J.T. Murphy No 1 Crater

The J.T. Murphy No. 1 Crater is the site of a historic oil-drilling accident near Norphlet, Union County, Arkansas.  The site is located about  north and west of Norphlet, off Firetower Road about 3/4 mile (1.21 km) north of its junction with Baugh Street.  On May 14, 1922, an oil drilling crew completed a  well, dubbed J.T. Murphy No. 1, and began pumping.  The early production was entirely natural gas, which began escaping from the drill collar.  Eventually it caught fire, burning for several hours, and destroying the derrick.  It also caused a series of violent underground explosions.  This resulted in the creation of a crater  in diameter and  deep, along with a number of other, shallower, craters.  The land, which had previously been in cotton production, was abandoned, and has gradually returned to forest.

The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Union County, Arkansas

References

Category:National Register of Historic Places in Arkansas
Category:Geography of Union County, Arkansas
Category:National Register of Historic Places in Union County, Arkansas
Category:1922 in Arkansas