The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-07-08
ROMANCE OF THE OIiECOUNTRY
Ahe flctlon OF Dumas and Haggard is
COMMONPLACE AIonnsida Ii


commonplace Alongside 1t.
The fiction of Monte Cristou or Rider
haggard's king Solomon's Mines, is
commonplace alongside of the romance
OF riches which could be told of fire-swept
Oi1 creek, writes r. w. CrisWell The
history OF this wonderful region has vet
10 oe written, and when it is written il
WI WI De chapter OF amazing interest.
Like the tabled river, Oil Creek rolled
golden sands. From a wilderness the
valley through which it flowed suddenly
became populouS district. Towns grew
up IN night and were sometimes de-
stroyed In an hour. Many of them were
rebuilt number Of times. When the oil
development moved away from them
Ihey were taken down. hoard by board
ana mousse by house, hauled away on
wagons and rebuilt elsewhere. The Dun
can House, hotel large enough to ac-
com MEDIATE several hundred guests, was
hrst erected in Pithole, few miles over
the hills from Oil Creek. In less than a
year 1t was torn down and rebuilt at Ii
tuSyllle. From Titusyille it was taken
10 Pleasantville, and thence to Oil City,
where 1t did duty as a hotel, boarding.
mouse and tenement-house for many
years. The Chase House. in Pithole. was
quilt and furnished without regard to
cost, and never entertained a guest. The
Dig wells collapsed and the entire town
moved elsewhere. The Holden farm,
upon which the first large wells were
found, was bought by a Chicago company
tor 81, 100000. Within a few wears this
farm had been sold for taxes for less than
SiOO. At the time of the petroleum de-
velopment in Pithole the town was the
third IN size in the State, Philadelphia
| and PlttSburg exceeding. Now there is
not plank left to mark where it stood.
n large church was built on a hill some
distance from the town. The belfry has
fallen in, and for twenty-seven years the
structure has been abandoned, but the
Sunday-school library, consisting OF sew
eral hundred volumes, still remains in
the basement. The books are widowed.
and sheep that run wild on the hills herd
IN the oInSday-school room as a place Of
shelter. The church was built by the
''Swordsmen's Club" which was organ
lied by oil producers and business men
about town, the object Of which was "to
| have fun"
When the oil excitement swept down
Oil Greek Hamilton McClintock owned
the Sftfith farm. He had traded a woke
OF oxen for it. McC1intock sold the farm
to II. l. Beers and p. p. Cornen for;Sl GOO
and was pleased with his profit. Beers
q Cornen developed the farm, and it pro-
duced between S4,000000 and s., 900 900
worth of oil. Many other farms have
histories almost as remarkable. In these
bonanza days oil was transported from
the wells entirely by wagons. John
Wade drove his team all the way from
central Ohio to engage in hauling oil. 1t
was profitable business, and he soon ao-
cumulated few hundred dollars, which
he invested in a well on Cherry Run.
which emptieS into Oil Creek at Rouse
vile, three miles above Oil CITY. The
well was drilled and proved to be a gush-
er. In a day or two after it was struck
Frank Allen of New York, as agent for
the Republic Oil Company, paid $50, 600
cash for his well. Wade drew the money
from the bank, hitched up his team ana
drove back with his easily learned fortuU 90
to Central Ohio.
Boston capitalists built the HurnT old+
Refinery in the woods on Cherry r. IN nc 70
refine oil by process which they r,wned
The refinery cost several thor.S.nd dol.
lars. Houses were built for TIE ,yorlr-
men, and extensively furnished 0uarters
for the officers of the company. The en-
terprlse proved unsucces stui. and one
Gay tne ordef came from Boston to aban-
Don 1t. 1t was abandoned. as a shir
would be left at sea, without any attemnt
to save anything. The furniture was left
IN the offices. Among other thin0s loft
behind was piano in one of tine rnsi-
dences. The instrument remained there
undlsturbed for some years, exceDt when
tramps would come along, take posses
80 49, VI .uo iiouo0 loI HlSnL, regale their
souls with music and move on. ONLY the
chlseled stone foundation remains to
mark where the Humboldt Refinary
stood. Oil City, which has lust had sncb
a. baptism of flood and fire, had popula mia
ton of but 300 in 1861. In 1864 it had
grown to 5000. In the spring of that wear
the town was literally swept away 6y a
hood in the Allegheny River. In an
other year the place had been rebuilt.
only 10 1ail victim to fire. The entire
sumed. 1t has now population of over
1000, and viii soon recover from the
financial loss it has lately felt. but the
memory OF the tragedy which has at
tended 1t can never be efIaced.