ABSTRACT
In the Spring of 1903, a small company called the Gas, Oil and Development Company drilled a well just off Main Street in the town of Dexter, Kansas in pursuit of oil and/or natural gas. Very quickly, a large gas reservoir estimated at 9 million cubic feet of gas per day was found at a shallow depth of 400 feet. Celebrations were planned and the excitement was rampant throughout the small Kansas town. Crowds gathered to witness (and hear) the huge gas flow and they anxiously waited to see the gas ignited, thus putting Dexter, Kansas on the map as a major resource. As the flame was placed in front of the gas stream, it was quickly extinguished.
