The Wewoka Chamber of Business and Industry held their Annual Chamber Banquet on Monday evening, March 6. This event included plenty of delicious food and recognitions of some of the outstanding citizens and their accomplishments. The focus of the event was a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 1923 Oil Boom.

Chamber President Dennis Phillips presented this year’s recognitions, which featured the 2022 Citizen of the Year, Jesse Grandstaff.

The Chamber recognized Sonny’s Grocery as Business of the Year, presenting the award to Austin Shores.

Historical Business of the Year was presented to Norman Drug, which has been in business for 97 years, since 1926. The award was presented to John Norman, who had family from California and Durant make a surprise appearance to help celebrate.

Lewis Johnson, Chief of the Seminole Nation, was recognized as Distinguished Citizen of the Year.

The Valeria Carolina Teacher of the Year Award was presented to Wewoka High School Science Teacher Karla Banks.

There were two Project of the Year Awards presented. One went to the East Central Oklahoma Family Health Center, which recently completed construction of a new building at the corner of First Street and Mekusukey (Business 270 and Hwy. 56). The award was accepted by CEO Donna Dyer.

The other Project of the Year Award went to Boys and Girls Club. Shaina Moon accepted the award for Executive Director Becky Stone.

Chamber Executive Director Sheila Egge and City Manager Mark Mosely made a special presentation to Mayor Paige Sherry, who has chosen not to run for re-election this year after serving for the past 9 years.

The creation of the new Chamber of Business and Industry is one of the many accomplishments that were made during Sherry’s time as Mayor. To help fund the Chamber into the future, Mayor Sherry donated a quilt she made herself that was auctioned off by Raymond Cain.

A highlight of the evening was the premier of a video titled “Oil Boom in Seminole County” that gave a highly informative and entertaining overview of the 1923 Oil Boom in Wewoka. The video was produced by James Harber and Heartland Video Production.

Narrators that appear throughout the video include Duke Ligon of Mekusukey Oil Company, Dick Kay of Kay Production Company, Raymond Cain of Petroquest Oil and Gas, Glenn Cook of Glenco Pipe and Supply, Bob Patterson of Patterson Oil Company, Jim Moody of Moody Oilfield Services and Wewoka Mayor Paige Sherry.

The production is interspersed with historical photos and other footage as these oil industry professionals describe in their own words how Wewoka and Seminole County became the epicenter of oil production after the well known as the Betsy Foster #1, locate two miles southeast of Wewoka, began generating 2,800 barrels of oil a day.

The major oil companies from around the world came to get a piece of the action. By 1927, it was estimated that over 15 million barrels of oil had been sourced just from what was known as the “Wewoka Pool,” a portion of the larger Greater Seminole Oil Field.

At its peak, the Greater Seminole Oil Field produced between 500,000 – 600,000 barrels of oil per day, more than anywhere else in the world at the time. Wewoka’s population boomed from 1,500 people to over 20,000 people.

The narrators share their knowledge of the oil field’s colorful history to describe the effect the boom had on the community and surrounding area.

Following the video Richard Ellwanger, Executive Director of the Seminole Nation Museum, shared additional information about the Betsy Foster Well and the huge impact the oil industry had on the Wewoka community.

The video will soon be available online for those that were unable to attend the banquet to enjoy. Look forward to more centennial events as the community continues to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Wewoka Oil Boom.

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