Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-07-13


thirteen thousand barrels per day
This was then the entire production
and confined to this county. Tht
tlrst regular well was Col. brakes
Pioneer oil well, in Cherry Tree
township, about two miles below
Iltusville; this was followed by 9th
ers until petroleum enough was dis.
covered to almost illuminate the civ
llIzed world. Oil City is a most
pleasant and desirable place of resi-
dence, comprising many natural ad.
vantages; it is proverbially healthy.
with excellent water and the pure
air of the mountains; it has fine
churches, good schools, excellent
stores, &C.; it is the residence OF
many of the monied men of the low.
er oil district, prefering it as a place
of abode. Much of the oil produced
in the adjoining districts is bought
and sold here at the oil exchange;
these districts extend into other coUn-
ties; the most prosperous at present
is Edenburg, Bullion, and in the vi.
cinity of Millerstown, Butler county;
this is fine territory. Millerstown
is fine business point, situated in
the northeast section of Butler Co.,
eleven miles from Butler, the cOun-
ty seat; 1t was laid out by Philip
Barnhart about 1890. Much oil is
produced here and it is fast becom-
ing a great business center. The
day was bright and smiling, the hills
were grand in their leafy splendor;
how beautiful nature appeared as
the iron-horse wended its way along
the winding river, which rejecting
the azure expanse above looked like
a blue ribbon unrolled. This beau
tiful river reminds me much of the
Ohio; and both the Indians and the
French considered the Allegheny
and the Ohio as one and the same
river. In fact in the Indian dialect
their names signifed the same thing.
Allegheny is from the Delaware Ian
guage, and O-he-o from the Seneca,
both meaning beautiful river; thence
the French term ola Belle River"
Our first stopping place after ieav-
ing Oil City was Reno, a pleasant
little village, whose pretty gardens
were considerably damaged by the
recent storms. This town has the
advantages of the Atlantic & Great
Western Rail Road, and jamestown
& Franklin. Franklin the county
seat is the oldest town in the county;
it is beautifully laid out town, very
noticeable for the excellent paving
and grading of the streets. The
churches and some of the public
buildings are very fine, whilst many
of the dwellings are exceedingly
costly and beautiful. The town en-
joys an enviable reputation for the
Intelligence and cultivation of its in
habitants. On either side of the run
from Oil City to Franklin run the
Allegheny Valley Rail Road, the
jamestown, and the Atlantic &
Great Western, all of which do an
extensive business. In Venango Co.
several railroads are now in active
operation. The Franklin branch of
the Atlantic & Great Western Road;
this runs from .Meadville to Oil City
along the bank of French creek and
the Allegheny river. 1t was finish
ed as far as Franklin in 1868, and
extended to Oil City in 1865. The
next road in the county was the
jamestown & Franklin, intersecting
the Erie & Pittsburg road at James
town, Mercer Co., Pa. 1t was COM
pleted to Franklin in 1867, and the
next season to Oil City. Following
then were the Allegheny Valley
road, from Pittsburg to Oil City;
the Oil Greek & Allegheny Valley
River road extending from Oil City
up Oil creek to Titusville and be-
yond with it's river division, extend
ing to Warren; the Cranberry from
South Oil City to the Cranberry
coal mines. Polk, the next town af-
ter Franklin, is apparently pleasant,
and quite pretty place. Raymil-
ton also; near here are some very
large tanks for storing petroleum.
Branch and Clark are miner villages,
whilst Hadley is quite pretty and
tlourishing. Sandy Lake is beau
tiful town containing between eight
or nine hundred inhabitants. Stone
boro an incorporated town stands on
the shore of the beautiful Sandy
Lake, which looks like great mirror
in the sunlight, with its calm surface
glittering like cloth of gold and sill
yer. The town was laid out and
built up by the railroad company,
the mines Of which are in the imme-
diate vicinity. 1t is pleasant sum
mer resort with an excellent hotel
the Lake House and other ac-
commodations. Boating on the lake
and good fishing are pleasant recre-
ations. Lately two large buildings
have been erected for the storage of
ice. which is clear and firm. There
is a railroad intersection here which
enables you to take the cars for Mer-
Ger, the county seat of Mercer coun-
tv, pleasant little town of about
three thousand inhabitants, laid out
in 1903. jamestown is pleasant
town, surrounded by lovely farm
ing district; it is desirable for a sum-
mer retreat; near the depot is a
large we'll kept hotel, where you can
have all the comforts of home.
Jamestown is six miles north OF
Greenville, at the crossing of the
Erie g. Pittsburg road with that OF
the Franklin branch of the Lake
Shore. 1t is town possessing many
fine buildings. DR.. Gibson's drug
store is one of the finest in the state.
Below here is the little village of
Shenango, north of Franklin, at the
junction of the ShenangO & Ale
ghany road with the Atlantic &
Great Western. 1t is here that coal
and oil brought from Butler county
by the Shenango & Allegheny road,
is transferred to the Atlantic ~ Great
Western road; made necessary nY
the differences of the gauges OF the