Lima in Allen County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

First Oil Well

Industry & Innovation • Lima, OH

— Lima's Local History Hunt —

First Oil Well Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Doda, April 25, 2026

1. First Oil Well Marker

Inscription. In 1885, Benjamin Faurot struck oil near here after drilling into the Trenton Rock Limestone at a depth of 1,251 feet, sparking the great Oil Boom of northwest Ohio. Speculators quickly followed, drilling hundreds of wells in what became the vast Lima Oil Field, stretching across northwest Ohio and into Indiana. By 1886, it was the nation's leading oil producer, and by 1887, it was considered the largest field in the world. Production peaked in 1896 at over 20 million barrels, and the short-lived boom brought people, pipelines, refineries, and rapid growth to the region, forever changing Allen County.

Erected 2026 by America 250-Ohio Commission. (Marker Number 1.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Natural Resources. In addition, it is included in the America 250: Ohio Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1885.

Location. 40° 44.563′ N, 84° 5.524′ W. Marker is in Lima, Ohio, in Allen County. It is at the intersection of East North Street and North Sugar Street, on the right when traveling west on East North Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 864 E North St, Lima OH 45801, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Till Plains.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of

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this marker: Faurot Oil Well (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); James Daniels' Cabin (approx. ¼ mile away); a different marker also named James Daniel's Cabin (approx. ¼ mile away); NKP Caboose No. 1091 (approx. 0.3 miles away); Nickel Plate Road Berkshire-Type Locomotive No. 779 (approx. 0.3 miles away); Lima Locomotive Works (approx. 0.4 miles away); Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railroad Station from Uniopolis, Ohio (approx. 0.4 miles away); a different marker also named Lima Locomotive Works (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lima.

Also see . . . Lima's Local History Hunt. (Submitted on April 26, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio.)

Photographed by Craig Doda, April 25, 2026

2. First Oil Well Marker

America 250-Ohio Commission image. Click for full size.

Photographed by America 250-Ohio Commission

3. America 250-Ohio Commission

Credits. This page was last revised on May 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 26, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 10 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 26, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. 3. submitted on April 30, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.