USA > Pennsylvania > Venango County > Centennial Discourse: A Sketch of the History of Venango County, Pennsylvania. > Part 3
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And while these laurel-decked hills that environ our county seat shall stand, let that Monument, that tells of Venango's contribution to the death-roll of patriotism, be cherished, and honored, and deck- ed with flowers on each returning May. And let all our soldiers, dead or living, be honored in the hearts of their fellow-citizens for their work in our behalf.
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VENANGO COUNTY.
The history of the Newspaper press forms an interesting chap- ter in the history of the county. For years it had a constant strug- gle, but at last it is well patronized. The first newspaper was called The Venango Herald, established in 1820; after this was The Venango Democrat, in 1824; then The Democratic Republican; then The Franklin Intelligencer, in 1834; then The Democratic Arch, in 1842; The Franklin Gazette, in 1844; The Advocate and Journal, in 1848; The Venango Spectator, in 1849; The Franklin Whig Banner, in 1852; The Venango Citizen, in 1854; and The Independent Press, in 1876. These were all located at the county seat.
Oil City has had several newspapers. The Oil City Register was established in 1861; The Petroleum Monthly was published there for a time; The Oil City Monitor; The Oil City Times, a daily paper; The Oil City Derrick, an enterprising and successful daily, is issued there; also The Weekly Times.
Emlenton has had its paper, The Valley Echo, succeeded by The Emlenton Times. Pithole had its Record; Pleasantville its Evening News; Petroleum Centre its Record; Rouseville its Pennsylvanian, and Reno its Times.
There are some files of these papers yet extant, and they relate a personal history, as well as throw light upon the history of the county. They tell of poverty and self-denial. The early papers were small. The material of the office did not admit of good work, and the poverty of the people did not admit of goodl patronage. It was not easy to make a good paper in those days. Mails came once a week, and then the news was slow in finding its way. A fragment of a paper of the date of April 22, 1820, has, as one of its news items, an account of the duel between Commodore DECATUR and Commo- dore BARRON, near Washington, that occurred just one month before. The papers of the county now are equal to the best in the country.
There were two circumstances that for many years retarded the settlement of Venango County. The first was the possession of the Holland Land Company. During the Revolution, the Colonies had borrowed money largely from Amsterdam. In Pennsylvania this loan was repaid in land. The land came into the possession of the Holland Land Company. A large quantity of this land lay in this county. It was in the market, but so burdened with restrictions that few cared to settle upon it. But one hundred acres could be settled ; a house must be built, and other stipulations carried out. L
The other circumstance was, that much of the land in the west- ern part of the county was donated to soldiers of the Revolution .- These lands were in parcels of from two to five hundred acres, ag- cording to the rank of the soldier, and were drawn by lot. They
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were free from taxes as long as they were in possession of the sol- dier. Much of these lands lay without settlement for many years.
The first public improvement in the county was the Waterford and Susquehanna Turnpike. It was a link in the chain of contem- plated work from Erie across the mountains to Bellefonte, and thence to Philadelphia.
This road was laid out through the county in the year 1818. It was the scene of a large amount of travel for many years, and was kept up as a toll road until a comparatively recent period.
During the war of 1812, French Creek was an important link in navigation, for the conveyance of military stores from Pittsburgh to Erie. The naval armament, boat stores and other important mat- ters pertaining to the fitting out of PERRY's fleet, were conveyed by this route. They came up by flat boat on the Allegheny, thence up French Creek to Waterford, and thence by land to Erie. It was a source of surprise to the British that these stores could be obtain- ed at all, with Lake navigation interrupted. All this boating was done by men walking backwards and pushing the boat against the current. When swift water was encountered they took a line forward, attached it to a tree on the shore and wound it up with the capstan.
The next public improvement was that of the "Franklin Canal Company." It was first known as " The French Creek Division of the Pennsylvania Canal," an.I designe.l as a link in the water communi- cation between Erie and Pittsburgh, The plan was to build dams on French Creek and thus make slack-water navigation between Franklin and Meadville. The work was completed in 1833. From some cause it was a grand failure. But two boats ever passed from Franklin to Meadville. It cost the State a million and a quarter of dollars to construct the work, and subsequently fifty thousand dol- lars for repairs, when the whole was abandoned. All that now re- mains of it is the outlet dam, that serves as a mill power for the Ve- nango Mills.
This work was commenced when the policy of the State was to carry on internal improvements on its own account. And just then canals were supposed to be the great institutions of the age. Money was laid out lavishly, without counting the cost, or considering its propriety.
By the time the work was fairly completed, different counsels began to prevail, and at last its importance fell in official view, and it was left to to swell th: number of wrecks that belong to the past.
After the partial abandonment of the work by the State, it was kept open for descending navigation for some years. There was still considerable boating in the matter of lumber, staves and shingles from Erie and Crawford counties, and some of the dams were kept
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VENANGO COUNTY.
in repair, with the locks. What was known as the "Big Dam, " about a mile above Franklin, was the last to give way. Finally, a band of men from the upper Creek came down, armed with axes, picks, and levers, and thoroughly demolished the entire structure. It was strongly built and seemed as though it would have withstood the ut- most power of the flood, if left to the natural course of events.
It is said by engineers that the masonry of the locks was of a very superior quality, and that no finer or better work was to be found in the State.
A very important feature in the history of this county was its iron business. It was once thought to be very rich in iron ore, and this business was the pride and glory of the people. The business began to flourish in 1842, under the cherishing influence of a favor- able tariff. In 1847, there were no less than seventeen furnaces in blast, producing in the aggregate twelve thousand tons of pig-iron per annum, valued at that time at about 8380,000. The power used in all cases was water, the fuel charcoal. The consequences were that the timber was destroyed over a large portion of the county.
Some of these furnaces used bog ore exclusively, producing a fine quality of iron for foundry purposes. The amount of capital employed could not be estimated readily. Credit was employed largely. Merchandise was bought to be paid for with the manufactur- ed iron, and labor was paid for with merchandise. A Furnace Store in those days was a curiosity, and the prices at which goods were sold astonishing. Everything imaginable was contained in the store .- Prints were sold at fifty cents per yard. Molasses at one dollar and fifty cents per gallon. A double-bitted ax sold for five dollars, and other things in proportion. Flour and bacon were staple articles, and the employees were wholly dependent on the furnace men for subsistence. The furnace men had a varied experience. Many a farmer entered upon the business with a comfortable property and left it penniless.
The amount of capital necessary to carry on one of these furna- ces was about $20,000; or, when the business was at its greatest pros- perity, some $340,000 in the aggregate.
Another branch of the iron business was the Franklin Rolling Mill, embracing a nail factory. This was erected in 1843, and con- tinued in operation until 1850, when the general failure of the iron business caused it to go out of operation. The establishment was car- ried on under the firm name of NOCK, DANGERFIELD & Co. Some of our own citizens were connected with it. About five tons of bar iron and three of nails were manufactured daily. The capital in- vested was about $60,000. The power and buildings have since been used for a barrel factory, tag factory, and latterly as a tannery.
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VENANGO COUNTY.
The oil business had its commencement in this county. Its de- velopment here has been like a dream of romance and almost sug- gestive of the Arabian Nights' Entertainment.
Some oil springs were known on Oil Creek from the earliest set- tlement of the country. The most famous of these were on the CARY and MCCLINTOCK farms. The oil was collected by placing blankets in the spring and wringing them out in tubs. It was used as a medicine.
The first oil well . was drilled by E. L. DRAKE, on Oil Creek, in Cherrytree township. Oil was first struck August 28, 1859, and the way opened up to fortune and fame to some and to disappointment and poverty to others. The second well was MCCLINTOCK's, near Rouseville, the third at Franklin-the celebrated EVANS well. The first developments were along Oil Creek, then along the Allegheny and French Creek. Pumping wells were succeeded by flowing ones, until prices came down and oil could be bought for a time at twenty- five cents per barrel. The first flowing well was obtained on the MCELHENNY farm. It was in 1861. Then followed a splendid and wonderful series of wells flowing fabulous quantities, until literally " the rock poured out rivers of oil." This was followed by the Thil- lips well at two thousand barrels per day. This was followed by the Maple Shade, Jersey, Coquette, Reed, and finally the Empire, yielding the modest amount of three thousand barrrels per day. It is difficult to determine the whole amount yielded by Venango coun- ty during the last seventeen years. During the first six years the production was confined exclusively to this county. About the year 1865, developments commenced down the river below us, and the production here has been comparatively small. The heavy lubricat- ing oil is still confined to the region of Franklin. The GALLOWAY, FEE, LAMBERTON, MCCALMONT, and SMITH farms, and the bluff over- looking Franklin, are the main locations.
If we take the statistics of production since 1859, we will find the probable amount of oil produced in the county to have been in the neighborhood of forty millions of barrels. If we take the aver- age price as four dollars per barrel, the value of the crude product will be 8160,000,000. And this is perhaps a low estimate of the ac- tual result.
This business has afforded employment to a large number of men. Strangers thronged around the oil country. They could not be accommodated at hotels, in any of the towns; the public convey- ances were overburdened. At one time it was computed that in the valley of Oil Creek alone, there was a population of thirty thousand.
New towns sprung up like magic. Some of them were like the
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VENANGO COUNTY.
gourd that sheltered JONAH in the outskirts of Nineveh; they sprung up in a night, and perished in a night.
Speculation in real estate was a prominent feature in the enter- prises of the county. This was at its hight about the year 1864 .- There was a large amount of worthless land lying along the margins of the river and creeks, that came into the market as possible "oil territory." These lands were sold at extravagant prices, and oil com. panies formed and stock issued. The result was that worthless oil stocks flooded the country and impoverished many of the people .- But justice to our own citizens requires the statement, that these oil companies were usually gotten up in the eastern cities.
The valley of Oil Creek had a romantic history during the years 1860 to 1864. The oil so plentifully produced must find its way to market chiefly by the mouth of the creek. Teams sufficient could not be procured, and some kind of navigation must be provided up and down the creek. But the creek at best was an insignificant stream. It could not be slack-watered so as to afford a continuous stage of high water. Resort was therefore had to an original system of artificial navigation. Dams were thrown across the creek at inter- vals, and some old saw-mill dams pressed into the service. These dams had draws in them so that the water could be let out at will. They were used to create what were called " pond freshets." The water was collected and retained so as to make a pond freshet abont twice a week. The day and hour were arranged beforehand so that the oil men had everything ready. The boats were filled with oil, and the men in charge all ready for the voyage. At the appointed hour the upper dam was opened. This raised the stream and bore with it the upper boats; then the next dam gave its tribute until a miniature river was formed, each station swelling the number of boats, until, as the mouth was reached, some two hundred boats could be counted, containing in the aggregate some eight or ten thousand barrels of Petroleum.
The scene was very exciting at Oil City on the advent of this fleet of boats. As they rushed down, the shouting of the men, the dashing of the waters, and often the wreck of the boats, formed a scene that was full of interest.
The oil was usually carried in bulk. It was often impossible to prevent collisions. Frequently one boat would dash its corner into the side of another, crushing it like an egg-shell, when oil and oil- men together would be swimming in the water.
There were certain unwritten rules that regulated this naviga- tion. Each producer along the creek was expected to bear his pro- portion of the expense of providing these periodical floods. This
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VENANGO COUNTY.
was regulated by the number of barrels shipped. The tariff was at the rate of five cents per barrel.
Up stream navigation was by horse power. Two horses were attached to a rough flat-boat and walked in the water in the middle of the creek the whole distance. This craft carried passengers and freights. But the passage was not at all desirable, except in cases of necessity.
The business of refining oil has been carried on somewhat ex- tensively in the county, yet not perhaps with the same success as in other places. Refineries have been carried on at Plumer, at Oil City, at Siverleyville, at Franklin, and at other places.
The preparation of lubricating oil has met with greater success than refining. This is largely carried on at Franklin. The Galena, the Eclipse, the Amber, the Keystone, and Hendrick Works, have been very successful, preparing a lubricator adapted to the most del- icate machinery, as well as to the common steam engine. The same business is carried on at Rouseville.
Great facilities are now enjoyed in handling the common product. Half a dozen wells are coupled to the same engine. Pipe lines con- vey it to some common centre, and tank cars carry it to the sea- board and other markets.
There seems to have been a particular Providence connected with the discovery of oil in the depths of the rock. The first wells were found very near the surface. DRAKE's was but seventy feet deep; EVANS'S, the second one bored, was but seventy-two feet; MCCLINTOCK'S, the third, about the same. These wells were found in pockets or cavities of the rock, into which the oil had found its way in its upward journey to the surface.
Had these trial wells, particularly DRAKE's, been bored in al- most any other locality, there would have been failure. No living man would have had the courage to bore down in the solid rock fif- teen hundred or two thousand feet, as they are doing in modern times. But the oil was there. The time had come for its distribu- tion throughout the earth, and nothing could prevent its discovery, or mar the plan of Providence.
In the prosecution of the oil business great advantages have been derived from the use of the torpedo in oil wells It is filled with va- rious explosive substances, powder, gun-cotton, nitro-glycerine, and other materials, and exploded down in the sand rock.
The first idea of the use of the torpedo in this business belongs to A. W. RAYMOND, of Franklin. It was suggested by him in 1859. In that year a torpedo was made under his directions, by filling a long tin cylinder with gunpowder. It was lowered into the second well that was bored in Franklin. A common blast fuse was attach-
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ed to the cylinder for the purpose of exploding it. But the pressure of the water collapsed the fuse and it could not be exploded. An effort was afterward made to procure a battery to renew the attempt, but it was unsuccessful, and the idea for a time lost sight of. If Mr. RAYMOND had patented the invention he might have reaped a golden harvest as the result. But fortune sometimes comes very near, with- out bestowing her gifts.
In 1864, Colonel E. A. L. ROBERTS, having conceived the same idea, but without the knowledge of any former experiments, ap- plied for a patent for a torpedo to be used in oil wells. The first ex- periment was made in January, 1865. This experiment was suc- cessful. But it did not come into general use for one or two years afterwards. It is now recognized as an important agent in develop- ing oil wells.
Several terrible accidents have attended the business of manu- facturing torpedoes. Magazines containing them have been blown up at Reno, at Oil City, at Franklin, and at Scrubgrass, with fearful results.
Coal mines are found in the southern part of the county. The existence of these mines was unknown to the early settlers. They did not require the coal. The land was covered with wood, and this was sufficient for fuel. As wood began to grow scarce, the in- quiry was made in regard to the probable existence of coal. In the ontcroppings of the hills, signs of it were found, and search revealed its presence.
The most thoroughly developed coal mines are in Mineral town- ship, on the line of the Jamestown and Franklin Railroad. Coal of good quality is found there in large quantities. It is also found in good quality and quantity in the region adjoining Butler county ; also in Sandycreek township near Franklin, and in Cranberry township near Oil City. The veins are not heavy in any of these places, yet of sufficient weight to make the working of them pro- fitable.
In the ancient times, the mode of travel was to go on horseback. A little later, persons could go to Pittsburgh by skiff, or flat-boat, or raft. Meadville and Waterford could be reached by skiff or flat- boat. It was a grand event when the first steamboat came up the river. This was the " Duncan," that came in 1826. And as it land- ed at the bank of the river there was grand shouting and throw- ing up of hats, on the part of the people. In the course of years steamboating became a very important business. There was a . regular succession of boats called the Belle, that did a good busi- ness. Thirty years ago there were no more popular river men than
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VENANGO COUNTY.
Captains JOHN and WILLIAM HANNA. But as years have rolled by, even steamboating has become slow, and its days have been number- ed, as far as the Allegheny is concerned.
By land, coaches and hacks took the place of horseback travel. Lines of hacks ran from Franklin to Meadville, to Warren, to Clarion, to Pittsburgh. Some of the middle-aged people will remember the old " huckleberry stage," that crossed the Sandy Creek hills, and on to the Stone House and Prospect to Pittsburgh. The journey con- tinued through the night, over rough roads, with ragged curtains Happing in the winter wind, and every jolt of the hack threatened to send the passengers through the opposite end of the conveyance. If the hack broke down, the loan of a farm wagon was obtained and the journey continued. But gradually railroads approached our county until the advent of the oil business brought them to our doors.
Originally the mail facilities were not good. For a time the coun- ty was without post routes. The first United States mail that came into the county was in 1802. It was carried on horseback in saddle- . bags, and came once in three weeks, and even then brought but a few letters. The route was from Erie to Pittsburgh. The mail car- rier was Mr. ASH, who was always punctual, unless detained by high waters or deep snows.
In course of time the trips were more frequent, but it was long before the mail was carried on wheels. Up to 1848, the county was without a daily mail to facilitate the transaction of business.
There were no banks up to 1860. The early merchants when going for goods, packed up their Spanish dollars in saddle-bags, mounted their horses and rode to Philadelphia. Long after this, they still packed their money in their trunks, and in the stage cross- ed the mountains, with all their funds with them. Yet withal, rob- beries were very rare, and this personal care of baggage compara- tively safe.
The county is well provided with banking institutions for facil- ities of exchange and the general transaction of business. The first bank was that of R. LAMBERTON & Co. This was in 1860. Since then many others have been organized, as the exigencies of business seemed to demand. Franklin has had its banks. After the Lamber- ton, was the Venango, merged into the Venango National, suspended; First National; Franklin Bank, merged into the First National; In- ternational, Exchange, Lamberton Savings, and the Franklin Savings.
In Oil City there have been several banks; also at Rouseville, at Pleasantville, at Plumer, and at Emlenton. At present there are in active business, at Franklin, five banks; at Oil City, six; at Pleas- antville, two; at Emlenton, one; in all, fourteen. These all appear to be well managed and flourishing.
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VENANGO COUNTY.
The first Railroad completed in the county was the Franklin Branch of the Atlantic and Great Western. This was in 1863. It was followed by the Jamestown and Franklin, in 1867, and that by the Allegheny Valley, in the fall of the same year.
The population of the county has steadily increased since its or- ganization. In the year 1800, it was 1,130; 1810, 3,060; 1820, 4,915; 1830, 9,470; 1840, 17,900; 1850, 18,310; 1860, 25,044; 1870, 47,935.
The great flood of 1865 marks an important era in the history of the county. It was in the month of March. Considerable snow was on the ground when it commenced raining. This was on the 17th. The rain came down in torrents during the entire day. It was not the ordinary rain of spring, but the very heavens seemed to have been opened, and the great flood to be leaping forth.
The waters of the Allegheny and French Creek began to rise toward evening with great rapidity. During the night the waters began to creep up above the ordinary high water mark, and many families, finding their dwellings invaded, were glad to seek refuge on higher ground. On the morning on the 17th the sight of the river and large creeks was awfully grand and impressive. The current was sweeping wildly beyond its banks, bearing upon its bosom the evidences of the devastation that had been committed during the night. This was particularly the case on the Allegheny. It seemed as though the entire upper oil region must have been a scene of ruin. Houses, sheds, derricks, oil tanks, bull-wheels, barrels, and furniture, were in dire confusion, whirling down the current. Lumber, staves, timber, farming utensils, all assisted in swelling the mighty tide of ruin. Even houses and homes were torn from their foundations and borne resistlesslyalong, with their tenants at the mercy of the waters.
Oil Creek bridge, Sugarcreek and French Creek,-all were swept away. Oil City suffered greatly. The principal streets were cover -. ed with water to the depth of several feet. Many families retreated up the steep bank, as communication was cut off from the upper part of the city, and fires were kindled to keep the people comfortable.
The probabilities are that such a flood was never known in this county before. Persons who had resided here for seventy years say that the great flood of 1806 did not reach to the dimensions of this of 1865.
Another item in the history of the county is the great frosts of June 5 and 12, 1859. The wheat and rye were just in blossom, and there was every prospect of a bountiful harvest. But these frosts smote the fields as with the besom of destruction. The evening be- fore, nature smiled, like Eden almost, with beauty and the prospect of plenty ; but on the Sabbath morning the fields were blasted and blackened as though the breath of the sirocco had swept over them.
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VENANGO COUNTY.
A deep and heavy gloom settled over the community. The question of bread became exceedingly practical, and the fear arose that multitudes of our citizens would be obliged to leave their homes for a warmer sky and a more genial atmosphere. But the danger passed over. Corn was plenty in Egypt, and means were found for purchasing it, and the next year brought good crops.
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