Historical Photo: Oil Wells in Huntington Beach

HUNTINGTON BEACH一 Oil rigs along the coastline of California are a common sight for beachgoers. According to the OC History Land website, the history of oil rigs in Orange County traces back to the 1860s when people began drilling in Brea Canyon, but the first big oil boom was in 1897 when the first well was found in Carbon Canyon. In 1920 Standard Oil #1 shifted the oil boom from inland to the coast when they opened up a well in Huntington Beach which was quickly followed by a well in Bolsa Chica. By mid-1921 there were 700 producing wells in Orange County. Aside from the onshore wells that were so popular at the time, there were several offshore rigs that dotted the horizon. The rigs were built under long-term leases prior to 1981. The first oil well that went up in Huntington, Hunting A-1, built by Standard Oil went dormant in 1968 and the spot was marked with a boulder-mounted plaque in the early 1990s.