The first shipment of oil from the Cullinan Refinery took place on February 24, 1899. The refinery was established by Joseph Cullinan, a Pennsylvania oilman, to process crude from the Corsicana field. Initial production at the end of 1896 was modest, reaching only 1,450 barrels, leading some skeptical investors to pull out of the venture.
However, by 1897, production surged to 65,975 barrels from 47 wells, proving the field's potential. With $150,000 in out-of-state capital—equivalent to roughly $5.5 million in 2025—construction of the refinery began in 1898 and was completed the following year, just in time for an extraordinary production boom. By 1899, output skyrocketed to 544,620 barrels, supported by the rapid expansion to 342 wells.
