National Register of Historic Places

Lester And Haltom No. 1 Well Site

Stephens, Ouachita County, Arkansas
Listed
April 2, 1976
Type
Site
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
76000442

About this property

The Lester and Haltom No. 1 Well Site is the site of the first discovery of oil in the state of Arkansas in 1920. It is located in Ouachita County, about four miles (6.4 km) east of Stephens, and off Old Wire Road (County Road 3). The site is overgrown, with limited evidence of its past. There are (or were, in 1976), two large depressions in the ground, about 2+1⁄2 to 3 feet (0.76 to 0.91 m) deep, and up to 75 feet (23 m) long and 35 feet (11 m) wide, one used as a mud pit, the other as a slush pit. A tar-blackened trail shows where there was runoff from the well, whose drill hole was just to the south of the mud pit. East of the mud pit is another depression where the steam engine was mounted; there is still a turnbuckle embedded in a nearby tree. The well on this site blew on April 14, 1920, was operated for only a short time, producing 70 to 100 barrels per day for a few months before running dry, and was not commercially viable. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

Location

Stephens, Ouachita County, Arkansas
33.42862, -93.01254

Categories

INDUSTRYCOMMERCEECONOMICS
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Lester And Haltom No. 1 Well Site

This page lists Lester And Haltom No. 1 Well Site. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Lester And Haltom No. 1 Well Site report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Holt-Poindexter Store Building
Civil War
1.8 mi
Arkansas Highway 57 Bridge
Industrial
3.5 mi
Garrison, Dennis and Christine, House
Modern
3.5 mi
Mt. Prospect Methodist Church
Industrial
5.5 mi
Two Bayou Methodist Church and Cemetery
Civil War
8.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Lester And Haltom No. 1 Well Site listed on the National Register?

Lester And Haltom No. 1 Well Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 2, 1976.

What type of historic resource is Lester And Haltom No. 1 Well Site?

Lester And Haltom No. 1 Well Site is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Lester And Haltom No. 1 Well Site?

The period of significance for Lester And Haltom No. 1 Well Site is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1920.

Can I research the history near Lester And Haltom No. 1 Well Site?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Lester And Haltom No. 1 Well Site will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Ouachita County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Ouachita County.

Explore OuachitaCounty ›

More historic places in Arkansas

Browse all historic places in Arkansas.

View Arkansashistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Arkansas history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Arkansashistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Lester And Haltom No. 1 Well Site will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report