Tiger Creek Tales: Memories of an Oil Patch Kid

"Fearful that this gem of a book may slip through the cracks, may I enthusiastically recommend, Tiger Creek Tales, Memories of an Oil Patch Kid by Billy Gene Carriker. The 297 page hardback consists of both a factual and hilarious account of an oil boom town during the Great Depression of the 1930s, i.e., Drumright, Creek County, Oklahoma, now an historic site. It is a prototype of those towns that sprung literally overnight with the discovery of oil. Hordes of people from other states and from foreign countries converged overnight and built Drumright on two impossibly steep hills. Merchants from Lebanon, Syria and Assyria were prominent; mixed with them were engineers, bankers, lawyers and displaced dirt farmers. Carriker cleverly mixes individual accounts with unifying narration from a dozen old-timers who meet in the Boom Town Cafe for coffee. The book is a remarkable re-creation of the town and the times; it is also highly entertaining. Carriker is right on the mark in his account of that time and place. I know, I was there." Vivian Kelly Travis, Ph.D.PsychologistAssociate Prof. Psychology Emeritus

After reading the story of an 'oil patch kid' I was moved by the warmth and humor extended by the author, not to mention the knowledged of an earlier, easier time in life. Born and raised in Oklahoma, but too young to have grown-up during that time, I found the book entertaining as well as nostalgic. The sketches drawn through out the book helped me visualize the scenes that the author so eloquently described. All in all the book, the sketches, and the topic were well worth the time invested in reading from cover to cover the story of the 'oil patch kid'.

What a fun book to read! As an adult born at the end of WWII in the central part of the country, I had grown up hearing tales about the 30s and 40s, but the stories in this book really expand on them. Expressions I had heard and words I never really knew the meaning of are sprinkled through the stories. It's actually a mini-history lesson presented in an enjoyable way. The format, the coffee bunch are so real. Growing up in a cafe, I know there is always a bunch of regulars and do they like to talk! I can see this book being a conversation starter for adults and an eye-opening experience for the younger crowd.My dad talked about playing shinny, never knew what he was talking about. Blowing the plug out of a pressure cooker, feeding spiders and eating box suppers are experiences you never forget! Fill your coffee cup, settle in your comfortable chair and be prepared for sharing when someone catches you chuckling out loud....

This is a delightful book of wonderful stories about real people of all ages living and working in the oil patch of Oklahoma. Sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant, a flavor of rural atmosphere is injected into the stories that recall life in a simpler time. As history reports, born in an unpainted and roughly-furnished shotgun house, located in an actively producing oil field, Billy Gene grew up on the banks of Tiger Creek near the city of Drumright in the new state of Oklahoma - the time was only a few years after Indian Territory was named the state of Oklahoma in 1907. And that oil bubbling up was the reason that Drumright was founded, becoming a boom town before Oklahoma became a state, years later being known as the "Pipeline Capital of the World". Many colorful characters were part of that history. In a period of 14 years of growing up in Drumright, the author met many different people. His family moved 9 times, which meant he and his siblings changed schools often. In each instance, a new circle of friends was established to go with the old friends. During his elementary schooling, the author attended 5 different schools in the immediate area of Drumright, graduating from the 8th grade as valedictorian of his class. Those formative years took place during the Great Depression in the Dust Bowl era, which meant the specter of poverty always hovered near. Despite the economic hardships--or perhaps because of them--the large family, attending different schools and living in the rural atmosphere provided an enriching environment for these indelible memories the author shares so beautifully. You will be entertained by reading this author's work.