Oil fever swept this area in December of 1939 with an announcement in the Durant Weekly News: “Pure Oil Company, Tulsa, this week announces their intention of drilling a 7,000 or 9,000 ft. well in the huge block involving acreage in Bryan, Marshall, and Johnston counties.” That huge block was 40,000 acres. Lloyd Noble of Ardmore was the drilling contractor.
News the following March was even more exciting when word leaked out that the Pure Oil Company’s well blew in, just across the Washita River in Marshall County. “Fast and wild” trading began and some of the biggest names in the Oklahoma oil business were involved. The U. S. government was also interested in the development of the Cumberland Oil Field because of the increasing need for oil due to the war in Europe.
In April of 1940 the Caddo Herald reported “Pure Oil Co. is about ready to start an intensive drilling campaign on its big acreage block in Bryan and Marshall counties.” The company had also purchased 160 acres in Marshall County, “on which it will build an oil field camp to house workers.” Houses, stores, and shops were included in the plans.
Employees lived in Durant, Tishomingo, and Madill before Pure City, later known as Little City, was developed. Pete Winberry, Quintin Little, and Reuel Little were part of the land management team that set up the new community. Oil camps were familiar sights all over Oklahoma from the twenties through the forties, and some of them had bad reputations. There was initial resistance from a few Marshall County residents, but the building of permanent structures and the influx of families with children soon abated their fears.
The Pure Camp housing development was well designed and attractive. Some mature trees were preserved during construction, landscaping was included in the plans, park areas set aside, and curbs and sidewalks added. The forty-six family homes were arranged in tidy rows. First residents were the families of Bill Shafer, M. A. Finney, and Albert Staton. On 2nd street was a bunkhouse and boarding house to accommodate 35 single men. Meals were supplied by the Butcher family. Charlie Whismand was the mail carrier for Pure Camp.
Near Pure Camp was a separate camp for the Pure Transportation Department. They were responsible for moving the oil from the field to storage facilities and then on to refineries. Nearby was another community named Warren Camp.
Also going on during this time was the creation of Lake Texoma and the building of the Denison Dam. Changes were made in the original plans in order to bypass the Cumberland Field.
Several women were employed as office workers during the war years. Some of those were Barbara Ridenour, Virgina Van Kleef, Fay Null, Betty Blakemore, Betty Redden, Doris Nolin, and Jean Spicer. Virgil Johson was the chief clerk of the oil office.
In 1949 correspondents for the Madill Record were Mildred Johnson for Warren Camp, and Mrs. J. E. Phillips for Pure Camp. The “new boss” for Pure Camp was Joe Siegler.
Although a bit confusing, the 1950 Census contains a lot of personal information about the Pure Oil employees. It is officially designated as “Odell Township, Marshall County”, but has pages labeled as Warren Camp, Pure Camp, Pipeline Camp. Persons on population schedule: 635. Dwelling units: 225. Occupations listed: farmers, cook, fireman, teachers, carpenters, oil workers, gas plant workers. Russell Pistale, bookkeeper for the gas plant. Roland Mahn, chemist. Guy Kerley managed the rental cabins.
Teachers included: Nancy Johnson, Sam Holland, Paul Michael, and Norma Warren. Lots of housewives and students.
In September 1950 Mrs. Virgil L. Johnson was the “Cumberland Field” correspondent for the Durant Democrat. She worked in the Pure City office. Her son, Dick, delivered papers.
T. K. Irwin transferred from Seminole to replace Lee R. Lukenbill. He was a “painter first class”.
J. E. Seigler is mentioned as the “production supervisor” in 1950. Two crew leaders were O. E. Scott and W. O. Simpson. Other employees included C. B. Gump, Leonard New, J. E. Mansfield, F. H. Strelow, Curtis Green, Roy Lee Sharp, Allen T. Reynolds, A. A. Hartshorn, and D. D. Follis. Not all of the employees lived in the camps.
Employees seemed very loyal to Pure Oil Company with many receiving long-term service badges. 1951 J. R. Hooper received his ten-year service badge. After serving in West Virginia and Tulsa, he transferred to the Cumberland Field in 1947 as “district material man.” He and his wife lived in Pure Camp and were leaders in the Little City Baptist Church. In 1952, Claude L. Miller got a 25-year service badge for his career with Pure Oil. He went to work in 1927 and moved to Cumberland Field from Tulsa in 1940. He became a resident of Pure Camp in 1942 when the camp was enlarged.
Multiple generations, like the son of F. H. Strelow, worked for the company in other locations. F.H. Strelow lived and worked at the Pure Transportation Camp here, while his son, Bob, was a “terminal superintendent” in Florida.
Many of the children in Pure Camp attended school in Madill. Ruby Isaacs, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. O. O. Isaacs, was an honor student with perfect attendance when she graduated in 1952. Other graduates listed homes in Pure Camp, Warren Camp, Pure Transportation Camp, and Little City.
Tragedy visited the camps and much of the surrounding area when a massive tornado struck in April of 1957. The Durant Daily Democrat reported “two women were killed and eight people were injured in an oil field camp near Little City, a community of 250 on the shore of the lake.” Property damages were estimated at $1,624,000. Forty-two residences, twenty company offices and warehouses, and nine oil derricks were damaged or destroyed. Mrs. Charlie Wertz, 45, and Mrs. W. O. Simpson, 40, lost their lives. Many employees were moved to temporary housing until they could be reassigned. The camp closed in 1959. Some employees chose to buy their homes. Some were sold to outsiders, and others were moved to Cumberland, Little City, and Madill.
Pure Oil merged with Union 76 Oil in the summer of 1965. Pure Camp clerk, Virgil Johnson, transferred to Oklahoma City and worked for the new company for many years.