Coleman Ranch Field Discovery Well

(2/3 miles southwest) Completion of the Westbrook Field T&P No. 1 oil well in 1920 signaled the beginning of commercial oil production in the Permian Basin. In the rush of oil activity that followed, the P.C. Coleman No. 1 Well was drilled on land owned by Dr. Preston C. Coleman, physician, civic leader and promoter of early oil development in Mitchell County. Completed in January 1923, the well was a slow producer. After nitroglycerine was used to temporarily increase production, the well was capped with a cedar stump. Frank Kelley, landman for the Magnolia Oil Co., removed the stump in 1925, and the well began flowing again. When occasional pumping yielded only small amounts of oil, Magnolia abandoned it in 1940. Although not a significant producer, the P.C. Coleman No. 1 Well confirmed the possibility of further oil development on the Eastern Shelf of the Permian Basin. In 1946, large quantities of oil were found southwest of the discovery well on former public school land filed on in 1900 by Dr. Coleman's son Walter. Marked today only by a concrete well cap on a concrete base, the site of the Coleman Ranch Field Discovery Well serves as a reminder of the early days of oil production in the Permian Basin. (1983)

Coleman Ranch Field Discovery Well is a historical marker in Westbrook, Mitchell County, dedicated in 1983. It is one of 38 historical markers documented in Mitchell County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 55 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.5031, -101.0499 near Westbrook. The nearest cataloged historic site is Site of Town of Cuthbert (historical marker), about 1.6 miles away. Others within a short drive include Cuthbert Cemetery, Handley Cemetery, and Handley Cemetery.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5335000942. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.