A Century & Then Some

What have we been doin’? Well we’ve had our schedule filled with ‘family stuff’ that I didn’t think would interest y’all.
Saturday was a family reunion on Linda’s grandmother’s side o’ the family, Sunday we attended a birthday for a 9 year old second cousin. Just everyday stuff.
Monday we moved from Bonnie’s house to Titusville and the big red barn. We took a road trip on a road we had wanted to explore out in the boonies, before we left Bonnie's. Not much, but some nice views, sorry no camera. Then we had some errands to run in the area before we pulled out and then there was lunch to be eaten and some last minute things to be loaded. To say we got a late start would be accurate if y’all figur’ a ‘late start’ around 4PM. We pulled in by the Milk House near the barn around 4:30 and got set up and settled in. Just a quick dinner and some relaxin’, TV and bed.

Tuesday we were off to the 150th birthday of the McClintock Oil Well. Linda had read in the paper that there was to be a celebration of sorts and we wanted to be there.

The McClintock #1 oil well is the oldest continuously producing oil well in the world. The #1 was ‘kicked down’ to 200’ for the Brewer Watson Company on August 16th of 1861 and produced 175 barrels a day which tapered to 50 barrels a day. A ‘kicked down’ well was done with a springy bough such as Hickory attached to a post and the drill hung from the springy end. The bit bounced up and down by manpower using stirrups attached to the pole. The #1 was drilled to 620 feet in 1862. McClintock was a shrewd man and leased property to speculators. In his leases he was to receive 50% of the crude oil removed and a % of the refined oil as well. Needless to say the family became wealthy in short order and developed the area into McClintockville. The well changed ownership three times before the National Park Service designated it an ‘American Treasure’. The state of Pennsylvania has operated the well since 2000 and it is maintained by the staff of Drake Well Museum of Titusville, PA. Today the well averages 50 barrels a year for the Drake Well Museum.

Today was a celebration of the wells heritage and history. After some introduction by the Drake Well Museum staff…

And some history of the well from the Drake Well Museum curator…

The well pump was started and we were makin’ money, ‘er I mean pumpin' oil. ‘Augie’ Holt, is the volunteer that operates and maintains the well.

The well is pumping in this photo and today is powered by an electric motor, but is occasionally operated by the 15 HP  gas engine in the engine house. The engine turns an eccentric gear, which in turn runs rod lines which connect to the lighter colored jack pump to the right of the well in the above picture.

This is the engine house (left), eccentric gear (center) and a well pump (right). The well shown in this picture is uphill from the #1 and is capped but contains a counterweight to balance the action of the ‘jack rods’ that are running the #1 well. The well pumps a lot of water as well as oil and natural gas.

Here, Augie is burnin’ off some gas. He said when the pump is run, once a week he has a 1-2 foot flame from the built up gas.

There were not many folks who turned out for the festivities but we had…

Cake 

The TV folks were there…

As well as reporters for the Oil City Derrick and the Titusville Herald, two of the local newspapers.

And last but not least, the ‘Black Gold’ that this whole story revolves around.

100% Pure Pennsylvania Crude Oil.

Well tomorrow we hope to visit some more local sites and there is a ‘Cruise In’ at Cousin Diane and Denny’s Dairy Queen in the evening. Till then, hope to see ya’ down the road as we’re;

Dancin’ on the Wind.