Geography of Ohio 163 



meiit prevailed. Companies were organized and property changed 

 hands frequently, at increasing prices. For a 200-acre farm, 

 near the original well, $300,000 was paid. None of these early 

 wells were great producers; not many of them flowed, but their 

 shallow depth made pumping by hand relatively easy ; the wells 

 were drilled by hand. 



At Cow Run, in 1861, the first well was sunk; at a depth of 137 

 feet oil was discovered. This oil was pumped by hand, two men 

 being able to take out about 50 barrels a day. Here again great 

 interest was aroused, and fabulous sums were paid for territory. 

 The methods of these ventures almost seem beyond belief when 

 read to-day. Even had a "gusher" been discovered, one could 

 hardly understand the lack of business conservatism. 



Noble County. Not far north of Macksburg, in 1860, a few wells 

 were drilled along Duck Creek. Some oil was reported in most of 

 them, and a moderate business was carried on. I find no record of 

 such recklessness as prevailed in Washington County. 



Trumbull County. Early in 1860, a few wells, ranging from 

 40 to 60 feet in depth, were sunk into the Berea sandstone near 

 West Mecca. These are reported to have yielded ten to fifty 

 barrels each at first ; later, the daily yield dropped, and most of the 

 wells were short-lived. It is interesting to note that, on account 

 of the cheapness of labor, a farmer would get back his investment 

 for sinking the well in case it produced two barrels. So far as I 

 can learn, this is the only county in the state where men have 

 tried to obtain the oil by mining ; a shaft 52 feet deep was sunk, and 

 from its bottom a tunnel was excavated 32 feet to the east, and 

 30 feet to the west.^^ These experimenters reasoned that if 

 oil would gather into a six inch drill hole, more would collect in 

 a tunnel. The venture was a disappointment. The Trumbull 

 County oil area has only an historic interest. 



Morgan County. The first well, 65 feet deep, was drilled in 

 this county in 1860. It yielded eight barrels per day and con- 

 tinued to produce for twenty successive years. The well occa- 

 sioned intense excitement ; speculation at once became rife. A 

 stock company with a capital of one million dollars was organized. 

 One-half of the initial stock was sold in New York City ; the remain- 

 ing half shortly advanced 50 per cent in price. The 400-acre farm 



14 Geologicol Survey nf Ohio, Bulletin 1. (1903). p. 301. 



