Historic Photos of Texas Oil by Mike Cox

My grandparents have always had this wonderful panoramic photo of Pioneer, Texas during it's heyday. The photo is all buildings, oil derricks, and people. It shows a boom town in full swing. I have no idea when this amazing photo was taken, but it must have been long ago because the only thing in Pioneer these days is a church and a cemetery. It is little more than a dot in the road. This is the case for so many towns in Texas that were once thriving oil towns back in the day, but are now just tiny towns. Historic Photos of Texas Oil by Mike Cox is an amazing collection of photos from the oil boom in Texas.

Texas oil has always fascinated me, maybe because my grandparents were in the oil business. Maybe because it is such a huge part of the history of our great state. All I know is from the first moment I heard "Spindle Top", I was completely intrigued. Spindle Top is just where this great book begins. It is filled with photos of gushing black gold, a sea of oil rigs, dirty rough necks, all the hard working side of oil. Then there are the smiling happy folks, in front of gas stations, hanging out in pools. Most of the photos show towns that are now very small, but then were booming places where oil was king.

Historic Photos of Texas Oil takes you back in time, a wonderful magical journey through Texas history. Everyone I've shown this book to have been nothing short of enchanted. My neighbor Marge spent hours savoring the pages of this book. My husband did the same, marveling over pictures depicting our home town and towns we've lived in, how drastically these places have changed. The pictures make you long for a time gone by.

I cannot say enough good things about this book. It made me feel a mix of emotions from delight over what once was, to a sense of emptiness over what so many of these boom towns have become. This book reminded me that there is so much more to Texas oil than the pump-jacks I grew up around. There is a deep history of black gold, hard working men, families who struck it rich overnight, towns that grew incredibly fast, and then lost everything just as quickly. It made me sad, but happy to in a way. After all, this is what helped make our state what it is. I highly recommend this wonderful book. The photos are nothing short of spectacular. I do not know a single Texan who wouldn't want this amazing piece of history on their coffee table. I urge you to keep this in mind during the holidays, as it would make an extraordinary gift.

Ramblings of a Texas Housewife Product Review and/or Giveaway Disclosure- I have received no compensation from Turner Publishing other than the offer of free product to review and/or giveaway. Any opinions expressed on Ramblings of a Texas Housewife are my own. My reviews are never reviewed or edited in any way by sponsors.