94 ANNUAL REPORT 
Salt-water has never been a serious obstacle in the county. In fact, 
that found has generally been regarded as beneficial. 
The life of the wells has presented considerable variation. Those near 
_Ironville have in the main been remarkably short, some having been 
abandoned in a few months after completion. The wells farther east 
produce longer, and may rival in this respect the best territory in other 
counties. 
OTTAWA COUNTY. 
Drilling in this county began in 1886, the first well having been com- 
pleted July 5. It was located at Oak Harbor, and the Trenton limestone 
was struck at 1,300 feet, or 720 below sea level. The well made a show- 
ing of oil and about 78,000 cubic feet of gas per day. Another well 
completed shortly afterwards met with still less success. Well No. 3, 
drilled late in 1886, yielded about 200,000 cubic feet of gas in 24 hours. A 
line was laid to the village and the use of this fuel begun.t 
From that early period, drilling has been done from time to time 
in the vicinity of Oak Harbor. The supply of gas has been continuous, 
but it is no longer adequate to meet the demands of the town. During the 
first six years the rate was 20 cents per thousand; then it was advanced 
to 30 cents with a possible rebate of 5, and 1902 was 35 cents straight. 
In section 9, southeast of the village, 13 producing wells have been 
secured. These are about equally divided between gas and oil. The first 
of the producers of oil was drilled in 1898, and started at about 12 barrels 
per day; most of the others were sunk in 1899 and 1900. In 1902 the 
average daily production per well was about one and one-half barrels. 
Three small oil wells have also been secured about one mile east of Oak 
Harbor, on the north side of the river. 
A number of additional tests of the Trenton have been made in this 
township; one on the Fred Miller farm, one and one-half miles southwest 
of Oak Harbor, made a showing of gas; one on the Applegate farm in 
section 8 gave a similar result; and the same is true of wells drilled on 
the Vogel farm in section 11, and on the ‘Kreilich in section 20. 
Several wells have been drilled in the vicinity of Port Clinton, and 
while all made a showing of oil or gas, none yielded these products in 
commercial quantities. The first of these wells, drilled in the winter of 
1886-7, found the Trenton at about 1,080 feet below sea level. North 
from Oak Harbor the Trenton drops 100 feet in two and one-half miles. 
Between Trowbridge and Limestone, in Benton township, a number 
of strong gas wells have been secured. The roar of the escaping gas 
could be heard at Oak Harbor, several miles distant, but salt-water soon 
ruined all. 
At Elmore in Harris township a test was made in pioneer days of the 
industry in northwestern Ohio. The first well was dry, but the second 
1Geol. Sur. of Ohio, Vol. VI, p. 210-1. 
