50 ANNUAL REPORT 
gas to Urbana—47 miles distant—and then pumping stations were con- 
structed: This prolonged the life of the plant four years longer, and by 
that time the supply was so small that the territory was abandoned. 
“The plant was leased and later connections were made with the 
Sugar Grove field which now furnishes the town fuel at 25 cents per 
thousand cubic feet. 
“The income from the plant was not sufficient to pay off the bonds 
entirely, so a sinking fund was established and the debt rests easily. 
“The gas was piped to Urbana in 1890, when experience was limited 
in matters of gas well permanency. Then, too, the trustees desired to fur- 
nish gas as cheaply as possible, fixing the price at 11 cents per thousand 
cubic feet. Later this was increased.to 15 cents, and when the plant was 
leased the price was first fixed at 20 cents and now (December, I902) is 25 
cents. 
“Had the value of the fuel been thoroughly appreciated at first and 
the price set at 20 or 25 cents, I doubt not that the city ownership would 
have been profitable. As it is, what money was spent to make up deficits 
is money, in part, that was saved by cheap fuel.” 
Greenville, Darke county, proceeded in a manner similar to Urbana. 
Under authority of the legislature the town bonded itself for $130,000 to 
procure and operate a natural gas plant. Previous to this a company had 
leased a tract approximating 1,200 acres in Granville township, Mercer 
county, and drilled two wells on it. The trustees of the new plant bought 
this property and drilled additional wells with fair success. A line 19 
miles in length was laid to the town, and soon there were 2,000 fires sup- 
plied with the new fuel. The gas was used on a small scale for factories, 
the largest consumer having been a tile mill. 
THE DISCOVERY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE OIL FIELDS IN 
NORTHWESTERN OHIO. 
It is seen from what has already been said that the pioneer deep wells 
in northwestern Ohio had for their object natural gas, oil having been an 
incidental product, and since it obstructed the flow of gas thnouek the 
lines, was at first looked upon with disfavor. 
The oil industry in this part of the state had its beginning in the 
autumn of 1885. It is difficult to decide which county should have the 
credit of the first oil well, since many produced both oil and gas, the rela- 
tive quantities being such that some call them oil wells while others class 
them with gas wells. | 
Allen county was the third to test the Trenton limestone, and like 
the earlier work in Hancock and Wood counties the object was natural gas. 
The well was located at Lima, and was completed April 1, 1885. When 
the Trenton rock was struck it yielded little or no gas, but in its stead a | 
1Geol. Sur. of Ohio, Vol. VI, p. 170-2. 
