Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-10-24
Notes OfthG Excursion to the
Oil Region.
TituSyiIIe and its Surroundings.
Prices and Plank Road Enterprise.
MiIler's Farm-OiI Pipe-Derricks-&c
The Famous Oil Creek Wells.
The Roads and First View of Pithole

PITHoLE CITY, October IL, 1860.
Titusville, named after one of the early
settlers of Oil Greek valley, is II marked
evidence of the great development of en-
terprise and wealth since the opening of
the petroleum trade. Before the oil ex-
citement it contained about one hundred
and fifty inhabitants, mainly dependent on
the lumber business. The few humble
hamlets in four years have grown into a
wide awake city of ten thousand people,
of all professions and speeulations, drawn
together by "oil on the BRAIN Exten-
sive business streets have been built up,
and new stores, hotels, banks, mechanics
shops, dwellings, etc, meet the eye in all
directions. Mud does not repress energy;
its depth appears to be no bar TO progress
in city building. Titusville hotels and
business blocks are the best in Petrolia,
and its daily journal, the Morning Herald
the first and largest in the oil regions
The enterprising proprietors work their
large edition on Il power press, and have
an office hat would do no discredit to
much larger cities. Lots and rents are up
to oily prices-the vacant corner opposite
the Pcndleton House having recently been
sold for $500 per foot front; and a smalb
cheap store erected in a business locality
by Mr.. Hall, the well known Ontario
street grocer, rents for $1,000. He built
it for his own occupancy, but concluded
there was the most money in renting to
others.
The position of Titusville has made it
the northern outlet and entrepOt of the
oil regions. and its business is enormous.
1t has numerous refneries, machine shops,
foundries, barrel and tank factories, oil
sheds and platforms covering acres upon
acres, and banking facilities adequate to
its immense trade. The valley in which
the city is built is quite broad, and the
surrounding hills are already dotted with
many elegant and costly residences. Mr..
j. T. Briggs, whose smiling face is ever
welcomed by C~levelanders, has purchased
u beautiful home overlooking the city of
his successful enterprises. We met at
Titusville Col. n. NJ. STANDARD, of Cleve-
land, engaged as usual in pushing ON Il
useful work. He is building a plank road
from Titusville to Pithole City, about
eleven miles, much of the way Il double
track. The road is more than half built,
and would now be completed but for de-
laws in obtaining lumber. Over 800 teams
Travelled the Pithole end of the road the
18th inst, the tolls paid exceeding $500.
Age has made but slight drafts on the in
domitable energy of Col. S.. and he will
put the road through in thirty days.
From the metropolis of Oildom, q rail-
road ride of six miles passes Watson's
Flats and the Miller Farm-where u two
inch pipe, six miles long, delivers some
sixty barrels of crude oil from Pithole per
hour-the iron horse ending his journey at
Shatfer's Farm, the present terminus of the
Oil Creek railroad. Derricks are frequent
ly seen along the line, though but few
smokes indicate yielding wells. The
country is mostly wild, the banks on each
side the creek becoming more lofty and
prccipitous, until at Shaffer station they
reach two hundred and fifty feet.
The horseback march from Skaters to
Pithole City, by way of Petroleum Centre,
excited the constant wonder of the eXcur-
s%ionists. All the way down Oil Greek the
derricks growthicker and thicker, frequent
Iy towering on the hillsides, and occasional
ly the creaking walking beam is dropping
the drill through bluffs hundreds of feet
above the bed of the stream. The smokes
Of engines driving pumps are scarce i'll
comparison with the idle machinery and
abandoned wells, and yet some show sue
cessful borings mt high as well as low ele-
vations. Derricks are almost countless,
and no one can realize the money, labor
and energy expended i'll petroleum seek
ing, without Il personal visit to Oil Creek.
The following interesting account of the
wells passed which have BEEN celebrated
in their time, was prepared by your cor
respondent "D. $. p" for the Meadville
Daily Republican of the 18th inst:
The Buckeye Well, seven miles below
Titusville, struck oil September 21st,
1861, aid flowed about 500 barrels per
day. 1t flowed about I3 months, and
then pumped for two years.
The Empire Well, near the Buckeye,
struck oil October q, 1861, flowing at
first 5000 barrels per day, being the
largest yield of any well ever opened
The flow gradually diminished for a
year and four months, at which time it
flowed about 1000 barrels per day. 1t
is now pumping from 80 to 20 barrels
per day.
The Sherman Well was struck in June,
1862, and flowed for 81 months, its
heaviest yield being about 700 barrels
per day.
The Noble Well, adjoining, struck oil in
June, 1868, and was the most profitable
of all flowing wells, in consequence OF
the high price of oil while it was yield
spr. St n,vr nxvo-,r.1 I D4A hn,ro19 -,
day for the first six months.
The Ocean Well, one mile below, was
struck about six weeks ago., and flows
esting, as being located upon & hill, go
feet above tile cfGsR.
Bennehoff Run, in the same vicinity, has
several excellent wells, yielding from
100 to 800 barrels per day.
The Egbert Farm is one mile below, and
is celebrated for the following wells
The Maple Shade, - barrels; the Jer-
sew. - barrels, and the Coquette, 200
barrels. This has been an exceedingly
profitable farm. Several other wells
have recently been struck.
Petroleum Centre, at this point, has
grown up rapidly, and is a fourishing
town with a National Bank and several
hotels-a bridge here crosses Oil Creek,
there bcing only one other between
Shaffer and Oil City.
The DalzeIl Farm just below the Egbert
is now interesting for having upon it 4
shaft I2xI7 feet, which is being sunk by
machinery to thoroughly investigate the
nature of the underground formations.
The Tarr Farm sltould he noticed here, al
though not visited by the eXGural6h.
Upon it were the Phillips Well, one OF
the monsters of oildom, until it was
tapped" by the Woodford, which also
numbered thousands Of barrels daily.
The Maple Grove or Burning Well"
(so-called for its having taken fire and
burned about ten days. was located up
/ on the Blood Farm, below tie TAR. LIST
yield was $500 barrels.
The graded track of the Oil Creek Rail
road afforded a passable horseback route
most of the distance to the point where the
excursionists left the Greek for a ride ovel
= the hills to Pithole, by way Of Plumer, a
small oil town on Cherry Run. The
, country is rough and uninviting, the hill:
tough clay and stony, the timber mostly
oak and filled in thickly with an under.
S growth Of the same. The roads, whether
c now or old, often make shipwreck of wag-
I ans and soon ltse lin teams. Horseback