First Commercial Oil Well in Oklahoma - Bartlesville, OK - First of its Kind on Waymarking.com

The original wooden derrick had been moved from a site some 70 miles away to drill the Nellie Johnstone along the banks of the Caney River in what was then Indian Territory. Financed by local men, George B. Keeler, William Johnstone and Frank Overlees, the well was drilled by Cudahy, a large meat packing firm from Omaha, Nebraska. Spudded in during January 1897, it was April when oil was struck in what would become known as "Batlesville sand".

The well was shot in at a depth between 1303 and 1320 feet on April 15, 1897 when Mrs. Jennie Morton, Keeler's stepdaughter drop the "go devil". The resulting explosion of the nitroglycerine in the hole caused a plume oil to shoot up and over the derrick. Oklahoma's first commercial oil had come in, causing Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory to be forever changed.

The well was named for Nellie, the daughter of William Johnstone, and was the first of 13 wells drilled on her territorial land allotment assigned to her as a Cherokee citizen. The well was finally abandoned in the mid 1950's, but not before producing over 100,000 barrels.

During the time it was a producing well, the wooden derrick was reconstructed at least once. In 1963, another pains-taking reconstruction was undertaken. The derrick, drilling floor and entire rig scene is a faithful reproduction of the original. Today it sits in its original site in what is now known as Johnstone Park, serving as a monument to the tremendous contribution the petroleum industry has made to the growth and development of Oklahoma.

Near the derrick is a chuck of pink granite with the following inscription:

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