National Register Record for NANCY TAYLOR #1 OIL WELL SITE

Historic Name: NANCY TAYLOR #1 OIL WELL SITE
Current Name: THE JAMES LEASE
Address: HASKELL LAKE ROAD WEST OF US-64
City: HASKELL VICINITY            County: MUSKOGEE
Section: 20           Township: 16N           Range: 15E          
Description of significance: THE NANCY TAYLOR NO. 1 OIL WELL SITE NEAR HASKELL, OKLAHOMA WAS CRUCIAL TO THE EARLY FINANCIAL SUCCESS OF J. PAUL GETTY, CO-FOUNDER OF ONE OF THE LARGEST INDEPENDENT OIL OPERATING COMPANIES IN U.S. HISTORY. THE NANCY TAYLOR NO. 1 WAS THE FIRST OIL WELL DRILLED BY GETTY AND ITS SALE IN 1916 FURNISHED THE CAPITAL WHICH ENABLED HIM TO QUICKLY BECOME A SUCCESSFUL INDEPENDENT OIL OPERATOR. HE BECAME A MILLIONAIRE BY JUNE OF 1916. THE SUCCESS OF THIS WELL GENERATED A BOOM IN DRILLING ACTIVITY IN THE AREA. THE SITE CONSISTS OF A WELL CASING HEAD, AN ELEVATED WOODEN TANK AND PLATFORM, A SLUSH PIT, AND AN ELEVATED METAL WALKWAY. LISTED IN NATIONAL REGISTER 11/15/1989.

Type: SITE
Historic Function: INDUSTRY/PROCESSING/EXTRACTION: EXTRACTIVE FACILITY
Current Function: INDUSTRY/PROCESSING/EXTRACTION: EXTRACTIVE FACILITY
Area of Significance 1: INDUSTRY
Area of Significance 2: None
Architectural Style: None
Architect: None
Year Built: 1915-1916            Original Site: YES
Condition: UNCOLLECTED
Restricted: N
Documentation Source: None
Date Prepared: MAY 31, 1989