PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS. 45 
1861. A shallow well was sunk on the Mann on farm, at West Amity 
station, on the Waynesburg and Washington Railroad. This well 
was drilled to a depth of 900 feet and abandoned. About the same 
time several wells were drilled by other companies at Prosperity, 
Lone Pine, and in South Strabane Township, but all the workings 
were abandoned. The Morgan Oil Company came into the region 
in 1880 and drilled its first wells on the Alexander McGuigan farm, 
in South Strabane Township. In the second well, at 2,247 feet, 
the largest flow of gas in the world was struck. It was allowed to 
go to waste in the air for more than a }-ear before a 6-inch main 
was finally laid to Pittsburg. At the close of 1885 about five wells 
had been drilled in the Canonsburg field. By November 1, 1886, 
17 wells in that field were supplying gas to Pittsburg. 
WASHINGTON FIELD. 
March 18, 1884, the People's Light and Heat Company was organ- 
ized. It commenced drilling on the Hess farm, 1 mile from Wash- 
ington, in the Claysville quadrangle, and April 30 struck an excellent 
flow of gas at a depth of 2,068 feet. A few months later another 
big well was struck on the Harvey property. For some time these 
two wells supplied the town of Washington with gas. 
Later in the year the Citizens Natural Gas Company was organized, 
and commenced a well on tne Gantz mill property, opposite the Chest- 
nut street station of the Pennsylvania lines in Washington. Instead 
of striking gas, the drill penetrated a sand at 2,191 feet which produced 
oil. This was December 31, 1884. The Gantz well was the first pro- 
ducing oil well in the county (PL IV, A), and the producing sand 
came therefore to be known as the Gantz sand. The Gantz well 
made two flows, one in January and one in February, 1885, but after 
this the well was only a "pumper." For some time it was closed 
down, but was later drilled to the Gordon sand. 
Immediately on the circulation of the news that oil had been dis- 
covered at Washington great excitement arose among persons inter- 
ested in oil. The town was at once invaded by a large number of oil 
experts and other persons, and within three months 21 wells were 
underway in various parts of the county. Some of these were drilled 
for gas. In April, 1885, a well was started by the People's Light and 
Heat Company on the Gordon farm, on the edge of the Claysville 
quadrangle, north of Washington, and August 22 a sand was encoun- 
tered at 2,392 feet, from which the oil gushed at a rate of 25 barrels 
per hour. At that time the Gordon well was the deepest producing 
oil well in the world, and the sand was called the Gordon sand. 
Later in the year this well averaged 104 barrels per day for thirty- 
nine successive days. 
With the news that oil had been struck in the Gordon, drilling began 
