Kansas Oil Wells - Stockton County

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		Debbie's father's maternal grandparents homesteaded a few miles from Plainville, Rooks County, Kansas. Oil was later discovered on their property. To the left are photographs of the family oil wells. The royalty from these wells still provides a small monetary heritage to their descendants. As you drive through the Kansas countryside, many wells are no longer producing and those that are producing do so at a very slow rate. Many pastures have cattle guards for the convenience of both the oil well maintenance men and the farmers. Cattle guards are used in lieu of gates. They are horizontal steel rails placed in the ground next to the fence line where a gate would normally allow access; cattle will not try to cross the rails and vehicles can easily drive over them and the driver doesn't have to take the time to open the gate and close it.