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Benhomer Risser oil well aerial photograph, McKenzie County, N.D.
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| Title | Benhomer Risser oil well aerial photograph, McKenzie County, N.D. |
| Date of Original | 1951 |
| Creator | Shemorry, Bill, 1914-2004
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| Creator Role | Photographer |
| Description | "The Benhomer Risser well, located southeast of Johnson Corners, about 30 miles from Watford City, was the first commercially producing oil well in McKenzie County. It came in on April 13, 1952, and produced over a period of 38 years." Benhomer Risser No. 1 spudded in McKenzie County August 8, 1951. Completed as first producer in McKenzie County March 29, 1952. |
| General Subject | Oil
Business & Industry
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| Subject (LCTGM) | Oil wells
Oil well drilling rigs
Petroleum industry
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| Location | McKenzie County (N.D.)
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| Decade | 1950-1959
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| Item Number | 1-28-78-5 |
| Negative Number | 1-28-78-5 |
| Format of Original | Film negatives
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| Dimensions of Original | 4 x 6 in. |
| Publisher of Original | Williston Daily Herald |
| Place of Publication | Williston, N.D. |
| Transcription | "Risser 1951"--Handwritten on envelope containing negatives |
| Notes | Title created by staff. |
| Biography/History | William E. "Bill" Shemorry was a native of Williston, N.D. who began work in the newspaper industry as a newsboy selling the Williston Herald and the Williams County Farmers Press. In 1953, he started to publish the Williston Plains Reporter, which he operated for 25 years before selling to the Williston Herald. Shemorry then began to concentrate on his own writing and photography. In addition to writing many books on the history of Williams County, he also collected photographs of early North Dakota photographers. Shemorry was an active member of the Williston Fire Department, was Civil Defense Chief of Williams County for three years in the 1950's, and was a combat photographer in World War II. Shemorry's photograph of the discovery of oil in North Dakota on April 4, 1951 at the Clarence Iverson No. 1 is one of the most famous oil photographs ever taken, and was published in many national publications. |
| Bibliographic Reference | The quoted description is from Shemorry's caption that was published with the photograph in the article "Benhomer Risser was North Dakota's longest producer" in The Williston Daily Herald, 2001-03-27, p. 1A. The article was part of Shemorry's series, "The Best Little Stories of the 20th Century" written weekly for The Herald. The quoted description is from Shemorry's caption that was published with the photograph in "The First 12 Wells Drilled in Western North Dakota Oil Country" in The Williston Daily Herald, 2001-08-05, pgs. 16-17. This photograph appeared in the Herald Oil Section. |
| Repository Institution | State Historical Society of North Dakota
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| Repository Collection | William E. (Bill) Shemorry Photograph Collection 1
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| Credit Line | State Historical Society of North Dakota, William E. (Bill) Shemorry Photograph Collection (1-28-78-5) |
| Rights Management | Permission to reproduce this image must be requested from the State Historical Society of North Dakota. |
| Ordering Information | To order a reproduction, inquire about the collection, or provide information about an image, please email Emily E. Schultz at eschultz@nd.gov |
| Digital ID | ws128785 |
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