The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1901-12-27
HISTORY
OF Oil Wells in The Kentucky
Fields.


il is said, why Kentucky people
take such small interest In the
prospects of Kentucky oil. Even
Kentucky farmers will tell you,
when You speak to them about the
possible richness OF the field that
there is nothing in it. OH has
been drilled for around them for 30
years aud more. they will tell you.
rhr first oil well ever drilled was
in Wayne county, Kentucky, in
1878. Wonderful stories have been
told about this we'll, aud they have
lost nothing in the telling.
oil has been found in Kentucky
from its southern boundary TO al
most its northern boundary, and
the width Of Kentucky oil-produc.
ing levels is the width of several
counties. This much has been
demonstrated by recent develop
ments, This statement does not
refer to oil in paying quantities.
That is another matter. 1t refers
10 the lines Development that in
closes something like working
area.
Wells thatare too small to pump
are aggravating to the well owner.
Dry holes arc bad things for him.
Both are good Tor other operators.
Next to knowing where to drill for
oil the best thing to know is where
not to drill.
1t takes a lot OF drilling to de-
fine the lines of a new country and
all the drilling that has been done
in Kentucky for thirty.llve years
! by men who did not know how to
drill and did not even taka the
trouble to learn how it was done in
other places, is like capital invest
ed for the men that are coming
now meaning business.
Kentucky has passed the expert
mental stage. 1t is a substantial
oil field, The only thing to be de.
termined is the length of it, wher,
III begins and where it ends, anc
where it breaks between. All thi,
early work by citizens and t5nder
feet that farmers and owners o
laud have become discouraged owe
is serving a useful purpose now.
/ has cleared the way for real devel
Opments and advanced the field
just that number OF years that /
would have taken to spot aroun,
cautiously learning whore to drill
and where not to drill.
| When Kentucky is great OF
field her history will not rea
much different from the historic
OF other great oil fields. 1t vii
read that drilling was going on
4 different parts OF the State for tbir
! " or forty years before the wor
got down to a business basi,
When the lower Pennsylvania oi
y field was great oil field they keI
puttering within ten miles OF Brat
ford, the greatest field OF the worl
for ten or fifteen years and gettin
worth while except a little encour
agement. Bradford opened up on
: day with a big well and went 0
like blaze.
The Sistervllle field in We,
: Virginia and other sections OF tn
same state, now in the very hear
OF prosperous oil region, pultero
for small wells while Bradford an
!, Oh City were striking it rich, an
when Bradford and Oil City wer
on the wane West Virginia was o
the rise, and the despised countr
Of small wells became the countr
J of big and lasting wells, and man
Pennsylvania operators felt the
had to have Slice OF that teri
tory
Kentucky mas oil lands and o
wells from the second tier OF coul
ties on the northeast to the Tel
nessee boundary on the southwes
That is something that is not ger
orally known, Occasionally ther
is county between that is b,
lieved TO have no producing teri
tory. There are some COMMITTEES /
which no hope IS centered OWN
? to irregularities OF the rock formj
tons.
In isolated mountain cOuntie.
many miles from a railroad, man
miles through a rough and almo
trackless, and sometimes impaS'
able, country, Kentucky has SUI
oil territory and paying we'll
, These wells have been produein
for years, and the Standard o
Company has owned them and Ia
said nothing OF their possession
1t has builtpumping stations thel
and has piped the oil and has ha
no competition in the producin
business In that immediate neigl
borhood.
Finding these wells of the StanC
ard oil Company would be IL
finding a mountain still. Man
are located back OF the back mouI
tains where there is not only n
railway but neither highway {
turnpike. The oil is piped to I'll
nearest railroad point, more tina
40 miles away on an air line.
Clay county, KY, with its bur,
ing gas springs and wonderfI
rock ealIed"antl.c,inan by expert