As a small part of the state’s once flourishingroadside businesses, Bob’s Oil Well is a landmark at the junction of two heavily traveled highways in West Texas. Constructed in the
early 1930s by Bob Robertson, the tourist destination and service center offered a pit of
writhing rattlesnakes, a small zoo with lion cubs, a trucker’s diner, a family restaurant and servicestation. Robertson provided a colorful and entertaining rest stop in the otherwise lonesome
landscapes of the region. He persuaded truckers to carry his advertising to great distances where he announced the remaining mileage to his station, such as “363 miles to Bob’s Oil Well.” The exaggerated and oversized oil derrick resting above the station attracted the attention of travelers and became the most recognized feature of the site. Several buildings remain including the derrick and station and a diner constructed of stone and petrifi ed wood. - from preservation Texas.