The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1914-04-01
Capt. Peter Grace Passes Away.

NGpts EGtBI SluCC EdoSCo AWAY
Captain Peter Grace, well and most
favorably known throughout oildom, and
especially well remembered by many
people in this community, died at his
home in Robinson Illinois, Friday, Mar.
q, 1914, after brief illness of pneumonia.
Capt. Judson's History OF the Eighty
Third Reg't., Pa. Vol, contains the fol-
lowing brief reference to Capt. Grsce's
splendid war record:
Captain Peter Grace, Sergeant, enlisted
at Tionesta, Pa, Aug. 10, 1861. Wounded
and taken prisoner at Gaines Mill;
wounded at Fredricksb Re.enlisted
Dec. 26. 1868. Promoted to I'd Lieut.. OF
Co. K. in the new organization, Nov. |,
and to lst Lieut.. Dec. %, 1854. Taken
prisoner at Laurel Hill and re-captured
ey Sheridan's cavalry. Promoted to
Captain, Feb. II. 1865.
A pioneer of the oil regions of Pennsyl-
vania, one of the first to answer the call
of his country for the preservation of the
Union, a veteran who stayed in the field
to see the end of the war, then returned
to again take up the work of developing
the vast resources of a great oil field, a
splendid specimen of manhood has passed
to his long home. Captain Grace entered
the oil business brief period following
the Col. Drske's discovery, his first activ-
ity being as driller near Lineville Clar-
ion county, where he first heard the call
to arms, when hack passed the oil rig,
in which were fife and drum and the
following persons now all passed to their
reward: Capt. d. S. Knox, Samuel II.
Haslet, Hamilton Stow and one other
whose name we do not recall, who were
recruiting a company Of soldiers for
the war. Peter Grace and his compan-
ion, Moses Corey, hailed the recruiting
party and asked to be enrolled. They
could not leave their work Immediately
but said they would come later, and they
did, joining the company at Erie. Both
were promoted to the captaincy of their
company, Capt Corey remaining to the
end of his three years enlistment, and
Capt Grace staying to see the end of hos
tilties, and was mustered out with his
command June 28, 1865.
AT the close OF the war he returned to
Forest couoty, again engaging in the oil
business, following 1t with varying sue
cess In the various local developments
until the early part OF 1882 when, in COM
psny with Geo. Dimmick, he drilled in
one of the historic wells ofihe oil country,
designated as 1915" located in Cherry
Grove township, Warren county. 1t had
an initial production of $500 barrels a
day. Other large wells were brought in
in the same district, the production of the
with resultant decline in the speculative ve
prices paid for crude oil to So cents 9
barrel.
Captain Grace followed the trend of de
velopmen ents into the different helds. in
cluding Bradford, West Virginia snC
Southeastern Ohio, and at the time of hi
death was operating in the Illinois field
making his home at Robinson, Possibl,
no man had so wide an acquaintance o
so many friends among the oil fraternity
as none stood higher for integrity or char
acter.
During his activities in the Forest coun
| ty field he was married to Miss Anna Sig
gins, daughter of Nathaniel Siggins, o
Stewart Run, Forest county. She sur
wives him. with two children, Mrs. Rich
ard Wright, of New York city, and Chas
N. Grace, of Robinson. For many year
the home of the family was in jamestown
N. Y. where they have q wide circle o
friends.
Captain Grace was one of the mos
prominent members of the Legion o
Honor. The body will be taken to Wash
iDgton, d. c., where the interment will
be made in the Arlington cemetery.