Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1939-01-26

the Elk Eye mill, they used to shov.
el the bran in the river to get rid of
il. Today it is as valuable as the
-four produced from the wheat.
Records seem to show that Zuriel
Sherwood, the father Of the late
William Sherwood. whom many will
recall, bored the first we'll and pro-
duced the first salt in this county.
III 1920 this we'll was bored near
Oil Spring run on the farm now
known as the Porter farm. From
this time on until about 1886, the
time of starting the improvement OF
the river, salt was produced all
along the river. The salt works
near Big Rock below the fair
grounds, were owned by my grand
father, E. NJ Stanbery, and were
perhaps, the last operated within
the county, though the ones at Big
Bottom were operated as late or lat
er. The value of salt produced in
1884 was nearly $250.000, and Nor
gan county was the first in salt pro
duction in the state.
AS related IN previous article
the Improvement of the river broke
up most of the salt makers. The
veins were found at depths varying
from 500 feet to $50 feet at the
Sherwood well, three miles below
town While the wells had to be
pumped, in many instances snffi-
cient gas was found to force the wa"
ter to the surface. Attempts were
made to use this gas as a fuel, but
they did not know how to handle
it successfully, so resorted to the
vast amount Of wood on all the hills,
until all the wood within hauling
distance OF each salt works had
been cut and burned. When the
wood began to get scarce they tried
TO burn the "ston6 coal' and found
it to be a proper substitute and SO
the coal industry got its start in the
county.
The one recorded exception to the
failure to use the gas found as a
fuel under the salt kettles, is that
ct the well below Malta. In about
1880 Rufus P. Stone bored a well
near the river bank, and at about
800 feet hit the salt water and with
il large gas we'll The pressure Of
the gas was so strong it forced the
tools out of the we'll and catching
fire burned the sheds and derrick
and frightened Off the men work
ing. Mr.. Stone reported the next
morning, The hands at the well
last night struck hell, and burned
up the whole concern. and it isn't
worth twenty five cents Though
later he used the gas as fuel for
many years. Later in about 1877,
a we'll was bored about two miles
south of Malta and heavy gas pres
sure struck. The owner was much
disappointed in this, but thought
he would see what could be done.
so he piped it to his house, after eX-
perimenting in the open, and for a
number of years burned it in a fire.
place and a stove. A flare was al
lowed to burn on the hill to con
sumo the excess gas and was a land
mark all along the river, as it could
be seen for several miles. Salt was
made here until about 1879.
A few years later some adventur-
Gus spirit suggested that the towns
purchase the we'll and use the gas to
light the towns and sell the gas for
home consumption. But this was
TOO much in advance of the times
and the subject was dropped. Later
some individuals became interested
and a stock company was formed
with a capital of about 100000 to
furnish fuel and light to the towns,
in 1878. But for some cause or
other, unknown today, it never ma
terialized | have some Of the old
stock certificates in my collection of
Morgan Countiana.
AS has been noted, oil was known
TO the Indians, and had been found
in boring for salt water. Oil had
been known since early historic
times. It was used by the Fire Wor-
shippers of the East; it was an i'm
portant item in the embalming of
the dead by the Egyptians; it was
known to the ancient Peruvians of
South America; and in this locality
was known as early as the founding
Of Fort Duquesne by the French,
where it was called Seneca oil be-
cause the Seneca Indians used it. 1T
is reported that as early as 1904 oil
was gathered from springs in Oh
Spring run and sold as a medicine
by a man calling himself DR.. Evans.
Oil was found on spring here III
own near what is now the corner
IF jefferson and Poplar streets in
1919 or 1920 and at least two wells
we're bored, but not enough oil was
secured to pay to operate them,
though if they had gone deeper it IS
likely they would have found more.
After the discovery of oil in Penn
;ylvania many wells were drilled all
over the county between 1860 and
1864. The best production was
found on Buck Run and Federal
,reek. The refinery in McConnels-
lille secured it's oil from the Buck
Run field. When lad ] used to
)lay around the old tanks up where
he Water Works park now is. u
ave several stock certificates of the
Id oil company formed to operate
his refinery.
1t is reliably stated that one of
he oldest and longest operated
we'll, in country is located IN
Morgan county. and while produc-
ion today is nothing like it was at
9ne time, yet the gross income from
yas and oil, and royalties III the en-
ire county IS considerable.
Robertson in his history devotes
lages 1G6 to 286 to a very full de
allied discussion OF the part the men
e Morgan county played in the war
L L,