Researched & submitted by Richard Palmer
Cuba Patriot, Jan. 26, 1883
Among the Oil Wells
Allentown, Jan. 16, 1883
Editor, Patriot. - We send the following to let the readers of your excellent paper know what is being done in this part of the Allegany Oil Field.
Allentown is well situated on the line of the Bradford, Eldred & Cuba Railroad. It has a population of nearly 400, and has the credit of being one of the most orderly and best managed of oil towns. It has three oil supply stores and three hotels, with stores, groceries, boarding houses, liveries, barber shops, and all the mechanical trades. The post office is kept by Mrs. C. W. Furnwald, the right lady in the right place. The citizens are now building a commodious school house.
Allentown is blessed with a smart, active set of men, who had an opportunity of showing their good qualities at the recent fire. Without a fire company, and with a scarcity of water, which had to be brought from a distance with pails, their heroic efforts were rewarded by the saving of the village.
Among the businessmen the Phillips Brothers take active part. They have put down four wells in the past few months at a cost of $7,480 on their own territory. The depth of the wells are No. 1, 1,085, No. 2, 1,274, No. 3, 1,286, No. 4, 1,264 feet. The last two are on top of one of the highest hills in the vicinity.
We visited these wells, which are all good flowing ones, yielding from 10 to 15 barrels each. From the top of the hill we saw 100 wells, all said to be paying ones.
Two miles east of the village we visited White's Hill, which is thickly dotted with derricks and wells. We stopped with Mr. Spencer White, an oil operator who informed us that the cold weather and scarcity of water had stopped work for the present, but large supplies of lumber and material indicate business in the spring.
Duke & Norton have a 34,000 barrel tank on the hill filled with oil, awaiting a higher market. Phillips Bros. have stopped drilling on their own territory, but are helping others. M. Phillips is helping Riley Allen put down a well a few rods north of the village, and they are preparing to put down a well for Frank Fox a few rods east of the village.
A serious accident happened to Charley Sweet, a grandson of Mrs. Phillips. While playing with another boy with a double-barrel shotgun, one barrel was discharged, inflicting a serious wound in the right thigh. Another instance of folly of boys playing with firearms.
Please receive this from an office boy of Thurlow Weed in the year 1815. D.P. Fitch