[Pennsylvania County Histories]

HEFEI IENCE ^SVM^y fji 7%r COLLEIjTIONS y. ^ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from This project is made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries https://archive.org/details/pennsylvaniacoun89unse A Page4 ' . s- p Page S . ; Page1 ■ | - - ' r u v w . _ ... Ml*. v w- XYZ .-Ml j|f • • MV-j | gaveno intimation of a desire to be in~ terviewed or remonstrated with, which 0:j ^lcrricli. motive they even had the bad taste to resent in a very unpleasant manner, did not improve as he had hoped, the writer’s health. So it come to pass that a short Oil- CITY CHROSICrafBS. time after the battle of Wilson’s Creek, he found himself at Cincinnati on board A Brief Compilation,* Incidental and of a river steamer bound for Pittsburg. Otherwise, From 1861 to Bate. At Maysviile a gentleman came on the r Written for the Derrick.] steamer who was en route for the Oil N this and the series of articles Country, where he had been engaged in to follow,the writer proposes to the development. He was a fluent talk¬ relate from the memory of him¬ er, and from him was gleaned the first self and others, such incidents general information in relation to the of the early history of Oil City, new discovery. Yet the revelation he as can be had and may be made was so wild and apparently impos¬ deemed of interest. This is un¬ sible, that it impressed the listener with avoidable from the fact that no the conviction that truth was stranger to continuous record is available. him than fiction. Subsequent informa¬ That the subject will be more tion proved that the subject was one that or less fragmentary is con¬ could scarcely be exaggerated. ceded. The record of late years During the trip our fellow passenger has been more accurately kept, offered us for perusal a copy of the Alle¬ and this will be given, so far as gheny Valley Echo, a weekly paper then possible, in successive order. published at Emlenton, Venango county, Tfye writer fiist set foot on the soil of Pa., of which Peter Conver was desig¬ this modern greasy Mecca in the month nated as editor and publisher. The read¬ of October, 1861. Here, at the beginning, ing matter, though limited in extent, was he claims the privilege accorded to re¬ original and racy. A poem on oil of lators to make a brief statement of some some length and of merit also, appeared preceding events that are possibly more under the _ proper heading, from which germane to himself than of interest to the following lines,quoted from memorv, the reader. In any event the writer seemed suitable to the case of our Oil proposes to make the narration after his Country friend, and are giveD, own manner. With this general intro¬ * * * * * £ “ l£js the county of Venango—land of Penn, duction the conference between ourself Where flourish most remarkable men; and the Derrick readers, whether of Wild as the eyes of the stranger .they fleece. more or less duration, will begin. Are the stories told of the wonderful grease.” During the years intervening the date of If the reputed author of this effusion, the striking of the Drake well in August, who by.the way, has since won highest 1859, and that above mentioned, the nar- i honors in the legal profession, is a stand¬ rator was a resident of that portion o* ard authority and fills his resoonsible po¬ Southern Illinois styled “Egypt,” border¬ sition most worthily, will furnish the ing on the classical stream known as the entire poem, it will be considered as a Little Wabash. His chief occupation be¬ valuable contribution to this narration. tween “shakes” of fever and ague, was ; Of the arrival of the steamer at Pitts¬ the publication of a county newspaper, burg and the transfer there to a regular and incidentally, in common with his 1 passenger steamer bound for Oil City, in fellow citizens, absorbing into his system | which the author journeyed to Redbank, a due share of the supply (that always and the subsequent embarkation from exceeded the demand) of the malaria , that point this brief note will have to {abounding in that favored section. serve. It is of the river journey, its gen¬ Occasional brief accounts of the Petro¬ eral appearance and of his first impres¬ leum discovery in “Western Pennsylvania sions of the land of oil and of Oil City on reached us, but the excitement of a Presi¬ that pleasant October day in 1861, that dential campaign and the breaking out I he and the reader will further confer. of the great conflict that was to be attend¬ { In 'the course of a wide scope of ob¬ ed with such momentous results, over¬ servation in this and other lands, the shadowed everything else, and postponed a writer has in no section found within a visit that had been projected. similar limits scenery more agreeable to Strange as it may seem the beginning | the sense and picturesque to the eye than I of the war was not altogether unwelcome, | that of the Allegheny at the period of as it afforded a chance to vary the mo¬ winch we write. Running its course be¬ notony of shaking every other day with tween ranges of wooded hills of uniform the fever and ague, ancf filling up the in¬ height, coming down sheer to the wa¬ tervals with various other bilious inter¬ ter s edge, streams that glistened with mittent and remittent ailments. A few silver sheen in the sun flowing from months tramp through the State of Mis¬ 1 their sources on the hill-tops into clear souri, in company with others, seeking to 1 waters below, deep ravines terraced with interview certain citizens of the Eame hemlocks, varied with the colored foliage who had become dissatisfied with the of the maples, gave a symphony of na¬ paternal rule of Uncle Sam, and who ture’s handiwork passing description. I Islands in great numbers and variety of form, covered with sycamore, water, The steamer was soon moored at the elm and other trees, dotted the surface of wharf amid greasy surroundings thati the stream. Patches of dark green certainly had no counterpart in the greasy scum were frequently met with world’s history. Passing over the gang¬ floating on the stream’s surface that gave way plank we first set foot on the soil of forth a rare combination of iridiscent this greasy metropolis, in fact, we might j hues, indicating the petroleum from Oil well say, both feet, for the boardwalk! Creek. was deceptive and sunk a distance into All this and more met the eye from the disgusting mass of oil and mud on the hurricane deck of the staunch steam-1 which it rested sufficient to efface the er Allegheny Belle, Cat t. VVm. HannaJ gloss from boots and clothing. After a on board of which we journeyed from perilous trip over the narrow sidewalks Redbank. At Em'lenton, then a small and their many pitfalls, the main hotel hamlet, the Belle passed under a bridge was finally reached and the pleasant that spanned the Allegheny. Stemming quarters of the steamer exchange for the the current, this good sternwheeler glided more buey ones of the Petroleum House. along in the current that wound round From here the commencement of the the islands, her scape-pipe filling the “■chronic!ings” will fairly commence. As narrow space with echoes from hill and we have made no complaint of thelength ravine, passing here and there a clearing of the voyage, neither should the reader where some pioneer had doubtless early of the interlude. adopted the motto that appears on the Walter R. Johns. dollars of to-day. Franklin, noted in French and Indian history, the county ©IL CITY CHBOSICLINGS. Eeat of Venango, located at the conflu¬ ence of French Creek with the Allegheny, A Brief Compilation, Incidental and was finally reached, and a hasty transfer Otherwise, From 1861 to Date. of freight and passengers made. [Writtenfor the Derrick.] A goodly complement of passengers The conclusion of the preceding filled the cabin, and these were journey¬ “chronicle” was somewhat in the nature ing from Pittsburg to th8 land of oil. (Shrewd appearing, active business men of a dissolving view, with the chief actor, j ’ for the most part, the type of every pur- satchel in hand,passing through the open P suit and occupation, fresh from business door of the Petroleum House. Such ac¬ centers of the country, and to whom was commodations as the hostelry afforded due the beginning of what in subsequent were secured at the office and after sup¬ : years proved to be the successful devel- per mental notes taken. The bar and j opment of the greatest and most useful j source of earth’s hidden wealth. sitting room being on the same floor and j Strange, indeed, to the uninitiated I divided only by open doors, made this were the phrases they used. “Leases,” an easy task. i “fee simple,” “royalty,” “eighths,”“work¬ Outside was the narrow street and the j ing interests,” “wildcat wells,” and other mud—this last having been satisfactorily queer names had a confusing sound. Yet withal it was of interest, though im¬ tested. Along the street were throngs of perfectly comprehended. Sociability was oil wagons and horsemen plodding their j the rule and information intelligently \vearv way by the light of lanternB.

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