Dressing the Bit - Dillingham Garden - Enid, OK - Relief Art Sculptures on Waymarking.com

Harold T. Holden, a world-famous Western artist has created dozens of sculptures which depict life on the Plains, in the taming and settlement of this land. His sculptures can be found in galleries throughout the world. In Dillingham Garden, there are six relief art plaques by Holden, which outline the various "Eras" in Oklahoma History.

This plaque is the sixth - the discovery of oil and how it dramatically changed Oklahoma. The sculpture shows a oilfield worker, wearing a hardhat. He has a sledge hammer raised above his head, ready to hit a drilling bit which is anchored onto an anvil. This was a vital procedure that was repeated often during the drilling process, to bring the cutting bit back to shape and size. The plaque reads:

DRESSING THE BIT

by Harold T. Holden
Era of Oil Exploration

Like the Land Rush, the Discovery of Oil Prompted Dramatic and
Significant Changes in All of Oklahoma. Such Terms as "Boom Towns,
Gushers, Wildcatters and Roughnecks" Became the Vernacular of the
Times. The Exploration and Production of Oil and Gas Provided
the Cherokee Strip with Yet Another Colorful Historical Era.
Even Before Statehood, Oklahoma Became Synonymous with
Cowboys, Indians and Black Gold.

H. H. Champlin Foundation – Major Donor

The first paying well in Oklahoma, in 1896, was the Nellie Johnstone No. 1 near Bartlesville. Oil was discovered near Tulsa in 1901 and resulted in that little town's growth to a major city. The discovery of the Garber-Covington Field east of Enid in 1916 was a huge boon to Enid. Herbert H. Champlin and his Champlin Refining Company realized that finding crude oil was only profitable long term if it could be refined and then sold. He established a pipeline from the Garber fields to Enid, purchased a newly built refinery to process the crude oil, and used the rail system to get his product to the midwestern retail markets. Champlin Refining Company grew to become one of the Nation's largest privately owned, integrated oil companies.[Source: Oklahoma Historical Society].

Bits had to be dressed by the "toolie" at the forge on the derrick floor. In the early 1860's the bit may have drilled only 2 or 3 feet, usually a little more, before it was pulled out of the hole for dressing. The bit was laid across an anvil, and one man stood on each side, and slowly mushroomed the steel out with sledge hammers, and shaped it, forming it back to the proper gauge. [Source: Oil History by Samuel P. Pees].

Your impression of the sculpture?: Where is this sculpture?: Government Springs Park 400 Block E. Owen K. Garriott Road Enid, OK US 73701 Sculptors Name: Harold T. Holden Date Sculpture was opened for vewing?: Not listed Website for sculpture?: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   01/26/2018 The Snowdog visited it 05/21/2017 Max and 99 visited it

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