Historical Marker
The Birthplace of the Petroleum Industry
Historical marker location:
Corsicana, Texas
( In Petroleum Industry Park, 400 Blk of S 12th St)
Marker installed: 1936
West of the Mississippi River. In this well, drilled by H. G. Johnston, E. H. Akin, and Charles Rittersbacher under contract for a water well for the city of Corsicana in 1894, the first oil in commercial quantities in the mid-continent area was discovered at 1035 feet.