Florida's first commercial oil well was drilled in 1943 just east of this site by Humble Oil and Refining Company. The discovery of oil at a depth of over 11,500 feet proved that there was oil in Florida. Seventeen wells were subsequently drilled nearby. Sunniland was the state's only commercial oil field until 1964, although there had been extensive drilling since 1900. In this way, a vision of Barron Gift Collier was fulfilled.