224 ANNUAL REPORT 
NOBLE COUNTY. 
The discovery of oil in this county, as in several others in the 
state, resulted from drilling for salt. Early in the nineteenth century, 
perhaps in 1814, a well drilled to the depth of about 350 feet on the Cald- 
well farm, now the Moore, near the county seat, found a supply of oil. 
This discovery, however, was made too early; for at that time there was 
no demand for the product, which, in fact, was regarded as a nuisance, 
since no well in which it was found could be used for salt. The well in 
question is reported to have flowed periodically, and the oil to have been 
used for lights and as a lubricant, but it was too thin for the later purpose. 
It is probable that other wells in the same vicinity gave similar results, 
but the oil secured was a matter of accident. Not until the discovery in 
Pennsylvania, in 1859, did the search for oil begin. In that year George 
J. Duff, of Pittsburg, began leasing land along Duck creek. The first ter- 
ritory secured is said to have been at Dexter, where there was a show of 
oil in the creek. Later he leased the land near Caldwell, that contained 
the old well. Most of the leases written at that time guaranteed the land 
owner a royalty of one-fourth of the oil secured. 
About 1860 drilling began along Duck creek between Caldwell and 
Macksburg. Just east of Caldwell two small, but valuable producers were 
secured. One of these is reported to have been 98 feet deep, and to have 
produced oil of 26 degrees B. gravity. The depth of the second well is not 
definitely known, but it is reported to have been deeper than the first one, 
perhaps: from 250 to 300 feet. The gravity of the oil secured from this well 
was 34 degrees B. The product was hauled in barrels to Lowell, and then 
shipped by boat to Pittsburg. It is reported that $15,000 worth of oil was 
sold from these wells. 
In the fall of 1860 (probably) a well was drilled on the Spears land 
about one mile south of Caldwell. At a depth of approximately 68 feet 
a strong flow of oil was secured. Adequate preparations for storing the 
- liquid had not been made, so that much ran into the creek and was lost. 
It is estimated that this well produced 6,000 barrels. From that early time 
to the present, oil has been secured from the valley of Duck creek in the 
southern part of Noble county. By far the best part of the territory is 
that lying between Dexter City and Macksburg, but it forms the northern 
part of the Macksburg field and has already been considered. 
Around Dudley, Olive township, nearly 40 wells have been sunk to 
the Berea since the fall of 1897. The excitement began when the John S. 
Dunn Company secured a 14 barrel producer on the land of Rebecca Til- 
ton. The best well reported is Brown No. 2, drilled in 1898. It started 
at between 35 and 4o barrels, and flowed during a year or more, and now 
(September, 1900) is being pumped. On the average the wells start at 
10 barrels per day. The number of producing oil wells in this pool in 
