Nellie Johnstone No. 1

The first commercial oil well in Oklahoma, drilled in 1897

The Nellie Johnstone No. 1 is a replica wooden oil derrick on the bank of the Caney River in Johnstone Park, marking the spot where Oklahoma's first commercial oil well was drilled in 1897. The discovery predated Oklahoma statehood by ten years and set off the oil boom that defined the region's 20th century.

The site is a small public park with interpretive signage about the oil industry history of Indian Territory and early Oklahoma. It's a brief stop rather than a major attraction, but it provides historical context for everything else in Bartlesville — the wealth that built Price Tower, funded Woolaroc, and created the Phillips Petroleum corporation all traces back to discoveries that followed this well.

things to do landmark
A story
The Nellie Johnstone No. 1 was drilled on April 15, 1897, striking oil at 1,320 feet — the first commercially viable oil well in what was then Indian Territory, predating Oklahoma statehood by a decade. The discovery triggered the oil boom that eventually brought Frank Phillips to Bartlesville and funded the wealth that built Price Tower and Woolaroc. A replica wooden derrick marks the spot on the bank of the Caney River. The original discovery well catalysed the transformation of the entire region.