing their mission. On June 18, 2013, the job was completed.
Now it is time to dedicate the Centennial Star Derrick and recognize the generosity and hard work of so many who contributed to the project. Everyone is invited to join us on Saturday, October 5th, at 10:00 a.m. at the Derrick to show our thanks to all these who helped with this contribution to our history! In true Oil Patch fashion – wear your Hard Hats!
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