Century History of Steubenville and Jefferson County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, 20th, Part 37

Author: Doyle, Joseph Beatty, 1849-1927
Publication date: 1973
Publisher: Chicago : Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 584

USA > Ohio > Jefferson County > Steubenville > Century History of Steubenville and Jefferson County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, 20th > Part 37

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

In Smithfield Township JJ. J. Crawford in 1895-96 opened a small field on the Gal- braith farm in Section 11. The first well was drilled approximately 1,560 feet and made a showing of oil. A second well was drilled in 1900, with a depth of over 1,600 feet. During that and the next year five wells were drilled, one producing twenty- five barrels per day, and finally dropping to six and ten barrels, the others being dry. On the Runyon farm in Section 17 a well was drilled 1896 to a depth of 1,607 feet, with the following record :

Thickness of Formation, fret.

Total Depth.

White Shale.

315

Hurry Up Sand. ..

375

Black Shale ...

3-5

Rastard Limestone

395

First Cow Run Sand.

445

White Shale ..

530

White Shale

595

Black Shale.

645

toal

6.74

Black Shale.

674

First Salt Sand

754

Black Shale. ...

110

564

Second Salt Sand.

55"

919

Dig Injun Sand ...

250

1,169

Squaw Sand

1,214

Sinte and Shale

354

1.579

Berra Nand.

1.617

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1,194

Siate . .

505

Second Cow Run SAnd.

feet.

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A dry well was drilled on the Kithcart farm in Section 15 in 1896, a dry near Adena in Section 32, two dries on Suther- land farm in Section 28, two on Thompson and Henry farms in Section 29, a dry on J. B. Smith farm in Section 30, one of 1,700 feet on William B. Scott farm in Section 5, two on Sutherland and Cope farms in Sec- tion 6, two near eastern margin of Section 14 and one near western margin of Section 8. Piney Fork gave a light show. It will be seen that of the twenty or more wells drilled in this township only one was a practical producer.

Brush Creek makes a small showing. A dry well was drilled on the Hickman farm in the northeast quarter of Section 2 in the fall of 1900. One drilled the previous sum- mer on the McBane farm in the southeast quarter made a showing of gas, but no oil. A dry well was drilled on the Dorrance farm in the southeast quarter of Section 23, and more recently a small producer on the Moore farm in the southwest quarter of Section 31.

Ross Township enjoys the distinction of actually producing the first oil for com- mercial purposes in Jefferson County. In 1865, when efforts to discover oil in other sections were unavailing, a company was formed under the name of Springfield and Yellow Creek Oil Company for the purpose of testing this territory, which had not been lacking in indications of the oleaginons fluid. In 1866 they located a well at the inouth of Brimstone Run near Moore's Salt Works, now Pravo, and at 500 feet struck quite a flow of oil, most of which ran down the creek and was lost. A pump was then put in and about 200 barrels secured, which was hauled to Hammondsville and shipped by rail. The well soon gave ont, and the salt water was used in the manufacture of salt until 1871, when it was abandoned. In 1870 a Pennsylvania company sunk a well 1,000 feet, getting pleuty of salt water, but no oil. In later years three wells were sunk on the E. George farm in the southeast corner of Section 23, of which one yielded some oil, but it is now abandoned. On the

A. George farm in the northeast quarter of Section 28 the same number of wells was drilled with the same result. Two dry holes were drilled on the MeLain farm in the northern part of Section 6. The oil here is found in the "Big Injun," instead of Berea, which may account for the small quantity.

But little has been done in Springfield township. There is a dry hole on the Dor- rance farm in Section 4 near Bergholz, and one on the Calhoun farm in the southeast quarter of Section 8. There was a showing on Wolf Run, but most of this township may be considered as wildcat territory.

Salem Township shows some oil produc- tion. A dry hole was drilled on the Graham farm in the southwest quarter of Section 23, and one on the Kirk farm in the north- east quarter of Section 22. Several holes were drilled around Richmond, some with good indications, but without tangible re- sults. Later, however, the Osage Oil Com- pany developed a field about Mount Tabor with paying results, having about a dozen wells producing oil and gas. Considerable territory has recently been leased on the west side of the township, but not yet de- veloped.

Wayne Township has been quite prolific in dry holes. A well on the Reed farm in the northwest quarter of Section 23 in 1899 found the sand at 1,200 feet, with a thick- ness of forty-one feet. The well made a show of oil and considerable gas. Another, drilled on the Blackburn farm in the same section, turned out the same. Other dry holes are : one on Hervey farm in the north- west quarter of Section 28, one on the ()'Brien farm in the southeast quarter of Section 24, one on the Starr farm in the northwest quarter of Section 18, two in Sec- tion 17, one on the Maxwell farm in the northwest quarter, and one on the Simeral farm in the southeast quarter, one on the Miser farm in the southwest quarter of Section 12.

Mount Pleasant Township has developed a small production at Emerson and also at Laurelton. Dry holes have been drilled in

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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY

the southwest quarter of Section 4, one in the northeast quarter of Section 18, and one in the northwest quarter of Section 29.

Besides the gas well at Brilliant, ruined by the flood of 1884, Wells Township has developed both oil and gas territory. In 1899-1900 William Carnill opened an oil pool in what was called Limestone district, on the upper waters of Rush Run. He sunk half a dozen wells on a small territory, some of which started off at 300 to 400 bar- rels apiece. They have continued since as light pumpers. Another effort was made below Brilliant, where a strong flow of gas was found; one well, the Nichols, yielding 3,000,000 enbic feet per day, the largest gas well in the county previous to the strikes West of Steubenville. Gas was also found on Rush Run and abont New Alexandria, which was purchased by the Tri-State Gas Company and piped to Steubenville and Mingo. Here, as elsewhere, the success of one produced the usual crop of dry holes, among them being one belonging to the Bank of Smithfield in the southwest quarter of Section 21, one in the northeast quarter of Section 28, one on the Pnutney farm in the southwest quarter of Section 18, one in the southwest quarter of Section 35, one on the Hundman farm in the northeast quarter of Section 12, one on the Ekey farm in the sontheast quarter of Section 11.

Warren Township, if we except the little pool at Laureltou, reports one dry hole at Portland. There are people who know when they have enongh.

We now come to a change in the oil de- velopment of the county, when within a radius of two or three miles of Steuben- ville was to be found the most prolific oil field in this part of the country, and the end is not yet. The little fields of which accounts have been given above were quietly yielding their quota of oil, naturally decreasing, and it looked as though no fortunes were to be made by that means in this neighborhood. But in 1905 Castner Bros., who had already become somewhat interested in oil, sank a test well on the Black farm at the forks of Wills Creek in

Island Creek Township, two and one-half miles from Alikana station. It came in a 200-barrel producer, which attracted others to that field, taking in the Prince, Vaughn and Elson farms by JJennings & Crawford and Sinclair & Freudenberger. Although the field was limited in area there were soon thirty producing wells turning out 1,000 barrels per day, some of which are still fair producers, and the extension still good for seventy-five barrels. Adjoining this was the Pleasant Hill field, developed by H. B. Luntz in 1906, on the farms of William Ford. D. MeC'ullough, Sanders, Presby- terian Church and King heirs lot. This ran up to 700 barrels, with little or no salt water, but is now practically out of busi- ness.

Swinging our radius to the eastward with the court house as a center we strike the Holliday's Cove field, directly across the river from Steubenville, whose derricks have become as familiar objects from the city as the trees around them. In Novem- ber, 1906, a company, composed of Cyrus Ferguson, Albert Lee and others sunk a well on the Emmett MeCune farm, and got a good showing of salt water. Two wells were then located on the Hyndman farm and one on the Thomas MeKim farm. The latter showed up 100 barrels, and soou there were about thirty wells on 2,300 acres, some of them giving 120 barrels. Others came in and some fifty additional wells have been sunk, the late ones creeping down the steep hillside opposite the city. The greatest production from any one well was 300 barrels per diem, and the field 2,000 barrels. It is still holding up at 1,200 bar- rels. The field is about two and one-half miles long, with an average width of half a mile.

The next point on the circle is known as the Follanshee field, just above the new town of that name and opposite the lower end of Steubenville. In 1907 the La Belle Iron Works of Steubenville, desiring to prospect for gas, purchased a tract from the Ohio River Realty Company, just cast of the P. W. & Ky. railroad track and began

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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

drilling. A good flow of gas had been found a short distance below and about twenty years ago there had been some very strong wells about three miles down the river. Instead of finding gas they got a sixty-barrel oil well. The realty company, which still owned considerable land between the railroad and the river put down a well in January, 1908, and had a 400-barrel gusher. Then derricks went up all over the field until there were at least seventy-five of them, and during the following summer the production ran up to 3,000 barrels. It is estimated that upwards of $1,500,000 worth of oil has been taken from this field during the last eighteen months, and it is still yielding some 300 barrels per day. The realty company recently sold out to Fergn- son & Company for a large sum (1909).

As the Follausbee field was found to ex- tend to the water's edge it was easily imagined that it might reach across the river into Ohio. Accordingly in 1908 Donaldson & Company procured a lease of the Miller farm immediately south of Steubenville corporation limits, and soon had a 150-barrel well. Some tests north- ward failed to develop anything, but on the south the Risdon farm, Mingo town lots, Van Kirk, Lavelle, Brettelle and Carmen properties led over to the Means farm with good producers to the southwest, and thence to the bottom lands of Cross Creek on the Otto farm. Since then Neville & MeMillan have completed a second test on the Wabash Railroad right of way and have a small pumper. This location is 500 feet southwest of the Unity Oil Company's No. 4 on the Otto farm. This, no doubt marks the limit of the pool, somewhat over a mile in length. As this field included the village of Mingo, with numerous small lots, there was a great rush to get holdings and erect derricks, with the result that the prodne- tion soon ran up to the neighborhood of 2,000 barrels, and almost as rapidly de- elined, and now the Miller and Otto wells and a few others aggregating 100 or 150 barrels are all that are left of a boom that was as lively while it lasted, as that of a

Western mining camp. It is said that only two companies really made money in this pool, which was so speedily drained by its seventy-five or more wells.

While this was going on The Manhattan Oil Company began experimenting on the England farm southwest of Steubenville and about a mile from the Mingo field. They drilled two or three wells and got some oil. Afterwards Mr. Smathers took a lease on the Spillman farm of eleven acres close by on Permar's Run. Here he got a fifty-bar rel well, and began to work down the run towards the city, getting wells 1,500 feet east of his first one. He was now near Mont Calvary Cemetery, owned by the Steubenville Roman Catholic Churches, and a company was organized to test it. Ferguson and others under the name of the Warner Oil Company secured the Johnson and Edward MeCanslen farms. The wells on the former place were small, but the first well on the MeCauslen farm proved good for abont 150 barrels, and No. 2 well near Mount Calvary entrance early in 1909 showed up 500 barrels. Castner Bros. had leased the Wiggenton place touching Mount Calvary, MeCauslen and Union Cemetery grounds, and about May 1, 1909, struck a How of oil that ran thirty-two barrels an hour or 768 barrels per day for several days, when it dropped down to a regular 300 to 400 barrel well. There was no doubt now that a fine oil field had been found, probably the best yet discovered in this section. Castner Bros. rushed their wells as rapidly as possible, and their No. 6 Wig- genton yielded 200 barrels. At this writing they are getting from their lease about 1,000 barrels per day. The Mount Calvary company, although meeting with some mis- fortune, put down several wells, and are getting thirty barrels per day. Crossing the Steubenville and Richmond pike the gas and consolidated oil companies struck a big gasser on the Tait place, and the Carn Company the same on the Minton lot. The only dry wells so far in this field are one on the Simmons Jot west of the belt, and one on Mount Calvary. The George

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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY

Bair lot north of the pike gave a fair oil County, although it is found in abundance well between two gassers. The pool ap- pears to run 2214 degrees north of east, and among the developments on the east are an eighty-barrel well on the Jordan place, and a big gasser turning to oil on the Brady farm. The latter indicated 9,000,000 cubic feet of gas per day, but on drilling a little deeper oil was found. Drilling is in progress on the Smith place, and two wells on the Linduff and five on the Hutterly farm are light producers. Ferguson & Company brought in a good well on the Dunbar place joining Union Cemetery, and Ault & Linduff on the George Dunbar farm.

Ferguson & Company leased 35 acres on the west side of Union Cemetery, and on Friday evening, July 9, brought in a 300- barrel well. They have sunk other wells on this tract and leased additional ground from the cemetery association. Castner Bros. have been testing to see how far this pool extends towards Wills Creek. One well on the Bustard farm came in dry and a second was also. The producing wells in this pool now number about twenty and the output is 2,300 barrels per day. The total daily output in the county is between 3,000 and 4,000 barrels. The territory has been pretty thoroughly tested, but there are still some unexplored sections to at- traet the wildcatter in search of the oleagi- nous fluid. A heavy storm on the evening of July 12, 1909, leveled a number of der- ricks to the ground, but they have been re- placed. The gauges of the best producers are as follows : Castner Bros.' Nos. 1 to 6, Wigginton Bros.' farm, 665 barrels; J. O. Bates & Co., Nos. 1, 2 and 3, Hutterly heirs' farm, 195 barrels: Le Oil Company, Nos. 1, 2, and 3, E. E. MeCauslen farm, 335 bar- rels; Everett Oil Company, No. 1, Union Cemetery lot, 220 barrels, and Mount Calvary Oil and Gas Company, Nos. 6, 7 and 8, 200 barrels. Development of this field is now complete.

OTHER MINERALS.

Limestone has not figured largely in the reports of mineral resources of Jefferson

and of superior quality. In early days it was used extensively in the manufacture of lime, its freedom from magnesia making it superior for use in cement where exposed to the weather. It has also been largely used in road construction, but not for build- ing purposes, the abundant and more easily worked sandstone superseding it for that purpose. The strata are ten to twenty feet thick, generally containing 80 to 90 per cent carbonate of lime, and practically no phos- phorous, giving to stone a special value as flux in furnaces. Following are analyses of four specimens by the State Geological Sur- vey :

VEIN AND LAX'ATION -

Matter. ..

Silicious

Lime Cartonate.

Carbonate.

Magnesia

Tron ......

Alumina and

Under Coal No. s, near Pekin . 60,60

$9.30 1.59

2.40

Brecciated under Coal No. 8, Steubenville

.. .. 40.20

45.70

3.12

10.40

Over Coal No. S. Steubenville. 9.10

$5.00

1.20

1.60

Under Roger's Vein, Elliotts-

ville ..

.10.10 53.80

2.19

3.00

It may be added that our limestones have contributed materially to the fertility of the soil, specially adapting it to wheat culti- vation and fine wool growing, which has given this county a special preeminence.

Excellent beds of iron ore have been found within six or eight miles of Steuben- ville, which have been practically tested, but Lake Superior competition has so far prevented them from becoming useful com- inercially. On Island Creek are pockets of hematite yielding 50 to 60 per cent. of iron and fourteen specimens from Collinwood. near the mouth of Yellow Creek, yielded from 54.6 per cent down to a trace. An Irondale specimen gave 31.2 per cent, two from Toronto gave 27.24 and 4.9 per cent, respectively ; two at Steubenville 62.69 and 11.03, one at Brilliant 23.85 and one from Island Creek 20.96. In this connection it will be of interest to note that one of the first iron furnaces west of the Allegheny

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WEIR

STREET SCENE, STEUBENVILLE

MARKET STREET BY NIGHT, STEUBENVILLE

m-m-

QUEEN ANNE SQUARE, STEUBENVILLE

LOWER MARKET STREET, STEUBENVILLE

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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

Mountains was located on King's Creek, W. Va., about two miles east of the Jeffer- son County line, where native ores were used. It was built by Peter Tarr and others in 1795, and not only was the ore smelted, but pots, kettles and other articles were made from the iron, thus anticipating the modern idea, the same establishment doing all the work from digging the ore in the ground to the finished product. It was not a success financially, although it appears that James Campbell conveyed the furnace with 300 acres of land to Peter Tarr and James Rankin for $3,600, a good price for those days. Charcoal was used for fuel and its preparation was nearly as troublesome as the manufacture of iron. The furnace was finally abandoned, but its ruins still re- ınain.

Sandstone, both light and brown, suitable for building purposes, is practically inex- haustible, and has been used extensively,

but has a formidable rival in concrete. Clean sharp sand for building purposes is found in abundance in and along the streams, and the River Sand Company, with a fleet of steamers and barges does an extensive business in this direction. Min- eral springs also abound, but have not been utilized commercially. Salt has been found, especially on Yellow Creek, which will be noticed elsewhere.

Jefferson County has been specially favored as regards mineral resources, of which those interested have not been slow to take advantage. It is scarcely necessary to add, however, that there are no lead, silver or gold mines in Jefferson County, never have been and never will be, as the geological formation is absolutely prohibi- tory. There have been reports of that kind occasionally, some of them based on old Indian tales. They are delusions or frands, not deserving of the slightest consideration.

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CHAPTER XVII

INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS

1 Century's Activity Almost Unparalleled-Pioneer Manufactories-Rise and Decline of the Woolen Industry-Cotton Mills-Immense Progress in Irou aud Steel Mak- ing-Pottery, Glass and Clay Products-Sill: Making and Miscellaneous Activities.

There seems to be no doubt but that the pioneer manufactory of Jefferson County was the tannery erected by Benjamin Doyle soon after his arrival here in 1798. He cou- structed his vats west of what is now High- land Aveune in Steubenville, and seems to have done quite a good business, consider- ing the small population and limited re- sources of the neighborhood. He sold out to Samuel Hanna, from whom Joseph C. Spencer learned the business and ran it for thirty years. He was succeeded by John Myers, after which the taunery went out of existence. A feature of the place forty or fifty years ago was the "marble hydrant" set in against the hillside, which furnished a stream of pure spring water. In 1802-3 Brice Viers established a second tannery north of Market Street on what is now the Steubenville Coal & Mining Company's property, which he condneted mitil 1831, when the building was converted by Thomas J. Viers and E. H. MeFeely into a hand-loom weaving factory, and it was af- terwards torn down to make room for the mining company's coke ovens. In 1810 Samuel Williams opened a third tannery on Market Street, west of Church Street, and ran it until 1817, when he was sne- ceeded by John Jenkinson until 1821, when John and George Hogg, two Englishmen. took it and condneted it until 1835. when

William Elliott, who was already engaged with them in the business, became part owner, afterwards purchasing the whole plant, which he enlarged and carried on nn- til about 1885, when he retired from busi- ness. Since then there has been no tannery in Steubenville.

Local tanneries were quite nmnerons throughout the county, but changed condi- tions finally cansed their abandonment. A Mr. Moore started a tannery in Smithfield in 1804, on the west side of town. It was managed by Benjamin Griffith. Lewis Cady started the second in 1809 on the east side of the terminus of Tannery Street, it closed many years ago. William Sharon, father of Senator Sharon, opened the third about 1817 on the property later owned by Wil- liam A. Judkins, at the south end of town. In 1844 he rented the property to George Lee, and operations ceased about 1847. Joli Wood started the fourth tan yard on West street abont 1822. but he died shortly after and two consins named Hobson car- ried on the business umtil 1846, when they sold out to George Lee, who transferred his stock to it, and afterwards sold to John and Rollin Cole. Their brother, Jediah, sneceeded them, but the building was soon afterwards soll to Isaac Lewis, who con- verted it into a blacksmith shop. Phipps and White opened the fifth tannery in 1838

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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

near the eastern end of South Street. John White became sole proprietor and carried on the business for many years. Thomas M. Latta started a tannery in Bloomfield in 1826, and Henry M. Beckett one in 1827. Joseph Gill ran a tannery in Mount Pleas- aut. Others will be noticed in the town- ship histories.

Grist and four mills succeeded the first tanneries as business enterprises and per- haps were even more necessary to the wants of a growing community. Bezaleel Wells located one on the run which bears his name, then south of Steubenville ou ground now occupied by the La Belle Iron Works. Water was the first motive power, and theu steam was introdneed aud the mill continued in operation for many years until finally a Mr. Geiselman purchased it and converted it into a distillery, which burned down in 1857. The run mill proving a suc- eess, a new company, in which Mr. Wells was interested, was formed, which built a large steam flour mill at the foot of Market Street, under the superinteudence of Adam Moderwell. John Deveny, Sr., moved here from Pittsburgh and set up the machinery and ran it for some time. Subsequently a brick woolen factory was added on the west side and was operated by the same engine. This not sneceeding, the factory was con- verted into a warehouse for the mill. James Means, Sr., conducted the mill for a number of years, and then Means & Hooker. Sub- sequently it was rented by Geiselnan, and on the night of December 23. 1856, the weather being intensely cold, it was burned to the ground, and the lots lay idle a long time before being occupied by the present structures. The Aetna Mills at Sixth aud North Streets were originally established by Raney, Sheal & Co. in 1868, and pur- chased by the present company in 1899. The new proprietors installed new machinery thronghout, made many improvements and the mill is one of the best equipped flouring mills in the Ohio Valley. The owners and officers of the company are George A. Dean, president; A. S. Dean, vice president ; L. M. Frazier, secretary and treasurer.

Shortly after the Aetna John MeFeely built the California flour and feed mill at Washington and Seventh streets, with a capacity of forty barrels a day. It after- wards passed inte the hands of John C. Ralston and was subsequently converted to other uses. F. M. Mooney for a number of years conducted a flouring mill on West Market Street, in a building which had been a woolen mill and subsequently a white lead factory run by M. L .. Miller. It did a large business, but for some reason was not a financial snecess. Probably the first grist mill in the county after one at Steubenville was built on Cross Creek and did a profitable business as early as 1808, the product being shipped by keelboat to New Orleans. It was purchased by George Marshall, who came from Ireland about 1818, who replaced the existing machinery by other for the manufacture of woolens. Nearly all the early flour mills had sawmill attachments, which were not the least profitable part of the enterprise. The numerous streams furnished sufficient power, and the farmers brought their wheat to be converted into flour and their wool into eloth. Nearly all have disap- .peared, as concentration has applied here as well as elsewhere. Nathan Updegraff, who came from Winchester, Va., in 1802, and settled on Short Creek, built the first mill in Mount Pleasant Township, where now stands the town of Dillonvale. He also manufactured paper for a number of years, but converted that building into a flour mill and conducted it until 1867, when it burned. A fine stone mill, still standing, was erected in its place and was successfully run by John L. Barkhurst, but is now idle. Short Creek had half a dozen grist mills by 1805, and the number ran up to 23, all of which are defunet. The Smith-Harris mill, two and a half miles up the creek, still stands. C. W. Harbourt condneted a flour mill in the village of Mount Pleasant, which is still in operation. Isaac Wickersham built a hand-mill in Smithfield in 1804, which was called "bettersome," because his sarcastic neighbors declared it was some better than

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Century History of Steubenville and Jefferson County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, 20th, Part 37

Author: Doyle, Joseph Beatty, 1849-1927 Publication date: 1973 Publisher: Chicago : Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 584

Author: Doyle, Joseph Beatty, 1849-1927
Publication date: 1973
Publisher: Chicago : Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 584