A few days ago, announcements came from all the sports commentators: The new XFL Houston team has chosen its name–The Houston Roughnecks. What a great name, I thought. How appropriate for Houston. Alas, the commentator that I heard added, “I don’t know why they would choose ‘roughneck’ for a name, but it sounds good.” Perhaps he came from out of state and is still learning our history. Roughnecks, like trail riders in the past and like football players today, were highly respected for their toughness and skill in getting the job done.
In January 1901 the great world game changer, the Spindletop, blew its top and spewed black gold–oil–into the air. The oil fields around Beaumont had been searching for the vein for a few years. The guys who worked the oil field and its oil derricks were called “roughnecks” because it was rough work. Here is a picture of the Spindletop roughnecks:
Learn more about Spindletop and the beginning of the oil industry here: Handbook of Texas Online, Robert Wooster and Christine Moor Sanders, “SPINDLETOP OILFIELD,” http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/dos03.