82 “ANNUAL REPORT 
reason the pool is called the Spencerville. On the east it extends into 
Amanda township, on the north into Marion, and on the west into Van 
Wert county. : | 
About the year 1886 a well was drilled near the town of Spencer- 
ville. The result was a good flow of gas, which was piped to the town. 
In 1g02 the town’s reliance was on five wells, three of which were on the 
southeast quarter of section 26 and two on the southwest quarter of sec- 
‘tion 8, Amanda township. All produced some oil with the gas. The 
Trenton in these lies 6-7 feet higher than that in the adjacent oil wells. 
The supply originally was derived from wells lying south and southeast 
of town. Later the fuel was piped from Auglaize county. In 1902 the 
company supplied about 100 houses, charging 25 cents net per thousand 
cubic feet. | 
Oil was discovered in the vicinity of Spencerville almost as soon as 
gas, and drilling has been in progress irregularly since that time. When- 
ever a good well located outside of the producing territory was drilled, other 
wells were at once begun, and in this way a small boom developed. 
Periods of activity were reported in 1886, 1895, 1899 and 1902. 
Very little work is now being done. Many wells have already been 
abandoned, and others are so small that they hardly pay for pumping. 
The township has long passed its zenith, and the production is slowly but 
surely declining. 
Wells Drilled.The following table shows the number of wells 
drilled in the county from 1891 to 1899: 
Year. Producers. Dry. Total. 
11S Oi est rec 0 cia er eee ee es 85 11 96 
IRQ Rea oes i ee ne Oe en Geen ee 35 3 38 
SGS1! ERR CR Soe SALON, | Bk 5 Cop oe 16 4 20 
ALRAY. Geer es ET aire Re 50 13. 63 
HTS Bact stale eau Catron eae ee ee 168 47 215 
SOG: oo serace ak eo ON ee eee 174 52 226 
US OTs ct OU SAR ores pamencatctroecep te 169 43 212 
SIRO Site: 2 ct Sure tap otal eae anes nen ee anne 22 Gus 269 
USO Qieas ers ka ia ihc patie inn arehuate nw egtiaes 689 96 785 
MO tal See, s terre wee ee ee 1,612 312 1,924 
This shows 83 per cent producers and 17 per cent failures. 
GEOLOGY OF THE COUNTY. 
The surface of Allen county presents considerable variation. The 
western and northwestern parts are flat; the northeastern gently undu- 
lating; and the southern rather hilly, owing to the presence of a well- 
developed moraine. 
