Ada Belle Oil Well
Why it's listed
Half a mile north of Batson, in the Big Thicket of Hardin County, Texas, a small oil operation still pumps crude much as it did in the early twentieth century. The complex includes rocking-jenny wells linked by sucker rods to a central round-house, wooden cypress separating tanks, a blacksmith shop, an office and a leveed mud pit. The Batson field was opened in October 1903 with a discovery well that initially produced 600 barrels a day, and it quickly became a boom town of about 10,000 people. Fire, disease, violence and mud shaped life in the camps. Production fell as wells turned to salt water, and most crews left by 1908. The Ada Belle rig is described as the only remaining shallow oil well operation of its kind in the East Texas fields. Its round-house design lets more than 50 shallow wells be pumped together, and the well still earns a profit.
Significance in brief: The nomination holds that the Ada Belle rig is the only remaining shallow oil well operation of its kind in the East Texas fields. It stands for the 1903-1904 Batson oil boom and its rough frontier life. The round-house design allows over 50 shallow wells to be pumped at once, and the well still produces.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 80004126, listed January 20, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N of Batson, Batson |
|---|---|
| County | Hardin County |
| Listed | January 20, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80004126 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Areas of significance | Art, Engineering |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in operation; the form says the rig yields about seven barrels of crude a day and remains profitable. Condition is marked good. |
| Acreage | 6.1 |
| Coordinates | 30.26387, -94.61610 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 80004126.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000052
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.