Lucas, Anthony F. (Anthony Francis), 1855-1921

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Born to Francis Stephen Luchich and Giovanna Giovanizo in Austria, Anthony Francis Lucas (1855-1921) attended the Polytechnic Institute in Graz before enlisting in the Austrian Naval Academy around 1875. In 1879, he left the academy and immigrated to the United States, where he eventually settled in Washington, D. C. Eight years later, Lucas married Caroline Weed Fitzgerald, with whom he had one son. Following his work as a mechanical and mining engineer at various gold and salt mines, he became an authority on the formation of salt deposits and domes on the Gulf Coast. In 1899, Lucas was hired as a drilling contractor by Pattillo Higgins and given permission to drill at Spindletop near Beaumont, Texas. Convinced that salt domes harbored oil wells, he persisted drilling until harnessing the Spindletop oilfield in 1901. Following Lucas’ success, he acted as a consultant throughout the United States as well as Europe and Russia.

Source:

Wooster, Robert. Lucas, Anthony Francis. Handbook of Texas Online . Accessed July 8, 2011. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/flu04 .

From the guide to the Lucas, Anthony F. Scrapbook, 1953, (Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin)

Born to Francis Stephen Luchich and Giovanna Giovanizo in Austria, Anthony Francis Lucas (1855-1921) attended the Polytechnic Institute in Graz before enlisting in the Austrian Naval Academy around 1875.

In 1879, he left the academy and immigrated to the United States, where he eventually settled in Washington, D. C. Eight years later, Lucas married Caroline Weed Fitzgerald, with whom he had one son. Following his work as a mechanical and mining engineer at various gold and salt mines, he became an authority on the formation of salt deposits and domes on the Gulf Coast. In 1899, Lucas was hired as a drilling contractor by Pattillo Higgins and given permission to drill at Spindletop near Beaumont, Texas. Convinced that salt domes harbored oil wells, he persisted drilling until harnessing the Spindletop oilfield in 1901. Following Lucas' success, he acted as a consultant throughout the United States as well as Europe and Russia.

From the description of Lucas, Anthony F., Scrapbook, 1953 (University of Texas Libraries). WorldCat record id: 761106044

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Lucas, Anthony F. Scrapbook, 1953 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
creatorOf Lucas, Anthony Francis, 1855-1921. Lucas, Anthony F., Scrapbook, 1953 University of Texas Libraries
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
Place Name Admin Code Country
Texas
Texas
Subject
Oil fields
Oil fields
Oil wells
Petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum industry and trade
Petroleum industry and trade
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1855-09-09

Death 1921-09-02

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