USA > Ohio > Washington County > Marietta > Century review of Marietta, Ohio. Early history, natural advantages, schools, churches commercial, professional and other interests > Part 6
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The runs from the Bradford pipe lines to May 1900, have been 191.467,672 bbls .; 21,126 wells having been drilled at a cost of $40,000,000, of which less than 10 per cent were unproductive. The adjacent Allegany field has produced 33,000,000 bbls. from 7,259 wells.
The Marietta Field .- Although the first noted paying oil well, the Creel on Hughes river, W. Va., was but 35 miles from here and its product principally mark- eted from this city, regular development was delayed till the fall of 1859, when a strip of land two rods wide fronting on Duck creek, a half mile below Macksburg. was leased for 99 years; for this $100 was to be paid in ten yrs, provided oil was found in the mean time, otherwise to reyert to the owner, James Dutton, Alden T. War- ren, and John Smithson commenced drilling where a show came to the surface and at about 60 ft. struck oil of 28 gravity, which was carted ten miles to Lowell and shipped by boat to Pittsburg. The next well was drilled by Peter McLaren, the monument maker of Marietta, and others, and proyed to be nearly a dry hole. In Feb. 1861, Wm. Naylor, Moffitt Dye, Geo. S. Bosworth and D. E. Newton, all of the Marietta Bucket factory, secured a lease upon the farms of Uriah and Sumner Dye. A gas spring there had for some time been utilized for lighting and heating purpos- es and a well put down near this spot, at 150 ft., struck a fifty barrel gait per day.
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This was 20 miles from Macksburg field and but nine miles to Marietta, to which place it was brought by wagons. The Greathouse well and several others were put down in Morgan Co. in 1863 and operations have continued there ever since. As Marietta was the first commercial centre in petroleum a large share of its citizens have at some time been interested in oil, and the operating section for forty miles or more around is largely tributary to this city. Up to 1864 the oil output in Ohio averaged less than fifty bbls. a day, but speculation then started rife and various companies aggregating $8,300,000 were formed. The spring pole was laid aside and one invoice shows a purchase of ten 10hp boilers at a cost of $20.000. The Bergen Co. purchased ten sets of drilling tools while the New Jersey Oil Co. bought twelve sets and seventeen engines. The Bergen ( o. failing to meet its paper, a judgment of $30,179 was secured and sheriff J A. Hicks of Washington Co. sold the product of the Newton well from time to time till the claim was satisfied. In 1865, at one sale from our courthouse steps, he received $15.25 per bbl. Isaac Perkins, James White, John and James Hervey, in Noy. 1866, struck oil in the Dunkard sand at 600 ft. in depth and found a hundred bbl. flowing well, which continued to be a good producer for several years. The total productions at Cow Run, from only one square mile in area, have reached a million bbls. This sand is the one in which all paying wells west of the Muskingum river are found until the Corning pool is reached, which is in Berea grit. The producing wells of Volcano, Cairo, and Burning Springs, W. Va. are all in the No. 12 conglomerate strata, but there are very few Ohio producers in this sand.
ORCHARD PLACE .- RES. COL. RILEY.
The above illustrated home of Col. J. H. Riley is well named as it is surround- ed by an orchard of peaches and other fruits covering about fifty acres. The home was built by the present owner 1895-6, on the summit of the hill adjoining Fairview Heights, our west side suburb, and is not only a handsome house on all sides but is favored with the most healthful and picturesque surroundings and the colonel may well feel proud of Orchard Place which has no superior in this vicinity.
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The School House Well .- In 1869, paying wells had been found all around the hewn-log school-house on Cow Run in Lawrence tp. this co unty and the board decided to lease one-fourth of an acre on one-third royalty. A well was drilled in Oct. 21, '69. at a depth of 594 ft. As the too's dropped about a foot at the close and a rock covered with paraffine on one side was brought up, this is call- ed a crevice well. It flowed some 17.000 bbls. the first year bringing $63,000 one- third of which went to the cause of education. It has never been shot or cleaned and still continues to pump about 75 bbls. per month. the school board receiving $75 for the first four months of 1900. on one-eighth rovalty. Judge L. W. Chamberlain, an old resident of Marietta, who has for many years been a halt owner in this well reports that the flow of gas is more than enough to run the pumps and provide fuel and lights for the pumper's family.
Great Finds -Among the most celebrated wells of the sixties were the U. S. of Pa , which flowed more than 3.000 bbls. a day for a time and the Noble well which brought forth over 500,000 in a single year. Twenty years later a 2.500 bbl. well was struck in the Cherry Grove pool. In two months there were a score of wells within a radius of half a mile that were going a thousand bbis. each but the pool was soon run dry and the territory abandoned. There have been numerous other great finds, but none equal to the Macdonald pool of Washington, Co , Pa. where a 13,000 bbl. well was struck and productions from the deep sand there ran as high as 85.000 bbls. per day for a time. The Hammond Whitekind farm. three miles below Marietta. gave a well which flowed 1,000 bbls the first day and $30,000 bbls. within two months. The Macksburg field reached 45.000 bbls. in 1886, Brown & Boss, of Parkersburg, opened the rich oil pool at Eureka in 1889, Belmont at- tained 125 000 bbls. in 1891; Corning its highest in 1894; and at Sistersville, the Pole Cat well on the Keener farm struck the "Big Injum" sand in 18,3, the produc-
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BUSY STREET SCENE, JULY 18, 1900.
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tions later attaining a maximum of 600,000 bbls. per month which has since largely declined.
Present Output. - Within fifty miles of Marietta there are 8,000 wells, giving forth above a million barrels per month. The greater part of these are less than half that distance from this city which is the natural centre of productions. The oil found here is of a superior grade, ranking next to the Tiona brand which brings the highest price. Thousands of acres of good prospects still remain unde- veloped, but experienced operators are hustling the drill in a careful manner as the business has long since passed the speculative stage and presents a legitimate field for industrial enterprise, backed by some capital, acute tact and good judg- ment.
The Sands .- To the amateur or even to the experienced operator the names and position of sands are very confusing, but when correctly located considerable stress is put upon the geological formations as indications for paying oil territory. The strata while comparatively remaining intact, make a series of waves, anticlin- als, dips and depressed conyolutions, which can only be fully described by a thorough geologist; but leaving out technical terms we shall give below approxi- mate measurements to the different sands encountered. In many places a stratum is thinned down or intermingles with others and the distance from the Pittsburg coal measure, (which we shall take as a starting point). to the Buffalo, Dunkard, Big Injun, or Berea sands varies in different localities, from 100 to 300 ft., and the following deductions are given as approximates only. Perhaps more confusion has been made upon the Cow Run sand than any other. This has been passed up or down at the whim of the driller and named 1st, 2nd, or 3d as suited his convenience. The average distance from Pittsburg coal to Buffalo or Ist Cow Run sand is 200 ft. and to Dunkard or 2nd Cow Run 600 to 700. About another 100 ft. down, in certain sections a sand is found, which has been named 3d Cow Run or Macksburg 700, and descending another 100 ft. Macksburg 800 or upper salt sand is found, of 100 ft. or more in thickness and ranging 1100 to 1300 ft. below Pittsburg coal. Following this is the No. 12 Conglomerate, (combining White Oak, Burning Springs, Cairo and Maxton fields of W. Va. ) and in places where the first salt sand is not found this is known as the salt sand. Where the two are divided by a shale stratum they are called upper and lower salt sands. These vary in thickness from 100 to 300 ft. and are followed by limestone and slate of 100 to 150 ft. when the Big Injun sand of 50 to 200 ft. is struck. The upper stratum of this is known locally as the Keener sand, from a large well on the Keener farm near Sistersville having been found in it, while the lower portion, particularly when separated from the upper by a shale sttatum, is called the Squaw sand. Descending from this 200 to 300 ft. of black slate is encountered before the Berea grit is reached, at about 1700 ft. The Buffalo sand is approximately 200 below Pittsburg coal, Dunkard 600, Salt 1050 to 1150. Big Injun 1300, Berea grit 1600 to 1700 In some places the strata are thinned down and the distances materially shortened as at Sistersville the Keener horizon is less than 1150 ft. below Pittsburg coal, and each locality is essentially a law unto itself. In the Joy and Chester Hill district of Morgan Co. the wells commence from 200 to 400 ft. below the Pittsburg coal horizon, so that oil has been found there in several in- stances, within less than 100 ft. of the surface, but on the hills from 200 to 500 ft. is required to find first pay. Going east and south the rock dips soms 20 ft. to the mile and the present active drilling finds pay sand, of about 30 ft. average thickness at 500 to 600 ft. The Dale property at Joy had nearly a score of wells drilled in at 75 to 80 feet in depth.
To summarize the strata in brief, we cannot give a table above criticism, for each oil man's log brings a different experience, but as approximates we give the following descending measurments from Pittsburg coal, to the top of the stratum named: Shale 10 ft., limestone 40, Morgantown sandstone 60, red shale 120, crinoi- dal limestone 150, Buffalo sand 200, Brushcreek coal and shale 240, Cambridge limestone 260, red slate 280, Mahoning sandstone 300, upper Freeport coal 350. limestone 360, shale 380, Freestone sandstone 420, shale 475, Kittaning coal 500, shale and gravel 510, No. 5 coal 550, shale 560, Dunkard sand 600, grey shale 650, gravel and shale 855, Macksburg 800 sand at 950, black shale 1025, Conglomerate sand 1050, shale 1150, subcarboniferous limestone 1175, shale 1200, limestone 1220, shale 1240, Big Injun 1250, Squaw 1425, Cuyahoga shale 1450, black shale 1600, Berea
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BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF WEBSTER REFINERY.
grit 1700, Bedford sbale 1750. Thirty Foot sand 2020, Gordon sand 2050, Fourth sand 2110, Fifth or Macdonald >and 2180, Sixth (Elizabeth or Bavard gas sand) 2250 to 2400 ft. below Pittsburg coal. The Gordon or deep sand under various names given aboye, as a producer has been traced from Washington Co. Pa. to Wetzel Co. W. Va. where it apparently lost its oleaginous value. The same stratum has been found in this county but was dry. In search for this lost trace of oil a well was put down at Mannington, W. Va. 4 500 ft. or more than three-fourths of a mile in depth. At Cow Run one was drilled 2,600 and another at McConnelsyille 3 200 ft.
Refining -Petroleum has been found in N. Y., Pa , Ohio, W. Va., Kan , Tex. Cal., Col., Wyo., Canada and in some foreign countries, the wells ranging from 100 to 2,500 ft. in depth. Its specific gravity runs from 28 to 64 degrees and excepting for medical purposes it never would have gained a wide commercial value without the separation of its different qualities by distilation. As shown in a former article the commercial history of petroleum dates back to the first quarter of the 19th cen- tury, but the refining process practically commenced at the middle. In the Kan- awha valley over 100 bbls. of crude oil was being sold in 1850 and in various places factories were started about that time to distil it from the sbale or coal which in some spots were saturated with it. A well bored for salt at Coalport near Pomeroy, in 1847, produced oil, some of which was sent to Samuel Kier of Pittsburg who used it in the manufacture of a liniment but it proved of light gravity and too inflam- mable for his purpose. O. L. Cameron, a chemist of 620 Liberty street, undertook to distil it and on the first experiment had an explosion. He next tried the farina boiler process and succeeded in dividing the white oil from the heavier grade. Mr. Kier then had a still made and in a small way commenced the first scientific separation of petroleum products, which has led to its general use not only as a medicine, but as a cleanser and light illuminant in benzine, a common light around the world in white oil, an excellent lubricant in heavier grades, vasa- line, petroleum wax, etc., in its many commercial forms. The extended use of stills and great refineries, in which millions of capital are now invested, would have been unnecessary but for the advent of the drill and large wells found in 1860 and succeeding years. Prior to this however an oil distillery was started on Whipple run not ten miles from Marietta, by the late Geo. M. Woodbridge and others, which made a good illuminant that sold in this city for $1.25 per gallon. At Richie, W.
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Va., a largely capitalized company was started about the same time, to distil it from the crevice coal which is found there in such abundance. By 1860 the annual productions of distilled oil had reached 200,000 gallons.
Geo. Rice commenced operations in the W. Va. field in 1866 and six years later moved to Marietta. He was interested in Macksburg development and pur- chased the refining business of Chas. W. Leonard here about 1877, continuing to operate the same for nearly twenty years, since which time it has lain dormant. See Globe Oil Co.
WEBSTER OIL CO .- On other pages we have given a retrospect of the Nº115. 1.0.0.F. oil developments in this section, which makes suffi- cient inducement for the location of solid refining interests. The Argand re- finery was started by Mari- etta capitalists early in the HOSE HOUSE NO 2. development of this section. It did a successful business for a number of years but. I. DHABHANSSON. was finally purchased by the standard and the plant. removed. The Globe Oil Co., Geo. Rice principal proprietor, purchased the Leonard plant and also con- ducted a refining business. here for a number of years, TEMPORARY QUARTERS, HOSE CO. No. 2. but after a long fight against sharp competition discontinued refining, but still holds the decaying works.
About a year since the Webster Oil Co. was organized, with a capital of $150,000 which has since been increased to $250,000. C. D. Webster, formerly of Boston. is Pres and M'g'r and C. B. Ballard of Marietta, Treas. The plant covers some 14 acres of ground between the B. & O. S. W., and the Ohio River, a half mile below the mouth of the Muskingum. The plant has a spur of the Ry. running through its entire width, and a sub-way under the bbl. house to the river front. This building with the wax plant is 106x130 ft., two-stories and basement and is very completely fitted. The boiler house is fitted with a large engine and three boilers with aggregate capacity of 300 bp. The pump house is made fire-proof and contains seven pumps connecting with the various receiving tanks. In the gasoline house, naptha goes through the deodorizing process to fit it for commercial use. The works are of large capacity and turn out the different grades of illuminating and lubricating oils, as well as napthas, gasoline, paraffine wax, etc. The buildings are constructed in a most substantial manner, the works fitted with its own electric light, and experts pronounce it equal to the best refineries in this country. With its many ornamental brick and stone buildings, and scores of tanks, boilers and stills the Webster Oil Co.'s plant presents an attractive appearance and is an impor- tant factor in Marietta's prosperity. ·See illustration on opposite page.
Pipe Lines .- Soon after large wells were opened it became apparent to oil men that some means must be invented to overcome the expensive process of haul- ing it over abominable roads, and when pipe lines had once been inaugurated they became indispensable for successful competition in the business The W. Va. Transportation Co. in 1868, Jaid a two inch pipe from Cow Run to the mouth of Bells Run on the Ohio, five and a half miles, where the Cow Run Iron Tank Co. provided a 10,000 bbl. reservoir near the river bank, in which storage could be had for a stip- ulated price, but each patron was charged monthly with a heavy shrinkage and when the oil was held for a year or two it absorbed all the capital; so we find a case recorded in the Washington Co. courts, where a man was sued for storage after his
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RES. W. S. GRACEY.
oil had technically evaporated. In 1885, a second line was laid by Geo. Rice of Marietta, from the Macksburg field to Lowell on the Muskingum, which was in use for several years.
The Buckeye Pipe Line Co., was organized in 1883 at Macksburg, D. J O'Day, having been chosen as superintendent. With the steady increase of busi ness this became an important part of the oil transportation system and the head quarters for Ohio were established at Lima with Mr. O'Day as general superintend ent, while general offices are maintained in New York. The Marietta field is it charge of Nelson Moore, who was for many years connected with this trade in War ren, Mckean, and Butler counties of Pa , coming to this city seven years ago, since which time his uniform courtesy and good judgment have won for him many friend in Marietta. D. T. McEvoy, for ten years cashier at this office is a native Mariettial and graduate of her high school. C. F. Speary. agent and oil buyer for the pip line is from Macksburg and been with the company from its start. The consolidat ed lines have paid out for labor in this field over three million dollars, for oil an supplies many millions more. There are 30 pumping stations in this field and per haps 2500 miles of pipe line.
The Eureka Offices are found at 309 Second st. and with the Buckeye an Southern Co. form the consolidated lines from the sea-board to Chicago the syster covering an outlay of untold millions and handling a very large percentage of th petroleum production.
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Our space is so limited that we cannot attempt to give a record of all the pro- ducers in this field, but will make brief notes of some of the leading operators and developers connected with Marietta oil interests.
U. S Oil Co .- Among the large independent producers, the above company stands well to the front, but as its headquarters is at Parkersburg, (a rival oil cen- tre,) its manager declares that he has no interest in Marietta and declines to verify our statistics. We are credibly informed that the U. S. has about forty producing wells in this county, and altogether 200 or more in surrounding fields. W. J. Kirk- wood of Marietta is the field superintendent at this place.
E. Clark, Jr. a native of Crawford Co., Pa , for 23 years past in oil opera- tions, stands well in the front rank of successful producers here. He came to Macks- burg in this county seventeen years since and later made headquarters at Marietta. With various partners Mr. Clark owns more than & hundred good producing wells, nine-tenths of which are in Washington county. He keeps some five strings of tools in active operation and Marietta owes much to his enterprise in building the Nor- wood hotel, a leading spirit in the Acme Brick Works, and numerous other enter- prises in and around this city.
William Reader is the leading operator on Newell's run, twelve miles from this city. He drilled the Laing well on the Coal lands at Macksburg, in 1883, opening up the present start of productions there and has been a pioneer developer in sever- al other paying fields. Mr. Reader owns 160 acres, in fee, of producing terri- tory, on which nearly thirty wells are pumping and he has leases on over 260 acres additional upon which are more than twenty producing wells. He has been thirty years in the business, the latter half of which has been spent in this county. He makes his headquarters at Marietta and runs several strings of tools. Mr. Reader is the president of the Ohio Valley Wagon Co. and otherwise largely inter- ested in Marietta's upbuilding.
The Boston Oil Co. adjoins the Empire on the south side and is also operat- ing in what is here known as the First Cow Run Sand. It was organized in 1896 with a capital of $100.000, and owns 1,000 acres of developed territory upon which are about 100 producing wells. This company also holds leases upon a large sur- rounding acreage which is undeveloped. Its yentures so far have proven very suc- cessful, having less than ten per cent dry holes and the average production being 10 bbls. per well. The Boston Oil Co. is operating five strings of tools, its lease being within ten miles of Marietta, where it holds offices in the Wells Blk. J. Payson Bradley, Pres .; Arthur R. Swan. Sec ; Edw. E. Allen, Treas ; all of Boston. W. S. Gracey, a native of Marietta, and 10 years in the oil business, is Gen. Supt. This company finds a show of oil and heavy gas in the Berea Grit formation and when necessary will pipe the gas to Marietta for manufacturing purposes. The Empire and Glendale oil companies are adjoining and closely allied to the above.
The Cumberland Oil Co. was chartered in July 1899, at Portland, Me., with a capital stock of $500.000. to operate in Ohio. The officers are Geo, P. Wescott, Pres .; J. G. Shaw, V P .; Geo. F. West, Treas ; H. C. Lord, Gen. Mgr .; and H. E. Smith, Asst. Mgr. Mr. Lord is an old time oil operator, coming to this place two years ago and a year later consummating the above organization, which runs several strings of tools and is actively engaged in developing the mineral resources of this section, owning a number of productive wells. H. E. Smith, who served for eight years as principal of the Marietta High School, in 1897 engaged with J. A. Lovell to follow up the lead of the Joy farm vein and they with others drilled a score of wells to locate it. Persistent effort finally brought success and the forma- tion of the above company of which they are members. This corporation has shown its faith by its works and accomplished much for this section by continuous and timely efforts in active developments. The offices are at No. 309, Second St. where all receive a cordial welcome.
The Pierpoint Oil and Gas Co .- We designu to mention the leading opera- tors in this section and among them is the above. J. S. Pierpoint, Pres. is landlord
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- of the St. Cloud Hotel and has recently become a partner in the Worrall Grocery Co., J. W. Alexander, is Sec .- Treas. while Geo. S. Alexander and Geo. S Hammett are partners in the concern. The company holds a lease of 300 acres of good oil ter- ritory and have some ten wells pumping while the drill is hunting for more. The - tract isin Ritchie Co. W. Va., where pay is found in the Salt Sand at 1,500 to 1,800 ft., according to elevation. Every development of this kind adds its mite to the cou- tinued prosperity of Marietta.
M. S. Isherwood .- Perhaps no man in the oil business more thoroughly un- derstands the various fields than the above named. He began active work some 25 years ago and after making a careful study of the various sands and pay indications, about 5 years later, commenced leasing and handling oil territory, in which field he has met with great success. He has negotiated a number of very large transactions and numerous producers owe their success to suggestions given to them by Mr. Isherwood. He holds large options in the country back of St. Mary's, is interested at Scio and in the Marietta field. Late in 1899 he purchased eight producing wells and territory from the Norris Farm Oil Co. at $55,000 and has steadily continued to drill on that lease ever since, so that his daily productions there range about 150 bbls. Numerous prospectors and operators in this field daily seek the office of M. S. Isherwood and Co., 115 Front St., Marietta, for competent advice in oil develop- ments. This firm has under lease over 1,000 acres in the productive Ohio fields and holds good royalties in the Boley farm back of St. Marys and other parts of W. Va.
J. P.Laing commenced operating in the Penn'a Oil field in 1868, and fifteen years later was a leader in opening the Macksburg district for the Berea sand. A little later he assisted in opening the coal lands and in company with others has drilled more than 100 wells in the Macksburg field. He put down the second producer in the Corning district and is now actively engaged in the Athens field, owning in- terests at Macksburg, Newell's Run, Gloucester, and in W. Va. Having about 50 pro- ducing wells he is still running several strings of tools and with 16 years headquart- ers at Marietta has distributed quite a fortune in this vicinity.
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