A row of tall steel derricks stands against a clouded sky, with a multi-story brick hotel and low shed roofs at their base. The printed caption names them "Signal Wells" facing the Hotel Adolphus, placing the rigs directly in Kilgore's town center. Kilgore sat at the heart of the East Texas Oil Field, discovered in October 1930. The boom that followed turned the small town into a crowded field of derricks, and views like this one showed how completely oil production had overtaken the everyday streetscape.
Black-and-white print with white border; foxing and staining along the left edge; hand-lettered card number C-138 with small arrow at bottom right of photo.
No postmark; unused divided-back "POST CARD" with dashed stamp box bearing Eastman Kodak EK monogram and no stamp applied; The Fox Company imprint (World's Largest Kodak Finishers, THE FOX CO, San Antonio, Texas) with running-fox logo. Light toning and foxing spots; black-and-white photo-finish card with white border.
Cite this card
Signal Wells facing Hotel Adolphus, Kilgore, TX, circa 1930, postcard, c. 1930. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/signal-wells-facing-hotel-adolphus-kilgore-tx-circa-1930. Accessed November 3, 2026.
