USA > Pennsylvania > Butler County > History of Butler County, Pennsylvania. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 32
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
marked effect in increasing the cost of leasing terri- tory, but that fact did not deter ambitions operators from thronging into the field. J. Avery and the Brawley Bros . who were at this time drilling between Petrolia and Parker, were among the first to go for- ward toward the front as defined by the Kern woll. They began extensive operations on the John B Camp bell farm, between the Kern location and Karns City. The Keystone Oil Company and Richard Jennings, who was undoubtedly the heaviest individual operator over in Butler County, quickly followed. Thompson & Tabor were among the first operators at Karh- City, and struck the " Clipper Shades No. 1." on the Alex Storey farm, in December, 1872. This well flowed from three to four hundred barrels at the start. and is still pumping.
Prior to the time at which we have now arrived. the town of Petrolia. destined to be the most notable oil center of the lower region, had come into exist. ence. When the " Fanny Jane " was struck. in April. 1872. the Jamison farmhouse was the only dwelling within the present limits of Petrolia Borough. but the new and rich strike was a sufficient incentive to set a number of people to building. and with the mushroom-like growth, only known in off and mining regions, a village was formed in the little valley of Bear Creek. It seemed to the astonished farmers, who had lived for long years on the hills of Fairview Township. as if the bustling little village grew up in a single night. The little cluster of houses, shops and stores, certainly did grow very rapidly and spread out over the lands west of the creek, sold by George H. Graham to C. D. Angell, and the Jamison farm and property of Adams & Scott east of the creek. ft was ineoporated as a borough in February, 1873. in response to a petition circulated in the fall of 1872 and signed by 103 citizens. Argyle, the older but lesser town, was swallowed up. Like all oil towns springing quickly int > existence through the pre-sure of a suddenly developed need. Petrolia consisted on tirely of light and tlimsity constineted wooden build- ings. They were put up hastily to meet the demands of the strange heterogeneous population which poured into the county. Hotel followed hotel, and all were crowded to their utmost capacity as soon as completed. The town quickly leaped to a populationof 3,000, and ultimately to 5,000. The lucky strikes in the 22-de gree belt, and the rapid development of the territory. brought in all classes of people. The heavy capital- ist. the experienced operator, the shrewd speculator. the ponniless adventurer. the " man who had soon bet ter days," the green novice, the curious tourist, the honest citizen, the common laborer. the tramp. beg- gar. gambler, sharper, thief, the courtesan, all were there, and jostled each other on the narrow sidewalks.
The co llen. aimless, broken down wretches who form the human flotsam and jetsum of the ocean of life, de. praved characters of every type and every degree of degradation, came upon the heels of the pushing men of business as a horde of cump followers straggling on after an army. Potrolia afforded a marked illus- tration of condensed and intense life. Five thousand people a constantly changing population. made up of all grades and classes, good and bad. lived in a town which at a casual glance appeared scarcely large enough to hold as many hundred. and the majority of them crowded ten years of action into one of actual time. Business and pleasure and dissipation were carried on during the height of the great oil excite- ment with a rush, which is never equaled outside of a great center of oil production and oil speculation. The better elements of society. however. were always dominant in Petrolia, and it never had as bad a repu- tation as some of the older oil towns in the upper region. The town soon became the head center for some of the oldest and heaviest operators, and gigantie business interests had their inception there and were successfully conducted. In October. 1575, after the great cross belt development, of which we shall pres- ently speak. the oil exchange was organized (the first in Butler County). with S. H. Smith as President. Speculation ran high, and at one time Petrolia made the market price for off for the world. . The borough passed through the usual ups and downs of oil town history. had its great fires, its record of quickly made fortunes and heavy failures of individuals, and finally. its own prosperity began to wane. as the oil prodnetion which had made it fell off .*
Quickly following the origin of Petrolia, came the laying.out of$ Karns City, a mile and a half south, by Sammel Duncan Karns and John H. Haines. It was located on the farms of Samuel L. Riddle and Hugh P. MeClymonds, which had been proven prolific oil territory by the pioneer operations of Mr. Karns, Cooper Bros. and others in the summer of 1872. This town eventually gained a population of about 2.000, but was never a successful rival of Petrolia.
The vicinity of Millerstown became the scene of pioneer operations early in 1972 and 1878, and that town, which had been for many years in existence, al- though very small, grew rapidly as the extensive de- velopments of the territory around it. From a popu lation of little more than two hundred, it increased to several thousand_by 1876.1
The Scudder well. on the Kepple farm, north of Millerstown, in Fairview Township, put down by E. Sendder. Harvey and Miles Gibson and F. M. Camp- bell, struck the sand July 17, 1873. and began flow-
For a det uled history of Petrolja, see the chapter on Fairview Township. [The te ofer is referred to the chapter on Donegal Township for the history ol Millerstown.
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HISTORY OF BETLER COUNTY.
ing at a tremendous rate. Itsaverage daily production during the first thirty days was upward of 455 bar rels. The Sendder well ultimately passed into the hands of H. L. Taylor & Co., for a consideration of $ 40, 000. The Hoffman & Boswell well. on the Deit's farm, a mile north of Millerstown, was in process of drilling when the Scudder was struck, and came in, about sixty days later, with a production of 100 bar- rels per day. A few days later. the Sanlsbary was struek, and began flowing at the rate of about 300 barrels in twenty-four hours.
The first well in Donegat Township on the 22.de. gree belt, was the Adam Stewart No. 1. on the Stew. art farm. It was originally owned by A. Shreave, Cyrus Kingsley. Irons. A. L. Campbell and Charles Hulens, and at present is the property of Hoffman & Ford, who own nine other producing wells in the vicinity. It started at 150 barrels. The sec- ond well in the vicinity of Millerstown. about one mile northwest, was on the Barnhart farm. and known as the Lambing well, being owned by Lambing Bros. and B. B. Campbell. It produced about 175 barrels at the start, and gave confidence in the belt between the Stewart well and Karns City. The Dr. James well. put down by Wyatt & Co., on the Samuel Barn hart farm, came next in order of drilling, but was "shut down" on top of the sand for two or three months, while her owners and other interested parties took advantage of the uncertain condition of affairs to procure leases. The B. B. Campbell, on the Forquer farm, one mile south of Millerstown, proved a good well, producing at least 250 barrels per day, and ex- tended the limits of the territory. It was one of the best paying wells in the whole region, and it is a lit- tle singular that no other wells of note were ever struck in the immediate neighborhood. The Hemp- hill No. 4, put down early in 1873 by MeKinne . Bros., Gailey & Co., on the Jacob Hemphill farm, was one of the most remarkable producers in the whole third sand belt. It spouted about 1.600 barrels during the first twenty-four hours, and for quite a long period maintained a flow of from 600 to 1,000 barrels. Its total production has been about 200.000 barrels, and it is still pumping nine barrels per day for Hoffman & Ford Another notable well was struck the Ist of March, 1874 -the Divener No 1 .- on the farm of the same name, drilled by Plummer & Lee. It started at abont 1,000 barrels, and has pro- duced a total of not less than 200,000 barrels. This well was sold to H. L Taylor & Co. for $100,000. It is now produeing about eleven barrels per day, and is owned by Sutton, Austin. Bruce & Co. Late in 1873, a well was put down on the Squire MeGinley farm, two miles south of Millerstown, which was made a "mystery" and manipulated for speculative purposes
by the celebrated Dr. Hunter, who has operated in a similar manner in other localities. This was the first " mystery well."
As fast as pioneer operations revealed the extension of the belt to the southward. the territory added was made the scene of operations, and hundreds of wells were put down. By 1875. the country from Parker to a point several miles south of Millerstown fairly bris- tled with derricks, and a torrent of wealth flowed into the hands of prodneers and land owners. Oil men at this time readily gave $100, $200 anl even $250 por acre, with an eighth royalty of all production for land. which. prior to the excitement, was not worth more than 830 to $40 per acre. Millerstown had its full share of benefit from the oil development. An oil exchange was organized there to meet the demands of speculators, who, as is always the case in a great field of production, were numerous. Somo idea of the amount of business transacted during the palmy days of the exchange, may be conceived from the statement that the receipts of the telegraph office during that time were from $4,000 to $5,000 per month. the office ranking as the third largest in the State.
" Wild-eat" wells were drilled as far south as Herman's Station. on the Butler Branch Railroad (Summit Township), in 1873, and the territory be- tween that point was spasmodically developed in patches from time to time, the most prolific prodne. tion occurring in the vicinity of St. Joe, and result- ing in the building up of that small oil town. The first of the Summit Township wells was drille I on the Peter Schuur farm, in 1873. The first well on the Eichenlaub farm, known as the Summit well, was finishel in 1874 at a cost of 8[0,0 )0). It is the best well in the neighborhood. It originally produced about fifteen barrels per day, but the present yield is not more than ten. This well and several others were put down by P. H. & T. F. Burchfield, by whom they are still pumped. Herman's Station is at present the southern termins of development on the 22 degree belt, though not the most recently drilled portion of it. Operations af Carbon Center were begun in 1877. Bowers & Creer struck the first and second wells on the Forcht farm, and Charle - Haslett the third. The latter started at a hundred barrels per day, and. like several others in the vicinity, continued to produce moderately.
The great " Cross Belt." or " Fourth Sil." le velopment, which had its inception in 1572. we have purposely reserved for a separate consideration,
After the great striko of the "Fanny lane," in the 22-degree belt. at Petrolia. in April. 1572, prospect ing for oil was carried on with great energy. aud " wild-eat " wells were sunk in all directions and far
136
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
away from the territory which had been proved good. Among them was one put down by David Morrison on the farm of his father-in-law, S. S. Jamison, in the southern part of Concord Township, about seven miles from Petrolia, in a southeasterly direction. This welt, upon the 22d of August, 1872, struck the great fourth sand deposit, which was literally to " pour forth rivers of oil," to bring into existence sev- eral new towns, among them Greece City, and ulti- mately to have the most powerful depressing effect upon the petroleum market ever known in the history of the trade. The " wild cat " known as the Morrison well surprisel even the most sanguine, and after making a spurt of 700 barrels the first day, flowed at the rate of 300 for some time. Her average for the first six months was 250 barrels per Jay. Territory in the vicinity, and especially between the new well and Petrolia, was eagerly leased, and a number of wells were soon located. Theodore Huselton, who owned the farm south of the Karns branch of the Con- noquenessing and adjoining the Jamison farm, on which the lucky strike had resulted, immediately laid out a portion of his land in village lots, and the owners of property on the north side followed suit. A village sprang up as if by magic and grow with as- tounding rapidity, being incorporated as a borough a few months after its origin. Greece City,* as it was called, has now almost outirely disappeared, but for a brief period during the years 1872-73 and 1874, it was one of the prominent towns of the oil region, and exhibited great bustle and business stir. It had sev- eral good hotels, three banks and a large number of shops, stores and dwellings. That portion of the town north of the creek was twice burned down and rebuilt. In this respost, it shared the usual fate of the other lower region oil towns-Petrolia, Karns City, Modoc, Buena Vista, Martinsburg and Millers- town all having disastrous fires, and some of them being several times visited. Greece City was prob- ably, during the heyday of the oil excitement, the " hardest " town in the lower country. Saloons, gam- bling places and bawdy houses abounded; the town was thronged with brazen and depraved characters. and drunkenness, profligaey and crime held high car- nival. much to the disgust of the many steady-going, substantial class of citizens who were compelled by business interests to make their home there.
The second well struck at Greece City was S. D. Karns' " Dog Leg, " located a quarter of a mile south. west of the Morrison well, which reached the sand on Christmas Day, 1873, and proved to be a hundred- barrel well. The Gfordon well, on the Christy farm. put down by C. D. Gordon & Bros., Hilliard Bros. and J. J. MeCandless, and the Asa Say, on the Husel-
See chapter on Concord Township for a fuller history than is here given.
ton farm, came in a little later and were good for about a hundred barrels each.
Operations were pushed eastward toward the main belt, and, in January, or February, 1873, the Weeks & Mettormley, a 400 barrel well, was struck on the MeClellan farm, half a mile east of Greece City. On March 12. Vandergrift & Co. reache:l the sand on the Troutman farm, where the village of the same name a.ljoining Modoc, was afterward built, and the " Old Troutman," as it was called, began to spont at the rate of from 80) to 1,000 barrels.
At Ralston's Mill. one mile cast of Trontman, the Lambing Bros. and B. B. & A. L. Campbell drilled a well, in the fall of 1872, which was pronounced dry, bat afterward (in 1873), the water was shut off, and it was found to produce from fifty to one hundred barrels. This was the first well drilled in the eross belt east of (freece City, and was under way before the Morrison was struck.
The territory around Greece City, Modoe and Trout- man was soon very thoroughly drilled, heavy operators at once coming into the field. Among the first in the vicinity of the last-named villages were Phillips Bros., of New Castle, who now have very large inter- ests in Butler County. Developments upon the Hayes farm followed those at Greece City, and Tront- man in the summer of 1873.
Up to this time, although scores of wells had been drilled and were producing from the fourth sand, the operators were ignorant of its existence.
The existence of the fourth sand was first demon- strated where the third existed and was known, upon the Me Aleer farm, between Karns City and Hayes- ville. A well known as the Me Aleer No. 1, was sunk by Tack Bros. & Co. (L. W. Moorehead, 1. L. Camp- bell and John Smith), in September, 1873, which struck the fourth sand at a depth of about seventy feet beneath the third, and demonstrated the fact that the Greoce City and Modoc wells were upon a cross belt. Almost simultaneously with the sinking of this well, another reached the fourth sand on the Scott farm between Karns City and Hayesville. Banks Bros. & Gailey had put the well down to third sand, and sold it to Charles Stewart and Foster Hindman, who, not being pleased with it, drille I deeper, hop- ing to increase the small production. When they struck the fourth sand, the " Old Hickory," as it was named. began to flow at the rate of 500 barrels. The owner supposed it was the third sand from which the oil came, until they measured the well. Smith Bros. had a third sand well on the Rogers farm, between Karus City and Petrolia, and when the fourth sand theory dawned upon them, they drilled it deeper and struck the great reservoir of riches October 16, 1873. the well flowing at the start. 30) barrels. The fourth
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
sand foyer had now fairly set in, and only a few days elapsed before tools were swung in almost every der rick between Karns City and Petrolia. It was qftiek work drilling the old third sand wells in the 22 degree belt down to the fourth sand of the cross belt, and probably there never was a time in the history of oil production when so many good wells were struck in as short a period and within a- limited an area, as here, at the crossing of the two belts. The excite. ment began in this locality in 1978. and was kept up with little abatement through 18.4. Almost every body who looked for the fourth sand between Karns City and Petrolia, seemed to find it, and big well- were reported daily. Operations were continued at Greece City. Troutman and Modos with the most gratifying results. At the latter place three spouter- were struck in one day-January 3. In March, 1571. 125 wells were in process of drilling. The " Big Medicine." on the Brown farm, between Troutman and Fairview. came in with a production of 600 bar- rels in the fall of 1873, and made the territory in its vicinity very valuable.
The cross belt excitement brought heavy operators into the field, and they at first concentrated their efforts upon the farms lying between l'etrolia and Karns City. Richard Jennings, of Queenstown, Arm- strong County, got the largest well in Butler County -- the " Jennings No. 19" on the Daugherty farm, in 1874. This great fourth sander spouted, according to the estimates of many witnesses. the enormous amount of 4,000 barrels during the first twenty- four hours. The "Evans No. 2" was another gigantic " gusher." The " Rob Roy." on the MeClymonds farm, at Karns City (owned by Parker, Thompson & Haines), which had been a small producer in the third sand, was a 600-barrel spouter in the fourth, and made her owners a handsome fortune. This well, which has proved one of the most lasting in the county, had, in ten years, up to September 1. 1832, produced from the two sand formations (principally from the fourth) over 260.000 barrels of oil.
The history of Hoffman & Bussell's "Eureka," on the same farm as the above, is similar to that of the " Rob Roy." It was put down to the third sand by Daniels & Co., found to be a small producer, and sold by them to Hoffman & Bussell, who intended to move the machinery to Modoc. They were prevented from doing so, however, by the serving of an injunction (which led to their entering into bond in the sum of $100,000), and drilled about eighty feet. to the fourth sand. The Eureka then began flowing, or, rather, spouting, and put 2,200 barrels in the tank during the first day. This well produced a total of about 100,000 barrels.
Among the other notable wells in the fourth sand
belt, west of the 22 degree ben for The Hope." at Frontman, which produce 41 01-1000 1 arrels per day. The " Modoe," " Sam pat and - W. W. Thompson," in the same lo winy, coh flowing from 500 to 600 barrels. the " Frank and Maggie," on the Halston farm, also good for 500 barrels and the " Laura," on the Daugherty form, which started at 1.000.
The eastern half of the cross bolt now remained to be developed. Richard Jennings had sunk a well at the month of Armstrong Run (Armstrong Conuty ). in 1570, and when the (freeee City, Modoe and Trout- man wells were struck, and the fourth sand develop ments made around Petrolia and Karns City, he con- jectured that the belt extended eastward. as well :- westward, of the main or 22-degree belt, and accord ingly ran a line from his well toward the junction of the two belts. D. S. Criswell ran a similar line. in 1874, aud located a well upon it on the Parker farm. about two and a half miles east of Petrolia cin Arm strong County). This well, known as the " Boss." struck in July. flowed at the rate of 2,500 barrels.
The land lying between this well and Petrolia way thus indicated to be oil territory, and was inmediato ly leased. Most of it passed into the hands of Hun ter & Cummings, of Tidioute, who innnediately com- menced operations, which resulted in the striking of the famous " Lady Hunter," in the summer of ISit. which flowed nearly or quite as munch oil as the " Boss." Operations then extended both ways from these two wells, and from Petrolia and Queenstown toward them, and, by the end of the year, the eastern half of the belt was definitely outlined.
The fourth sand belt extends from Greece City. ten miles, to Criswell. It bears east from the first point from 40 to 45 degrees north, and from Petrolia north 88 degrees east, showing a decided curve from northeast to southwest. It is from one-eighth to one- fourth mile wide at Greece City, from one-half to one mile wide at Troutman, two miles wide at Petrolia and Karns City, and about an eighth of a mile at Criswell.
The cross bolt development astonished the petro leum world. In 1874, when operations within its limits had reached their height, the maximum produc- tion of the lower oil region and of Butler County was obtained. The great spouting wells along the cross belt swelled the daily production of the region, at one time, to the enormous amount of 42,000 barrels. The average production in the region was 25. 424 barrels per day, for the month of July. 1571. or an average of 17.765-1000 for each of the wells then at work.
As a consequence, crude oil dropped in value to 10 cents per barrel. This, however, did not discourage
1
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
those operators who had wells in the fourth sand. as their enormous flowing wells brought them in huge incomes; even while oil was sold for one-third the average cost of production. The cross belt wells. however, soon ceased to pour forth their floods of fortune, and most of them became either small pro- cheers or entirely dry.
Since the cross belt development there has been no special activity in operations, save in small local patches, as in the Millerstown Eastern Belt. the re- gion around Six Points and Byron Center, in Alle- gheny Township and at Bakl Ridge. The history of the pioneer operations in the last named locality we shall present further along.
Looking over the entire Butler County oil region. we can see no spot which has been more richly pro- ductive than that lying between Petrolia and Karns City where the two belts eross, and oil has been brought to the surface from both the third and fourth sands. It was here that the development of the third sand reached its maximum. in 1872, and the produc- tion from the fourth became most prolific in 1871. The area of most remarkable productiveness ineludes the Wilson. James Blaney, Jamison Daugherty. Pat- ton. John Blaney. McCafferty and MeClymonds farms.
The daughter of the owner of the Daugherty farm. before the days of the oil excitement, saved it from being sold for taxes by her industry plying the needle. The farm was then worth about $30 per acre. After it was found to lie in the limits of the main belt. one. half of the oil right was sold for $34.000. It was on this farm, it will be remembere.l. that the great fourth sander, "Jennings No. 19." was struck. A large number of other wells, some of them almost equal to the Jennings, were drillled on the farm.
The Hugh MeClymonds farm. at Karns City, on which the " Rob Roy" and several other big wells were located, consisting of 21 1 acres, has produced. during the ten years from 1872 to 1882. over $1.500,- 000 worth of oil.
Among the operators in this district were nearly all of the larger elass known in the lower region. H. L. Taylor & Co., the predecessors of the Union Oil Company, were extensively engaged in the rich local- ity, as well as in all other parts of the Butler oil field. They put down in the county from 225 to 250 wells. and bought many more, drilled by other parties, being the heaviest operators in the region. The largest in- dividual operator ever engaged in the county was Richard Jennings, who put down no less than seventy paying wells. Some idea of the magnitude of his business may be conveyed by the statement that dur ing the year 174, while the cross bolt excitement was raging. his expenses averaged over $35.000.
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