Follow the History of the "Cradle of the Petroleum Age" on this 1 Day Tour of Beaumont. On January 10, 1901, the Lucas Gusher on Spindletop Hill exploded, shooting oil hundreds of feet in the air. The explosion was so intense that nine days later the oil column was still gushing nearly 200 feet high, producing around 100,000 barrels a day. Similar to the California Gold Rush of 1849, Beaumont experienced a surge in population from 9,000 in January of 1901 to over 30,000 a mere two months later. Over the next few years, dozens of oil companies were chartered. Six wells were erected on