Tol Barret House
Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This farmhouse was first owned by T. J. Johnson, founder of Melrose (11 mi. E), and his wife Amanda. In 1848 it became the home of Amanda's sister Julia, the wife of John B. Hardeman. In the 1860s Amanda gave it to her foster daughter Angelina Martha (Thomas) and son-in-law Lyne Taliaferro "Tol" Barret (1832-1913), who drilled the first producing oil well in Texas near Oil Springs (12 mi. SE) in 1866. Occupied by Barret descendants until 1956, the house was moved here in 1975. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1981
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built by the founder of nearby Melrose and later home to the Hardeman family, this East Texas farmhouse passed in the 1860s to Lyne Taliaferro "Tol" Barret and his wife Angelina. In 1866 Barret drilled the first producing oil well in Texas, near Oil Springs, decades before the great Spindletop gusher. His descendants occupied the house until 1956, and it was moved to its present site in 1975.
Why it matters
As the home of the man who brought in Texas's first producing oil well, the house marks the quiet beginning of an industry that would remake the state and the nation.
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Related people
- · Lyne Taliaferro "Tol" Barret
Themes & tags
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