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SLICK was named for Tom B. Slick who was known among the oil men as "Mad Tom Slick," "Dry Hole Slick," and "King of the Wildcatters." He was the discoverer of the Cushing Oil Field and numerous other oil pools. The town of Slick had its beginning in 1919 when Tom Slick brought in the discovery well. Within a short time tents and hastily constructed shacks became stores, cafes, pool halls, and various kinds of businesses. Soon many oil wells were being drilled, and there was a demand for oil-field roughnecks, roustabouts, and other workers. At the end of three months the town had an estimated population of five thousand. Many were drifters, but most were the boom town element that went along with every such oil development.
During the early 1920s, after the limits of the oil field had been determined, the town became a production and shipping center. Slick had a business district about one-half mile in length. There were two banks, three hotels, several rooming houses, two oil-field supply firms, and numerous other stores. A cotton gin and gristmill served farmers of the area. In 1920 the Oklahoma-Southwestern Railway Company laid its tracks from Bristow to Slick and then in 1921 extended the line to Nuyaka. A large depot was build to handle the crowds that flocked to Slick to "get rich from the rushing black gold." Roads and streets were mud or dust, depending on the weather.
The Slick boom did not last long. By 1930 population had decreased to fewer than five hundred, some stores had been destroyed by fire, and others had closed for lack of business. The railroad was abandoned in 1930.
Currently Slick has one store and a filling station. All railroad tracks have been removed. The once busy depot now serves as the First Baptist Church. Unused sidewalks, with grass and weeds growing in the cracks, hang over the edge of the streets. Most of the inhabitants are older people who have always lived in the area.
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SLICK. In eastern Creek County, 9 miles southeast of Bristow. Post office established April 28, 1920. Named for Thomas B. Slick, prominent oil producer.
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