In 1930, Stonewall was unaffected by the Great Depression due to oil booms within the town. However, with the oil boom brought environmental destruction. The local creek was flooded with waste and polluted, causing locals to take action by digging wells. In 1932 Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd and his accomplice George Birdwell robbed the Stonewall Bank. They escaped with $600 and had assaulted two bank officers. While on the run Floyd and Birdwell kidnapped a man on a motorcycle as they fled away from the town.