Volume 2, Issue 5, October, 2009 of The

The Pipeline
Your Conduit for Information about Oil 150
217 Elm Street; Oil City, PA 16301-1412
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 5
October, 2009
Oil 150 Hosts a Night at the Movies
Inside this issue:
by Will Wingo
A Night at the Movies
Tarbell House Restoration
Annual Harvey Center Lecture
Drake Well Exhibit Renovations
Thank You to Donors
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Featured Events
November 13-15, 2009, Trust. The
Community Playhouse, Inc. will present Trust, a play about John D.
Rockefeller and Ida Tarbell written by
Bill Duncan and produced by Bob
Monroe. The play will be held at The
Arlington Hotel in Oil City, PA. Contact Community Playhouse, Inc. (814)
677-7469.
November 19, 2009, Stories of a
Third-Generation Independent Oil
Producer, As Told by Bill Huber. Oil
150 will present a free screening of
its new oral history documentary at
the University of Pittsburgh, Titusville
Campus starting at 7:00 p.m. Contact Melissa Mann (814) 677-3152,
Ext. 103 or [email protected].
November 21, 2009, Light-Up Night.
See Franklin, PA, light up for Oil 150.
Enjoy a downtown open house, a
Christmas tree extravaganza, an electric lights parade, a fabulous fireworks display, and more from 3:009:00 p.m. in downtown Franklin. Contact the City of Franklin (814) 4327138 or visit www.franklinpa.gov.
December 2, 2009, A Night at the
Movies. Join Oil 150 for a free
screening of The Valley that Changed
the World, Stories of a ThirdGeneration Independent Oil Producer, As Told by Bill Huber, and Oil
in the Family by Matt Hovis at the
Crawford Center in Emlenton, PA, at
7:00 p.m. Contact Melissa Mann
(814) 677-3152, Ext. 103 or
[email protected].
Oil 150 and The Movies at Cranberry hosted an interested crowd at the theater located in the Cranberry Mall
on September 30, 2009. The presentation of the WQED/
ORA documentary The Valley that Changed the World, was
accompanied by two premiere presentations.
The first premiere was of Stories of a Third-Generation
Independent Oil Producer, As Told by Bill Huber. In this
film, Bill recounts his family’s history and traditions in the
Oil Region National Heritage Area. The film was produced
for the ORA by Pittsburgh’s Legion Media and was financed by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, Baker
Hughes Foundation, National Fuel Gas Company Foundation and the Oil Region Alliance of Business, Industry &
Tourism.
Pennsylvania Crude, The Road
Trip, produced by Black Sheep Media, another collaborative ORA project, also had its first public showing. The DVD features an introduction and road trip destinations for 7
northwest Pennsylvania Counties
and Allegeny County, NY.
(Continued Page 4)
Editor’s Column--Mark’s Remarks
Tarbell House Restoration
Every house has a
story and nowhere is
that more true than in
the Pennsylvania Oil
Region. These were
houses built from the
money generated during the early years of
Mark Heim the oil industry by
some of the richest
men in the country. The homes are as
individual as the men who built and lived
in them and are a snapshot of oil history
and the people who made that history.
One of those houses is located at 324
East Main Street in Titusville, Pennsylvania, the birthplace of the oil industry. It
was built in 1870 by Franklin S. Tarbell in
the Italiante style at a cost of $8000.
Tarbell built the house with recycled materials from the Bonta House in Pithole
just a few miles from Titusville. The
Pithole boomtown had just gone bust
when Tarbell bought the big hotel for
$600 and carted the building material to
Titusville. The house was to be the home
of the Tarbell family into the 20th century.
During her high school years, Ida,
Franklin Tarbell’s oldest daughter spent
many hours in the third floor tower studying all manner of biological specimens
under her microscope. She graduated at
the top of her class at nearby Colstock
High School.
(Continued Page 3)
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T HE PI PE LI N E
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 5
Clarion University Hosts Annual Harvey Center Lecture
by Will Wingo
Steering Committee
Co-Chairs
John E. Peterson, Retired Congressman
Bruce Wells, American Oil & Gas Historical
Society
Lynn Cochran, Franklin Area Chamber of
Commerce
Members
Janet McClintock Aaron, Legacy Family
Carol Baker, Pennsylvania Independent
Petroleum Producers
Brenda Barrett, Bureau Director, PA DCNR
Hon. Ronald Black, Retired Legislator
Dr. William Brice, Petroleum History
Institute
Richard Castonguay, Municipal Leader
Pamela Egbert Forker, Legacy Family
Harvey Golubock, American Refining
Group, Inc.
Mark Heim, News Director, WKQW Radio
PA Representative Scott Hutchinson
Gary Hutchison, Educator and Area
Historian
Barbara Ives, Field Representative, U.S.
Congressman Glenn Thompson
Steve Kosak, Kosak & Associates
Thomas Lopus, Quest Eastern Resource,
on behalf of the Independent Petroleum
Association of America (IPAA)
Lois McElwee, Senior Project Manager and
Oil Historian
Carolee Michener, Venango County
Historical Society
Dr. Christopher Reber, Clarion University
of Pennsylvania
Rhonda Reda, Ohio Oil and Gas Association
Stephen W. Rhoads, Pennsylvania Oil &
Gas Association
J. Mickey Rowley, PA Department of
Community and Economic Development
Roger L. Sigworth, Retired Oil Industry Sales
Dr. Donald B. Smith, Physician
David Waples, National Fuel Gas and
Natural Gas Author
Frank Weltner, Master Mariner
Commissioner Troy Wood, Venango County,
Pennsylvania
Larry D. Woodfork, West Virginia Geologist
PA Senator Mary Jo Sanford White
Barbara Zolli, Drake Well Museum
Newsletter
Editor-in-Chief - Mark Heim
On October 22, 2009, Clarion University, Venango Campus hosted the fifth
annual Barbara Morgan Harvey Center lecture. Dr. William R. Brice presented a
lecture entitled Colonel Edwin Drake and His Legacy.
The program was presented to a packed audience in the Robert W. Rhoades
Center Auditorium.
Dr. Brice has
recently completed
a biography of Mr.
Drake that will be
the definitive
source for information on the man
that brought in the
“discovery well” for
the oil industry in
northwest Pennsylvania. The biography, Myth, Legend
and Reality: Edwin
Laurentine Drake
and the Early Oil
Industry, is currently in the process of publication by Mechling Bookbindery, with a release date
planned for later this fall. The hard cover book will be nearly 700 pages in length.
Dr. Brice gave an interesting overview of both Colonel Drake and the other personalities who shaped the discovery process.
He also presented You, Oil and Colonel Drake, to students from St. Stephens
School, Rocky Grove Jr./Sr. High School and Franklin High School earlier in the
day.
Myth, Legend and Reality: Edwin Laurentine Drake and the Early Oil Industry
can be pre-ordered at www.oil150.com or at the ORA office.
PHI Announces 2010 Symposium and Field Trip
by Will Wingo
The Petroleum History Institute has chosen Lafayette, Louisiana as the site of its 2010 Annual Symposium and Field trip. The dates are April 29 through
May 1, 2010.
Dr. William Brice will continue to serve as Coordinator of Papers and Presentations. He can be
reached at (814) 269-3950 or [email protected].
Additional information will be posted as it becomes available at: http://petroleumhistory.org/
symposium.html.
Co-chairmen of the 2010 symposium are Jeff
Spencer; [email protected] and King
Munson; [email protected].
is an educational non-partisan celebration administered by the Oil
Region Alliance of Business, Industry & Tourism (ORA). ORA is classified by the Internal
Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. ORA is registered with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Charitable Organizations. ORA also administers the Oil Region
National Heritage Area, designated by Congress in 2004.
VO L UM E 2 , I S S UE 5
T HE PI PE LI N E
PAGE 3
(Continued from Page 1) Mark’s Remarks—Tarbell House Restoration
Her career path led ultimately to journalism and
biography, landing her a place in history as one of
the 20th century’s most influential writers. Ida returned to the home and wrote of it often. She is
known to have visited the home as late as 1939.
The history of the Tarbell House indicates that it
underwent many drastic changes through the
years. The Tarbell family added an artist studio in
the back on the second floor. The Green family
removed the east wing and the cupola tower. The
roofline was raised to accommodate three dormer
windows. The front porch had been replaced with
a 1920’s style porch that stretched across the
whole facade.
The Oil Region Alliance of Business, Industry &
Tourism has, as one of its many missions, the preservation of heritage in the Oil Region of Pennsylvania. The ORA is also physically preserving oil
heritage by painstakingly restoring this special
property.
An employee of Gustafson General Contracting applies dental molding
The Oil Region Alliance bought the house in June
to the Tarbell House’s newly refurbished porch.
2007
with the express purpose of preserving and
(Photo by Mike Henderson)
restoring the home to the Tarbell period. At the
onset of restoration and preservation, the home showed much structural deterioration.
The first phase of work began in 2009. Specialty contractors stabilized areas of deterioration and the roof was lowered.
Hand formed, built-in gutters, replicating the originals were built. The original Victorian era porch was reconstructed. During
the next phases of restoration and preservation, depending on the pace of incoming funds, the tower over the front door will
be reconstructed as it originally was executed.
During this work, a permanent deed restriction will be implemented by ORA, thus assuring that future owners showcase this building and maintain its restored exterior.
Order Your Copy Today!
Written by Dr. William Brice,
this new 673-page, full color biography
is the definitive work on Edwin L. Drake
and his connection to the early oil pioneers.
Includes a foreword by Dr. Brent Glass,
Director of the Smithsonian Institute’s National
Museum of American History
This $40 book is a must have for oil
historians and enthusiasts.
Your library will be incomplete without it!
To purchase a copy,
visit www.oil150.com
or call 800-483-6264.
PAGE 4
T HE PI PE LI N E
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 5
Drake Well Grounds to Remain Open During Building/Exhibit Renovations
By Will Wingo
The Drake Well Museum building will close to the public at the end
of the day on Sunday, November 1, 2009, for renovations and the installation of new permanent indoor exhibits. The outdoor exhibits will
remain accessible to visitors during the renovations, although machinery displays will be quiet until May.
Construction for the Capital project is expected to begin by late November or early December, when contractors begin removing interior
walls and ceilings and creating a geothermal system for heating and
cooling the building. More energy efficient windows and lighting will
also be part of the upgrade.
The renovations are expected to take from 12 to 18 months, but
when completed, interior space will have been re-adapted for new use.
The re-configuration of existing space makes room for a comprehensive research library and collection storage area, a larger
orientation theater, an education center, and a multi-purpose
room for conferences and receptions. An enlarged glass entrance foyer on the front of the building will increase the size of
the lobby and exhibit areas and make it easier to view the Drake
Well Replica Exhibit from the lobby area.
The Drake Well Museum Store will remain open during renovations, and staff will show site orientation videos in the trailer
near the store. The museum’s staff offices are temporarily located in the maintenance building and in trailers near the entrance building.
For more information, contact the Museum at (814) 8272797 or visit www.drakewell.org.
(Continued from Page 1) Night at the Movies
The DVD will be a companion piece to a new book entitled Pennsylvania Crude: Boomtowns and Oil Barons,
soon to be published by the Oil Region Alliance in cooperation with nearby Tourism Promotion agencies, Penn
Soil RC&D, and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
The Valley that Changed the World is available for
purchase, both in an hour-long version and a condensed, 20-minute edition, while Stories of a ThirdGeneration Independent Oil Producer is available
for pre-order. PA
Crude – the Road
Trip is not yet
available for sale,
but an announcement will be made
when it arrives.
Each film will be
available at the
online store at
www.oil150.com.
The evening’s
event was sponsored by the Oil
Region Alliance,
Neil and Lois McElwee, and The Movies at Cranberry.
Oil 150 and
ORA’s Heritage Development
Department Have Moved!
We are now located at
217 Elm Street in Oil City, PA.
Please stop and visit our new offices!
PAGE 5
T HE PI PE LI N E
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 5
Thank You, Oil 150 Donors!
American Refining Group
U.S. Department of Energy
Baker Hughes Foundation
Joy Mining Machinery
County of Crawford, PA
County of Venango, PA
Universal Well Services, Inc.
Henry B. Suhr, Jr. and Beverly L. Suhr
Barr’s Insurance and James Hawkins
Edward Jones Investments
PA Department of Community and
Economic Development
Pennsylvania Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources
Pennsylvania Joint Legislative Air and
Water Pollution Control and
Conservation Committee
Anonymous
Betty Squire
Carolee Michener
Central Electric Cooperative
Pennsylvania Humanities Council
Dan and Darlene Twombly
Darl and Marilyn Black
Gary Hutchison
Scott and Mary Beth Hutchinson
Joanne Wolfe
Quentin and Louise Wood
Oil Region Alliance
Pennsylvania Historical and
Museum Commission
Timothy Brooks, D.P.M.
Clarion University Foundation
Elizabeth S. Black Charitable Trust
Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Associates - Dr. Donald Smith, Dr. Robert
Woods and Dr. John Karian
Frank and Phyllis Weltner
National Park Service
Armstrong Cable
Janet McClintock Aaron
Appalachian Regional Commission
Linn Energy, LLC
National Fuel Gas Distribution Corp.
Staff
William Wingo, Director
Melissa Mann, Deputy Director
www.oil150.com
Petroleum History Institute
Kapp Alloy and Wire, Inc.
Oil Creek Railway Historical Society, Inc.
Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Association
Philo and Sarah Blaisdell Foundation
American Oil and Gas Historical Society
William and Heather Brice
Larry Woodfork
Moody and Associates
Neil and Lois McElwee
Ronald and Patricia Black
Ohio Oil and Gas Association’s
Energy Education Program
PA CareerLink
Edith Justus Charitable Trust
Ken and Joan Hanson
OMG Americas, Inc.
Independent Oil & Gas Association of PA
Dr. & Mrs. Arthur William
Phillips Charitable Trust
National Fuel Gas Company Foundation
Pennsylvania General
Energy Company, LLC
Association of Desk and Derrick
Clubs Foundation
President Township, Venango County
International Oil Scouts Association
City of Oil City
Scrubgrass Township,
Venango County
New York State Oil
Producers Association, Inc.
Richard King Mellon Foundation
American Association of Professional
Landmen Educational Foundation, Inc.
National Petrochemical and
Refiners Association
Cranberry Township, Venango County
Franklin Bronze Plaques
Catalyst Energy, Inc.
Lambert and Martineau
Kriebel Production Company
Samuel Pratt, Jr.
American Petroleum Institute
Randy Seitz, President/COO
Marilyn Black, Vice-President for
Heritage Development
217 Elm Street
Oil City, PA 16301-1412
814-677-3152
www.oilregion.org
Ron and Alice Shoup
ExxonMobil Foundation
Dennis Beggs
Rod Griffin
Sonja Hawkins
Dave Pascale
Dr. Chris Reber
Thomas Surman
Warren Thomas
Barbara Zolli
John Cramer
Steve Hanna
Jim Hawkins
Betsy and David Kellner
Mike and Christine Klapec
Susan Smith
Mike Adams
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Adams
Jack and Pam Crawford
George and Sharon Dorogy
Pamela Forker
Ron Gustafson
Bruce and Libby Jenkins
Daniel Leech
Rainey Linn
Bob McFate
Lois Minnigh
Mark and Carol Prokay
Steve and Emmy Prokay
Patty Reagle
Matt and Sara Sampson
Dave and Sue Straub
George Thompson
Susan Williams
Ralph W. Baird
Baird Petrophysical International
Jack W. Corn
Mark Aldrich
Louis Brown Fleming
Mary Barrett
Matthew R. Silverman
Mark Heim
U.S. Association for Energy Economics
This newsletter is copyrighted to OIL 150
at the Oil Region Alliance of Business,
Industry & Tourism. Brief excerpts may
be quoted so long as source is acknowledged. For longer excerpts, contact project staff. Articles and photos may be
submitted for future editions. Authors
and photographers are recognized but
not compensated. Deadline for each
edition is the 15th of the preceding
month. The Pipeline is distributed electronically via www.oil150.com. Letters to
the Editor may be addressed to Editor, Oil
150, 217 Elm Street, Oil City, PA
16301.