C. H. French, Limestone Co., AL., then Caddo Parish, Louisiana Submitted by Mike Miller Date: 1999-2000 *********************************************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm *********************************************** C. H. French. To the sound practical knowledge and persevering enterprise of men endowed with hope, patience and resource almost every section of the country owes a large part of its basic prosperity, and Northern Louisiana may well lay claim to such a one in C. H. French, of Shreveport. Mr. French is one of the leading developers of the valuable Pine Island oil fields, in Caddo Parish, and is superintendent of the Dixie Oil Company. This company is a subsidiary of the Standard Oil Company of Indiana. with large Louisiana interests. C. H. French was born at Athens, Limestone County, Alabama, but in childhood accompanied his parents to Manor, Travis county, Texas, where he was reared. His educational opportunities were those obtainable in the common schools at that time. Thus, like many other successful oil men, perhaps the majority, he had no scientific training for the work, although it may easily be believed that many secrets of air, soil and rock are familiar to those who seek understandingly for earth's hidden wealth. Since youth Mr. French has been more or less continuously identified with the oil development industry, his first experience being in connection with the early oil fields in Texas, and in the year of the great oil boom, 1902, he was interested at Spindletop, Beaumont, that state. Following this he was engaged in various other oil fields of the Texas coastal regions, especially at Sour Lake, Batson and Spindle Top, building up a reputation as an oil field scout and developing great proficiency in this branch of the oil industry. His name is associated with successful development throughout the southwestern oil fields of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. In 1917 Mr. French came with his 'wife and two Children, Harry Andrew and Mary C., to Shreveport, where the family home has been maintained ever since. It was in that year that he discovered and developed, in association with F. H. Wickett, the Pine Island oil field in Caddo Parish. After making a thorough examination Mr. French brought in oil first from the chalk rock at 1600 feet, later from another horizon at 2900 feet, and more recently, at a depth of 3623 feet, has brought in a great gas well of 40,000,000 cubic feet capacity. He now has development plans under way for a still deeper development of this field. The Pine Island oil is rated as a high grade fuel oil,, and it was in great demand for naval purposes during the World war. Mr. French's associate in the Pine Island enterprise, F. H. Wickett, is an old friend and partner, and their interests have been mutual since early Texas oil days. When they sold their Pine Island oil interests to the Dixie Oil Company Mr. Wickett became president of that organization and Mr. French, superintendent. Mr. French belongs to the Knights of Pythias and the City Club of Shreveport. NOTE: The referenced source contains a black and white photograph of the subject with his/her autograph. A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), p. 55, by Henry E. Chambers. Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925.