Nellie Johnstone No. 1 Oil Well Site

The Nellie Johnstone No. 1 site in Bartlesville marks the first commercial oil well in what would become Oklahoma. Drilled in the 1890s on Cherokee Nation land, the well demonstrated the petroleum potential of the region and helped launch an industry that would transform northeastern Indian Territory. The well's name came from Nellie Johnstone, a local woman associated with the site through family and community connections. The discovery attracted investors and contributed to the rapid development of Bartlesville as an oil center. The significance of the location extends far beyond one well. Petroleum wealth reshaped towns, transportation, tribal leasing, business and politics across Oklahoma. Companies that began or grew in the region eventually became major national corporations. The marker or reconstructed derrick at the site helps visitors visualize a moment before that transformation was obvious. Pairing it with the Frank Phillips Home, Woolaroc or Price Tower shows how one early well fits into the much larger arc of Oklahoma oil history.