Things Were Booming in Borger, Texas

My daddy was an oilfield man. He didn't start out to be, but like many others, whose initial plans didn't quite work out, he became one.  And once the smell of rich black crude hit his nostrils, he never looked back. Gone were his dreams of being a gentleman lawyer along with the disappointment of not being able to remain with the Texas Rangers - the law enforcement agency, not the ball team.

Because of dad's profession and where he chose to settle, Borger's "boom town" days are the legends I grew up on. The first Panhandle oil well was drilled near Borger, TX on May 2, 1921, on the 6666 Ranch of S.B. Burnett. While that well was a poor quality strike, the 1926 gushing arrival of Texas Tea caused the town of Borger to explode into existence practically overnight. Merely ninety days after that first big "strike", there were reportedly 45,000 people living, loving, drinking and fighting in a place previously filled with tumbleweeds, antelope and prairie dogs.

The history of "Booger Town" is one I encourage you to delve into. You will find a story rich in sex, drugs and boogie-woogie. The town teemed with oilmen, prospectors, roughnecks, panhandlers, fortune seekers, card sharks, bootleggers, prostitutes, and dope peddlers. Naturally, it became a refuge for criminals and fugitives from the law, hence the nickname “Booger Town.”

Quickly, the town government was firmly in the grasp of an organized crime syndicate led by the unsavory and shady "Two-Gun Dick" Herwig.  Borger became notorious for brothels, dance halls, gambling dens, slot machines, and speakeasies. Murder and robbery became commonplace. Illegal moonshine stills and home breweries flourished with the blessings of Herwig and his henchmen, including W. J. (Shine) Popejoy, the KING of the Texas bootleggers.

Merely a year after Borger had roared its’ way into existence, Governor Daniel J. Moody sent a detachment of Texas Rangers, under the leadership of Captains Frank Hamer and Thomas Hickman to remedy the situation. Captain Hamer later became famous as one of the lawmen involved in the ambush of Bonnie and Clyde.

Although the rangers proved to be a stabilizing force compelling many undesirables to leave town, Borger's wave of crime and violence continued intermittently into the 1930s. After a couple of high profile murders, the Governor once again stepped in and imposed martial law for a month. State troops were dispatched to help local authorities rid the town of its’ lawless element. That goal was eventually achieved but not before Ace Borger, town promoter for whom Borger was named, was shot to death by his longtime enemy Arthur Huey in 1934.

A drop of trivia: The first rotary drilling rig, built at the staggering price of $25,000, was placed into use near Borger, TX by W.T. Willis, J.E. Trigg, and H.D. Lewis. The 6-inch-diameter (150 mm) drill could pierce through rock.

Borger, TX Circa 1926