Neodesha in Wilson County, Kansas — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Norman No. 1
Opening well of the Mid-Continent Field
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 7, 2012
1. Norman No. 1 Marker
Kansas has long been oil country. There are legends that Indians held council around the lights of burning springs. Immigrants, it is known, skimmed "rock tar" from such oil seeps to grease the axles of their wagons.
Three blocks southeast, on the banks of the Verdigris River, is the site of one of the most famous oil wells in the United States. This derrick is a replica of the Norman No. 1, the first commercially successful well of the Mid-Continent field. It was drilled November 1892, by McBride and Bloom of Independence, Kansas, for William Mills of Osawatomie, Kansas, on land owned by T. J. Norman. The price was $2.50 per foot.
On November 28, 1892, when drilling reached 832 feet, oil began to flow. The Norman No. 1 did indeed provide Major Mills with evidence that oil was pooled beneath the plains of the Middle West.
Mills plugged it and hurried to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with samples. These so galvanized backers Guffy and Galey that they leased a million acres while Norman No. 1 remained plugged for ten months.
On October 1, 1892, the well was shot by G. M. Perry of Oswego, Kansas. Its initial
this page online
Oil was first drilled in Kansas in 1860, near Paola, Kansas, but the sinking of Norman No. 1 began the continuous development of the Mid-Continent Field, the nations' [sic] largest, which spreads over Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Industry & Commerce • Native Americans • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical month for this entry is October 1858.
Location. 37° 25.029′ N, 95° 40.445′ W. Marker is in Neodesha, Kansas, in Wilson County. Marker is on Main Street (U.S. 75) near 1st Street, on the right when traveling east. Marker and derrick are at the Norman No. 1 Oil Well Museum. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Neodesha KS 66757, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Actual Site of Norman No. 1 (approx. 0.2 miles away); Sgt Mike Ritter (approx. 0.3 miles away); World War II Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Soldiers of the World War (approx. 0.4 miles away); Brown Hotel (approx. 0.4 miles away); Opening of the Mid-Continent Oil Field (approx. 1.2 miles away); Dutch Lorbeer (approx. 1.2 miles away); World War Homefront and Neodesha Cemetery Association Founders Memorial Pavilion
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 7, 2012
2. Norman No. 1 Replica and Marker
Also see . . .
1. 1893 Photo of Norman No. 1 Oil Well. (Submitted on July 19, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Norman No. 1 at Kansapedia. (Submitted on July 19, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
3. Norman No. 1 Oil Well National Register Nomination. (Submitted on July 19, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 7, 2012
3. Norman No. 1 Oil Well Replica
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 7, 2012
4. Norman No. 1 Museum Sign
Credits. This page was last revised on September 3, 2020. It was originally submitted on July 19, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 414 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 19, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
