CHRIS EPTING
AUTHOR
WHY: Huntington Beach author of more than 40 books on history, travel and musicians like John Oates and Def Leppard.
IN THE NEWS: Published this year “The Bolsa Chica Gun Club: A History.”
NOTABLE: Hosts TV show “Hidden Huntington Beach,” which he puts on YouTube.
QUOTABLE: “With a need for potable water, the Bolsa Chica Gun Club dug a well dug near the clubhouse. To the club’s surprise, when the well water was tested, it was saturated with natural gas…. Standard Oil obtained a lease agreement with the club … on Nov. 6, 1920, as the drillers reached a depth of 2,549 feet, a gusher erupted, causing a massive outpouring of oil. The force was so powerful that the well connections were blown off with a thunderous roar that could be heard for miles around. Within just twenty-four hours, an estimated twenty thousand barrels of oil covered the ground surrounding the well. This remarkable discovery was named Bolsa Chica No. 1.” – Leader Board
