A Centennial Memorial History of Allegany county, New York, Part 127

Author: Minard, John Stearns, 1834-1920; Merrill, Georgia Drew
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Alfred, N.Y., W. A. Fergusson & co.
Number of Pages: 1102

USA > New York > Allegany County > A Centennial Memorial History of Allegany county, New York > Part 127

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This piquant description written by J. P. Herrick, the brainy editor of the Bolivar Breeze, for the Illustrated Buffalo Express, tells neatly of a cer- tain period of Bolivar's existence.

A BIT OF BOLIVAR'S HISTORY.

Next to Richburg, Bolivar was for a season a hot oil town, but Bolivar people showed good sense in confining oil operations to territory outside of the village limits. In 1882 Bolivar boasted of nearly 5,000 population. At this time the Police Gazette had the largest circulation in Bolivar of any New York weekly. In January, 1882, Olean capitalists sent F. L. Newton, now a Buffalonian, to Bolivar with a canvas sack containing $20,000 in currency to open a bank. In four months' time the deposits exceeded $250,000. Like Richburg, Bolivar sheltered a very tough element, and the nightly scenes witnessed on Railroad street-Bolivar's Bowery-were very wicked. Along with the oil boom came a German philosopher with a stink-pot full of chemicals and a mineral rod. He felt sure that he could pick out a location for a good well, Finally he succeeded in interesting some oil men in his theory and a well was drilled a short distance below the village. Much interest was manifested in the test. When the old German learned that the well was " dry," he packed his grip and started for the woods. And they haven't seen him since. The rabble that drifted in on the oil tide has all left now, and Bolivar has settled down into a steady-going prosperous village ; in fact it has held its own the best of any oil town in the country, unless it is Bradford. Bolivar has a state bank, good hotels, ex- cellent schools, well-equipped fire department, fine academy, excellent stores, a race track and a newspaper. Bolivar is the oil headquarters of the Allegany field, and the local buying agen- cies of the National Transit Company and the Tidewater Pipe Company are located there. The wealth that poured out of the hills and valleys made a few men very rich, many comfort- ably well off, and many lost the savings of years in a vain endeavor to " strike it rich." One of the earliest and brainiest operators in the field was George V. Forman of Olean, now of Buffalo. In company with H. L. Taylor and John Satterfield of Buffalo, Mr. Forman in 1881 owned 3,000 acres of " cream " territory in the Allegany field. In May, 1882, the Cherry Grove bubble induced many of the producers of the Allegany field to offer their leases at ridiculously low prices. They were fairly crazy to get to Cherry Grove and offered oil property at almost one- fourth of the real value. Mr. Forman bought up every lease offered for sale and when the re- action took place a few months later, he sold out at profit of nearly half a million dollars. The late Asher W. Miner of Friendship is credited with clearing over half a million dollars in oil operations in the Allegany field. The McCalmont Oil Company of Pittsburg have cleared a round million dollars out of their oil operations in the Allegany field, and the Hazelwood Oil Company have also made a fortune. Both of these companies still retain large interests in the field. Not over 10 per cent of the farmers who originally owned the land were benefitted by the oil boom. The majority of them sold their farms at high prices and fooled away the money in speculating. Those who leased on a royalty are to-day comfortably well off, and assured of a steady income as long as the wells on their farms continue to produce oil. One old farmer who lives near Allentown has already received over $100,000 in royalties, and many others have received like amounts. There are a large number of producers in the field to-day who are worth from $10,000 to $25,000, who 10 years ago were employed on leases " by the month." There are probably a dozen resident producers who have amassed from $75,000 to $100,000.

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There are also men to be found at work on the leases "by the month " who were comfortably well off 10 years ago. Fortune was ever fickle, and one is impressed with the fact at every turn in the oil regions.

The drilling of the old Richburg well opened up one of the richest oil fields of modern times. Other good wells came in rapid succession. In June, 1881. the Boyle well, another noted well, was struck. It started off at 20 0 barrels a day, and the lucky strike caused intense excitement. In 1881 the Allegany field produced 681,509 barrels of oil, and in 1882 the pro- duction was increased to 6,519,000, the top-notch record. Up to date the field has produced 29,000,000 barrels. The first big reverse the Allegany field suffered was in May, 1882, when the Cherry Grove gusher came in and smashed the market to 49c. Since 1882 the production of the field has steadily declined, until it has reached 2,000 barrels per day. The largest wells ever drilled in the field are located on the Reed and Gar thwait farms in the town of Bolivar. Both of these wells started off at 400 barrels a day, and both wells are still producing oil. Dur- ing the first year of the boom thousands of barrels of oil ran to waste every month. The wells came in so fast that the pipe-lines could not take care of the oil. The longevity of the wells drilled in the Allegany field is quite remarkable. The oil sand is very hard. The 30 wells drilled on the Reed farm in the town of Bolivar have already produced $1,000,000 worth of oil, and they will continue to produce oil for a dozen years to come. Records show that in the past twelve years a cluster of eight wells on a farm owned by Riley Allen at Allentown, have produced over $135,000 worth of oil, and they are still producing 2,000 barrels a year. And there are many farms in different parts of the field that show better records than the one owned by Allen. The average depth of the wells drilled in the Allegany field is 1,200 feet. The average cost of drilling a new well at present and rigging it up for pumping is about $1,500. In 1882 the same work cost $2,200. From 40 to 60 quarts of nitro-glycerine are usu- ally used in shooting a well, but sometimes 100 quarts are used. Nitro-glycerine now sells for $1.00 a quart. In 1882 a 40-quart shot cost $140. In this field several handlers of this dan- gerous explosive have lost their lives and many others can relate thrilling and truthful stories of hair-breadth escapes from frightful deaths, while following their hazardous calling as oil-well shooters. Within two years, two well-known Bolivar shooters lost their lives. All that was found of the two bodies could be placed with ease in a peck measure. And yet there are half a dozen applicants ready to fill every vacancy that occurs. The pioneer oil-well shooter of the Allegany field is Col. W. A. Myers of Bolivar. The story of his experience in the nitro-glyce- rine business would make an interesting volume. He claims the honor of making the first pound of nitro-glycerine ever exploded in an oil well. He established a factory at Titusville, Pa., in the winter of 1869. At that time he mixed the stuff in earthern crocks. Later on he invented a machine that made 400 cans a day. In those days it was almost impossible to se- cure any helpers at the factory and farmers would drive three miles out of their way to avoid passing close by where the deadly explosive was made. Myers built a factory near Olean in 1879. It was afterward blown up. One of the most exciting events in his life took place at Bolivar Run, Pa., in May, 1882. A factory containing 3,200 pounds of nitro-glycerine blew up. Myers had just stepped out and was not over 50 feet distant when the explosion took place. He was hurled through the air over 100 feet, but strange to say, he was not seriously injured. When he recovered his senses he discovered that he was almost nude. One stock- ing was all the wearing apparel he had on. His coat was blown off and torn to tatters. It is now highly prized as a relic. Myers built a factory near Bolivar in 1882, the capacity of which was 5,000 pounds of nitro-glycerine a day. He gave up shooting entirely and devoted his attention to supplying explosives to other men. In. 1884 he sent his son, W. R. Myers, to Egypt to build a factory and shoot some test wells near the great pyramids for an En- glish syndicate. He retired from his hazardous calling in 1886, after an exciting experience of 17 years in the business. He is one of the few survivors of the old-time Oil Creek shoot- ers, the majority of whom met violent deaths.

BOLIVAR BUSINESS INTERESTS .- The business men are an enterprising, energetic class of people. Among them the oil man holds a conspicuous place, in fact most everyone is an oil man to a certain extent, very few have been able to resist that contagious chance-taking, Louisiana-lottery feeling which leads people into taking an interest in a well or speculating in the ex- changes. Before the advent of the oil industry the interests were mostly agricultural, dairying and lumbering being the principal pursuits. The mercantile interests were inferior in comparison to the present situation

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HISTORY OF ALLEGANY COUNTY, N. Y.

The population of the village was then about 200. During the summer of 1880 Richburg, the sister village, experienced a boom which has had few equals in oil country history. Bolivar was not very much affected until the following winter. The development of the Richburg pool having become pretty well defined, the enthusiasm cooled down with the cold weather. Meanwhile, developments were becoming quite extensive to the south of Bolivar village, and during the summer of 1881 the territory between Boli- var and Allentown was creating considerable excitement and proving valu- able property. Bolivar was the most accessible station for headquarters during the operations of 1881. The narrow gauge roads came winding their serpentine paths over the hills from all points, Bradford, Cuba, Angelica. Friendship and Wellsville all sent eager crowds over the miniature rail- roads to Bolivar. Machine shops, stores, all manner of institutions, began a steady growth. The boom was not such a prodigy as Richburg experienced but it proved far more lasting. To-day it is a serious matter to obtain a fairly good house to rent in this town while Richburg is a desolate ruin, the empty, windowless buildings displaying endless visions of haunted houses of all descriptions. Although the oil industry experienced a season of great depression for several years, through low prices and a falling off in produc- tion, still Bolivar held to a great extent the prosperity gained during 1881. And at the present price of crude petroleum the town is enjoying a great de- gree of prosperity. Perhaps there is more cash per capita in circulation in Bolivar than in any other village in Allegany county.

The interests of that great corporation, the Standard Oil Company, in Bolivar and vicinity is carefully looked after by W. F. Thomas, who knows all that there is to know about oil in the Allegany and Pennsylvania fields.

One of the most prosperous of the firms in the oil and gas industry in town is the Empire Gas and Fuel Co. Their office is located on Boss street and is the real center of the great gas-plants supplying Cuba, Wellsville, Bolivar and Richburg. Beside the great number of gas wells this company has an extensive production of the oleaginous fluid. The Bradley Bros. are the owners and directors of this company. They began the business by supplying Richburg and Bolivar with gas, and have gradually increased their operations until their interests mount upwards into the hundred of thousands; still Mr. Bradley will tell you, with a twinkle in his eye, that he has never been out of debt " since he was twenty-one."

Another prosperous company is the Bolivar Oil Co. This firm was or- ganized three years ago by twelve business men of the village, the capital raised by them was $8,000. This was so judiciously invested in oil and gas plants in Ohio and elsewhere, that their property is now estimated at $75,000. The president of this company is E. J. Wilson, who has a comfortable income from his various interests of $250 per day. The office of the company is the old Tidewater office. The secretary and treasurer is W. L. Nichols.

There are several industries which are in a measure connected with the production of oil. At the western extremity of Liberty street A. C. Mc-

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BOLIVAR.

Donell has a machine shop. He manufactures and repairs drilling tools, engines, etc. Gas is used in the plant for lights and fuel. Mr. McDonell also is engaged in oil production. Alex. Wilson has a shop on Main street where engines, boilers and all sorts of machinery is repaired. There are two plants for repairing boilers in town-Dempsey Bros. on Liberty street and A. Elsesser near Main street. One of the best patronized stores in town is the Oil Well Supply Co.'s establishment on Main street. At this place all the hardware necessary (except the silver dollar) to the production of oil from the time the well is located until the tank is filled, is furnished. The gentleman in charge is J. Craig. For several years a similar store owned by the Jarecki M'f'g. Co., was located here-but the business proved that one such store was sufficient.

In the autumn of 1895 several gentlemen established a nitro-glycerine plant. Until this time the dangerous compound was drawn into town from Bradford or Warren. The Rock Glycerine Co. No. 2 now manufactures a grade of the explosive which proves highly satisfactory. The site of the plant is in a secluded hollow about a mile west of the village, on land owned by E. R. Kilbury. The reason for selecting this retired spot is not attri- buted to the modesty of the gentlemen engaged in the industry, but is owing to the fact that sometimes circumstances of a highly startling nature trans- pire,-after which it is difficult to find any tangible evidence of the existence of such an establishment except a great hole in the ground, which proves at least that it would not be well to locate on Main street. An expert, a gentle- man from Bradford, presides over the manufacture of the article and is aided by one or two assistants.

The oil well shooter, with his glycerine carriage, is a familiar sight in Bolivar. His duty is to take the cans from the magazine, haul the explosive to the well, lower it in the long tubes called " shells " and explode it where required. This duty requires nerve of all qualities and descriptions. There are several shooters at present in the village. The Van Curen Bros. are inter- ested also in the nitro-glycerine plant, with M. Williams, who is in business for himself, and H. H. Young, better known as "Brig " Young, who shoots for the Newton Torpedo Co. The events which occasionally happen in the lives of these shooters would make the dime novel retire with a blush. The writer vividly remembers one occurrence which took place in September, 1892, for the reason that he was one at least of a small party who wished for a few seconds they were " some where else." The well was located in the woods on a steep hillside. The shooter was H. H. Young " who " (upon his own statement) "was born lucky." After the shot had been successfully lowered, "Brig " got into the wagon preparatory to driving the team and wagon out of danger from the falling debris which follows the explosion of the torpedo. There were two cans in the wagon which had not been used. As the team backed on the side hill the two upper wheels left the ground, rose slowly,-higher, higher, reached the line of the center of gravity,- hung there a single tremendous second as "Brig " crawled upon the rising

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HISTORY OF ALLEGANY COUNTY, N. Y.

wheels and slowly forced them back to terra firma. All others of the party had meantime made an inglorious retreat, feeling that their combativeness was not equal to the shock of the explosion of 16 qts. of nitro-glycerine. The shooter was calm and unembarrassed and the job was finished according to law and order.

One of the most thriving institutions of the village is the cigar factory (No. 1528, 28th District) of F. A. Loop & Co., started Nov. 27, 1893. Employ- ment is given to ten men, sometimes more, and a very satisfactory article is produced. The members of the firm are F. A. Loop, J. M. Van Gorden and S. A. Wertman. They make several brands of all qualities. Two men are travelling for them in the interests of the company during most of the year. The employees are paid so much per hundred. One of their most expert workmen often earns $18 per week working 8 hours per day.

E. A. Root is building a sawmill on South Main street and near it a plan- ing mill is to be established.

There are two hardware merchants driving a rushing trade, H. L. Zim- merman and Ira Voorhees. The clothiers are R. L. Andrus & Son and Fitz- gerald Bros. The drygood merchants are Hoyt & Cowles, J. H. Root & Son, and Mitchell & Co. (drygoods and groceries), who occupy the lower story of Masonic Block. The grocery men are F. Hulbert & Co., Mrs O'Brien and J. J. Cooper. The druggists Seibert & Cutler and J. E. Drake. Gavin & Healy have a news office, jewelry and notion store. All of these are established on Main street. The millinery establishments are owned by Mrs. Bertha Weiler and Miss Mabel York. Mrs. Weiler has been engaged in the business in this town for 12 years. There are two first class hotels, the Newton House built by D. A. Newton to accommodate the crowd during " the excitement," and the Clark House. Both are located on Main street. The Newton House is a wooden structure, 4 stories high, and large, consider- ing the population of the town. The present proprietor is C. C. Thomas. The Clark House is a smaller establishment. D. E. Brock has just sold it to Calvin Scott for $3,500. Wesley Hoyt has a fine line of furniture in his store on Main street. In addition to these establishments Bolivar has a harness shop, a boot and shoe store, barber shops, a fruit store, owned by G. H. Parker, who is also the postmaster, a bakery, three meat markets, several restaurants, a crockery store owned by J. T. Cowles, and two livery stables. Nearly all the mercantile establishments are on Main street.

The dairying interests of Bolivar have been a secondary industry since the oil boom. There are two cheese factories located in the town, one near the village another at South Bolivar. The first one in the village was built by D. A. Newton in 1874, and made that year over 65,000 lbs. of cheese. (It was discontinued in 1882, made into a hotel and called the Manchester House.) The Bolivar cheese factory built in 1887 by Curtis Smith is situated at Bolivar village. The main building is 24x24 feet, the wing 20x50 feet. In 1893 the milk of 200 cows was used and about 50,000 pounds of cheese was made. At the present time the business is an unsatisfactory one, and the

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factory is not making a large quantity of the article. At South Bolivar a larger quantity of cheese is made, during 1895 over 100,000 pounds.

BANKS .- THE STATE BANK OF BOLIVAR was organized May 31, 1882, with R. F. Burckman president, and J. F. Thompson cashier. Mr. Thomp- son now occupies the responsible position of cashier of the Seaboard National Bank of New York City. In 1884 a change in the ownership of the stock took place and an election occurred which made J. M. Curtiss, of the law firm of Curtiss & Bliss, president, with F. L. Newton, a son of D. A. New- ton, cashier. Mr Newton is now cashier of the Fidelity Guarantee and Trust Co. of Buffalo. The capital stock of the State Bank of Bolivar is $100,000, with a surplus of $60,000. The present officers are J. M. Curtiss president, J. B. Bradley vice president, G. H. Root cashier, J. F. Hogan is book-keeper. This institution is on a sound financial basis and is one of the most profitable financial institutions in the county. A recent report gives this statement of its business: Resources: Loans and discounts $100,391.45, due from directors $1,367.23, overdrafts $3,014.14, due from Trust compa- nies, etc, $10,133.03, banking house and lot $3,000, bonds $1,000, specie $3,- 092.12, U. S. notes $1,844, cash $163.02, expenses $176.74, Furniture, etc., $1,000, oil property $10,600, total $135,781.73. Liabilites: Capital stock $30,- 000, surplus $5,044.69, discount $1,071.87, exchange $107.85, deposits $70,- 153.57, demand certificates $29,403.75, total $135,781.73.

FIRE COMPANIES .- Bolivar has two fire companies, the J. B. Bradley Hose Co. and the Citizens HoseCo. Theaggregate number of membersis over one hundred. The Citizens Hose Co. own its hose-building, which is located on Friendship street, and is a pleasant well-kept structure. The president of the J. B. Bradley Hose Co. is M. Furnald. The water-works system of the town is unique. Two large wooden tanks are located high up on one of the surrounding mountains and are kept full of water froma near-by spring; a system of water pipes lead down and about the village, giving a tremendous preasure when it is required.

PHYSICIANS .- Although the general health of the population of Bolivar is excellent owing to plentiful supply of pure water and air, yet we have an intelligent and thrifty staff of physicians. Among them perhaps Dr. Joseph L. Cutler has gained the most prominence. [See Medical Chapter.] He began life as a teacher, earning enough at that profession to complete a a course of study in the University of New York. While a teacher studied medicine. Among those to experience Dr. Cutler's guidance along "The flowery path of knowledge " was John Rockefeller, the head of that greatest business organization in the world, the Standard Oil Co. Rockefeller was then a lad of eight years, and Dr. Cutler was his first teacher. A younger brother, Wm. Rockefeller, and an older sister were also among the Doctor's pupils. It is evident that at the schoolmaster's desk the Doctor was a suc- cess. He has given up in a great measure active practice, but his advice is sought at all times, and perhaps there is not a man in Bolivar or the south- ern tier of Allegany's towns who has more friends or who has done his fel-

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HISTORY OF ALLEGANY COUNTY, N. Y.

low mortals more practical good than genial Dr. "Joe." Dr. Dorr Cutler, a brother of J. L. Cutler, was during the Civil War a volunteer of the 138th N. Y. (9th N. Y., H. A.) He married Miss Harriet Cowles. (See Medical Chapter). The family of Dr. Latham traces ancestry to Mary Chilton, one of the passengers of the Mayflower, by some historians said to be the first woman to land on Plymouth Rock. She married John Winslow, a brother of Edward Winslow, one of the first governors of the Plymouth colony. Their daughter became the wife of Robert Latham who came to America about 1640. From this couple all the Lathams in this country (so far as known) have descended. Dr. Latham's father, Rev. Joseph Latham, Jr., has been a minister in the Genesee Conference of the M, E. church for over 40 years. Dr. Latham is a member of the M. E. church, and secretary of the official board. Dr. Latham is a great student, a man of cultivated tasts and an enthusiast in his profession. (See Medical Chapter). Dr. Charles F. Hoffman, who has practiced medicine in this state since 1885, is one of the modern, thoroughly equipped physicians, who from their natural abilities and exceptionally fine educational advantages, deserve and win high rank in their profession. (See Medical Chapter.)

ATTORNEYS .- J. M. Curtiss, Esq., the first lawyer to locate in Bolivar, came here in 1850, and has been in constant practice from that time. Four years ago he formed with Walter T. Bliss, Esq., the existing law firm of Curtiss & Bliss. (See Courts and Lawyers).

PHOTOGRAPHERS .- M. A. Furnald, H. A. Cudding.

MACEDONIA LODGE NO. 258, F. & A. M.,* was organized at Bolivar. The first meeting was held U. D. at Odd Fellows Hall in the hotel (now Clark House) March 10, 1852. The officers elected were: S. G. S. Rowley, W. M .; S. W. Thomas, S. W .; A. G. Williams, J. W .; S. S. Buckley, Sec'y; J. M. Curtis, S. D .; Orry Millard, Tyler. The charter was later granted and was dated June 12, 1852. The first installation of officers under the charter was on Aug. 11, 1852, by D. G. M. Jeremiah Hatch as follows: S. G. S. Rowley, W. M .; S. W. Thomas, S. W .; A. G. Williams, J. D .; S. S. Buckley, Sec'y; Geo. J. Adams, S. D .; D. A. Hix, J. D .; Alvey Withey, Tyler. The members at that time were: J. M. Curtis, D. C. Root, J. W. Rowley, Wiloby Jakways, C. A. Withey, Cyrus J. Newton, Alex. Martin, Isaac D. Smith. The Masters have been: S. G. S. Rowley, J. M. Curtis, E. W. Cowles, A. N. Carpenter, I. H. Mourhess, Chas. H. Brown, C. L. Jukes, Stephen W. Thomas, A. G. Wil- liams, E. R. Kilbury, R. L. Andrus, C. M. Williams, John P. Calvert, Fred A. Hulbert. For 1896 C. B. Montgomery. The place of meeting of the lodge from its organization to June, 1881, was in the hotel where it was insti- tuted. From June, 1881, to June 7, 1882, it was without a regular lodge room. Then it moved into a hall in the A. G. Williams' building on the west side of Main street and remained there until 1891 when the lodge and chapter erected a good commodious building of their own, affording an ele- gant hall and necessary apartments. The corner stone was laid June 17th,

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A Centennial Memorial History of Allegany county, New York, Part 127

Author: Minard, John Stearns, 1834-1920; Merrill, Georgia Drew Publication date: 1896 Publisher: Alfred, N.Y., W. A. Fergusson & co. Number of Pages: 1102

Author: Minard, John Stearns, 1834-1920; Merrill, Georgia Drew
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Alfred, N.Y., W. A. Fergusson & co.
Number of Pages: 1102