Lou Della Crim No. 1

(600 feet south) Following the discovery of oil in East Texas on October 3, 1930, J. Malcolm Crim of Kilgore believed there was more oil to be found in the area. By October 17 drilling had begun on land belonging to his mother, Lou Della Crim. The well came in on December 28 and was named Lou Della Crim No. 1. Its discovery caused the population of Kilgore to boom from 700 to 10,000 in three days and, ultimately, proved that the East Texas oil field was a major one, covering over 480 square miles. Lou Della Crim No. 1 initially produced 20,000 barrels per day. It was plugged in 1961.