St. Helens Examiner – Friday 06 December 1901
Information has just reached Newton that Sam Crowther, whose parents once managed the Old Crow Inn on Crow Lane in Newton about 25 years ago, has suddenly become one of the richest men in Texas. Raised in Newton at the Old Crow Inn, Sam Crowther experienced his formative years and early adulthood there. After his father passed away, his mother remained a widow for several years before remarrying Mr. Joseph Shona, who still resides at the Old Crow. Following their mother’s death, the sons left home. The eldest brother, John, settled in Bury where he eventually became the landlord of the Old Blue Bell Hotel. Sam, initially working as a barman, later became a butcher before migrating to Texas.
In Texas, Mr. Crowther gained recognition as a pioneering artesian well driller. He was hired to drill a well for Mr. Van Meter in hopes of finding water. At 750 feet, he struck oil, but had to abandon the project as his drilling rig was insufficiently powerful to continue. Seizing an opportunity when Van Meter decided to leave, Crowther kept his discovery confidential, worked tirelessly, and eventually bought some of the land himself. After gaining control of 7,000 acres, he drilled additional wells, confirming the vast expanse of oil-rich land. Once the presence of oil was indisputable, he attracted further investments until they amassed 442 square miles of land. He then established a major corporation with a capital stock of three million dollars, specializing in the sale of high-quality illuminating oil and the buying, selling, and leasing of oil lands, among other activities. Located south of Kansas City, Mr. Crowther serves as the General Manager of the Corporation
This is transcribed from a 1901 edition of the St Helens Examiner
Note: Sam Crowther’s $3,000,000 in 1901 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $110,885,294 in 2024
