Historical Files Oil
Huntington Beach Oil Scanned Historical Documents (in Adobe PDF Format)
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| Filename | File Description |
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16 MB |
Discoveries – Huntington Beach This 24-page document is the January/February issues of Discoveries magazine, a bimonthly magazine/newsletter published by Burmah Oil and Gas Company. It contains articles regarding the oil industry, and several photographs of the Huntington Beach area. Formerly known as Signal Oil and Gas Company, it has been producing oil and gas on and offshore Huntington Beach since approximately 1941. |
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942 KB |
The Growth of a City 1904 – 1922 A 2-page article from the “Seacliff Breeze” describing the growth and history of Huntington Beach from 1904 – 1922. Las Bolsas Rancho, Abel Stearns, Bob Northam, P.A. Stanton, Pacific City, Huntington Beach Company, Red Cars, Pacific Electric Railroad, Tent City, Gospel Swamp, Holly Sugar Company, Ed Manning, Main Street Pier, Standard Oil Company, Encyclopedia Britannica Company. |
| 89 KB | Signal Oil and Gas Company Off-Shore Drilling Platform A picture of the off-shore oil drilling platform “Emmy” in the last stages of construction, in February 1963. |
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252 KB |
Oil Boom Recalled: Pioneer Writes of Huntington Era An article from the Daily Pilot of December 15, 1971, describing how an early resident of Huntington Beach, Oscar Stricklin, dictated his memories of the early years of Huntington Beach, and produced a 52-page volume, complete with historic documents, that was then made available to the public. |
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180 KB |
Oil Boom Led and Huntington Beach Followed An article from the Los Angeles Times of February 18, 1973, describing the effect that the discovery of oil had on the future development of Huntington Beach. Also see 070920-6. |
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853 MB |
The Holly Sugar Company This 2-page document from June 17, 1975 describes how sugar beets became an increasingly important crop in Huntington Beach, and how in 1909, the Holly Sugar Company from Colorado decided to build a sugar refinery in Huntington Beach. Huntington Beach Company, Anthony Tovatt, Johnson, Holly Oil Company, SoCal Refining Company, oil fields. |
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8.2 MB |
Huntington Beach Bicentennial Salute – July 1, 1976 This 14-page document contains a series of articles and photographs depicting the history of Huntington Beach from 1904 through the late 1950’s. Oil, Huntington Beach Library, Huntington Beach Playhouse, Newland House, Bicentennial Events, Ed Manning, Slater Family, Preston Family, Morse Family, Henry Huntington, Huntington Beach Pier. |
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4.2 MB |
Oil Fields – A Brief History of the Oil Fields at Huntington Beach, California This 7-page article, written by Delbert G. “Bud” Higgins (City Historian and retired Fire Chief) in December 1976, traces the history of oil fields in the Huntington Beach area, from 1916 to approximately 1957. It also contains a table, by year, of the number of wells in production, and the number of barrels produced. In addition, it describes the affect that the discovery of oil had on the growth and development of the City of Huntington Beach. Standard Oil Company of California, Texaco, Superior Oil Company, Southwest Exploration Company. |
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2 MB |
What Price Progress in Huntington Beach? A Preservationist’s Perspective on the Oil and Real Estate Booms of the 1920s and 1980s. An article by Barbara Milkovich from the Journal of Orange County Studies of Spring 1989 discussing the impact that the oil and real estate booms had on the cultural preservation of Huntington Beach. It also discusses how what was learned from the past should help in not allowing the remnant of historic cultural identity to be obliterated by a modern economic boom. |
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480 KB |
Huntington Beach: A Portrait of Oil and Water An article by Robert Farrar in the April 1967 issue of the Orange County Illustrated, that discusses the early history of Huntington Beach, and the effect that the discovery of oil had on the city and its growth. Huntington Beach Company, Pacific Electric, Tent City, Encyclopedia Britannica, Holly Sugar, Standard Oil Company, Bolsa Chica. |
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146 KB |
Southwesterly Extension of Townlot Area A short article describing the discovery of new oil fields in Huntington Beach in the 1950s. Jack Crawford, Clark Peterson. |
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1.4 MB |
Oil Fields: A Brief History of the Oil Fields at Huntington Beach, California A history of the development of the oil industry in Huntington Beach, written by City Historian and Retired Fire Chief Delbert Higgins, in December 1976. It begins with the first well in 1919 through 1957. It also includes a chart of oil and gas production from 1940 to 1957. Standard Oil Company of California, Eddystone Oil Company, Texaco, Superior Oil Company. |
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5.4 MB |
Fiscal Impact of Oil Operations in Huntington Beach This is Report #2 in the Huntington Beach Energy Series, prepared in March 1981, by the Huntington Beach Department of Development Services. Major sections in the Report include Current City Revenues and Expenditures Related to Oil Operations in Huntington Beach; Fiscal Impacts of Continuing Oil Operations; and Beyond Fiscal Impacts. It also has appendices, City Expenditure Models; and Revenues from Other Energy Facilities. There are four other reports in this series. |
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271 KB |
Oil and the Roaring Twenties An article by Marcelie Blakely, from the Seacliff Breeze in the Autumn of 1981, describing the oil boom in Huntington Beach in the 1920s, and the resulting growth of the city due to the oil boom. It also contains some photos from that period. Standard Oil Company, Tent City, Pacific Coast Highway. |
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722 KB |
Tanker Spills Oil Off O.C. Coast An article from the Los Angeles Times of February 8, 1990, reporting that 297,000 gallons (this was later raised to nearly 400,000 gallons) of crude oil were spilled into the ocean approximately 2 miles off Huntington Beach, when an oil tanker, the American Trader, punctured its own hull while attempting to moor. The article also has a listing of other major oil spills from 1969 to 1989. British Petroleum. Also see 070920-8, 070920-9, 070920-10 and 070920-11. |
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152 KB |
Spill Certain to Heat Up Debate on Offshore Drilling An article from the Los Angeles Times of February 8, 1990 discussing the effect that the February 7, 1990 oil off Huntington Beach would have on environmental efforts to minimize of eliminate further off-shore drilling off the southern California coast. Also see 070920-7, 070920-8, 070920-9 and 070920-10. |
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155 KB |
The Orange County Oil Spill A map from the Los Angeles Times of February 15, 1990 showing the effects on the Orange County coastline, of the oil spill of February 7, 1990. It also contains some facts and figures on the cleanup effort, and the effect on the beaches, wildlife, and the wetlands. Also see 070920-7, 070920-8, 070920-9 and 070920-11 |
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407 KB |
Goodbye to Huntington Beach Wells A copy of a Los Angeles Times article of Mar. 6, 1990, describing a landmark agreement between the Huntington Beach City Council, and the Chevron USA oil company to cap 25 oil wells on the ocean side of Pacific Coast Highway north of the pier. The agreement called for the capping of the wells and the removal of derrick equipment. |
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331 KB |
Oil’s Odor Spread the Bad News An article from the Los Angeles Times of March 6, 1990, describing how the smell from the February 7, 1990 oil spill off Huntington Beach, first alerted residents that a spill had occurred. Also see 070920-7, 070920-8, 070920-10 and 070920-11. |
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434 KB |
City Has Oil Companies Over a Barrel A 1-page copy of an article from the Daily Pilot of 5/1/1990 describing the deteriorating relationship between the City of Huntington Beach, and the owners of the approximately 1,600 oil wells with the city. It also give a brief history of the discovery of oil within the city, and the development of the oil industry. Chevron, Shell Oil. |
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189 KB |
Huntington Beach: It’s On Shaky Ground A copy of an article from the Orange County Register of June 3, 1990, that describes that due to earthquake faults, sinking caused by oil production, spongy soils, peat, ocean-caused erosion, and a high water table, parts of Huntington Beach may be unsuitable for building foundations. |
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1.4 MB |
Backwash: Six Months After the Oil Spill Off Huntington Beach, Local Residents Reflect on its Lasting Effects An article by Eve Belson, in the August 1990 issue of Orange Coast Magazine, describing the after effects of the February 7, 1990 oil spill off Huntington Beach. It contains several reports by local residents of the effect that the spill had on their lives. Several photographs are included. OSHA. Also see 070920-7, 070920-9, 070920-10 and 070920-11. |
| 276 KB | City’s First Oil Well to be Preserved An article from the Orange County Register from January 24, 1991, describing how oil was discovered in Huntington Beach in 1920, and the subsequent growth of oil wells and oil production in Huntington Beach. |
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