200 Feet North to Site of Hardin County Discovery Well
Saratoga, Hardin County, Texas
Marker Inscription
At this site in 1901 the first oil well in Hardin County was brought in at a depth of 995 feet by J. B. (Ben) Hooks and brothers H. A. (Bud), J. L. (Sam), and George. The ensuing boom town was first called "New Sour Lake" but later named "Saratoga" after the famous New York resort. (1971)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1901—the same year Spindletop announced the Texas oil age—Ben Hooks and his brothers brought in the first oil well in Hardin County at a depth of 995 feet just north of this site. The strike sparked a boom town, first called "New Sour Lake" and later renamed Saratoga after the famous New York spa resort. It was one of the gushers that turned the Big Thicket country into an early frontier of the petroleum industry.
Why it matters
The discovery well marks the dawn of the East Texas oil boom, part of the 1901 rush that transformed Texas—and America—into a petroleum powerhouse.
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Related people
- · J. B. (Ben) Hooks
Related events
- · Hardin County oil boom
Themes & tags
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