Joseph Sterling Bridwell. Joseph Birdwell was born March 23, 1885, near Northview, Missouri. He moved to Wichita Falls in 1909 and went into the real estate business. By 1915, Bridwell began buying, selling, and trading oil leases. His first venture in drilling was the Cashion Oil Company in 1917, and he formed the Bridwell Oil Company in 1927. #17281 [full inscription unknown]