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The Case:
In the early morning hours of June 1st, 1909, Howard Hughes Sr. packed a secret invention into the trunk of his car and drove off into the Texas plains.
At an oil well near Goose Creek, Texas, a crew of workers watched in awe as Hughes showed off his new creation: a twin-cone roller rock bit that would ultimately allow oilmen around the world to tap into previously unreachable oil reserves.
But was it in fact Hughes who invented this device? A man in San Jose, California has a letter that he believes will prove his grandfather deserves credit for the invention.
History Detectives travels to McMinnville, Oregon and Houston, Texas to explore the mysteries of the Texas oil industry and the Howard Hughes dynasty.
Howard Hughes' Patents
Howard Hughes filed his drill bit invention with the U.S. Patent Office in 1908 and went on to build one of the legendary fortunes of the twentieth century. You can view some of the drawings from these patent applications below, or visit the Patent Office online to search for more original patents.
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