Author Jim Gatewood visited Rotary Club of Mineral Wells on Wednesday to talk about his book, "Sid Richardson and Texas Oil," and regale members with several stories about the Athens, Texas, native who struck it big in the Texas oilfields.
Gatewood said it was while Richardson was staying in Mineral Wells that his fortunes change. Having done well initially in land and oil dealings, Richardson was an avid gambler who lost much of his money during a losing streak.
It was while in Mineral Wells that Richardson met a beautiful divorcee named Jasmine, with whom he became close. It turned out she operated the Baker Hotel switchboard, and she patched Richardson into a phone call to let him overhear a conversation regarding a major oilfield discovery in West Texas. The rest, as they say, is history.
Jim Gatewood, of Garland, was a professor of History at Richland College and has written several books about Texas history. "Sid Richardson and Texas Oil" is available in hardback online at BarnesandNoble.com. He sold several copies of the book following Wednesday's meeting.
Rotary Club of Mineral Wells meets every Wednesday at noon at Holiday Hills Country Club for lunch, networking, updates on club projects and news, and a program of interest. Meetings are open to members, invited guests and prospective new members.