Baltimore Paper - The Bradford Oil District of Pennsylvania

The Bradford Oil District lies in the northern part of McKean County, Pa., and the southern part of Cattaraugus County, N. Y. Although petroleum was first found in the producing sand in 1871, it was not until the early part of the year 1875 that a productive horizon was acknowledged to exist, even by those most largely interested in the production of the crude oil. It has been reported to me that the first well drilled in the valley of the Tuneangewant Creek (commonly called Tuna Creek) was drilled by F. E. Dean and brothers in 1865. This well was located on the Shepherd farm, near the present site of Custer City. One hundred and sixty feet of drive pipe was used, and the hole was drilled to the depth of 900 feet. The producing sand at Custer City is found about 1130 feet below the level of the railroad track. The Shepherd farm well was therefore abandoned over 200 feet above the top of the oil sand. The next well was drilled by the Dean brothers on the Clark farm at Tarport. Drilling was stopped at a depth of 605 feet, or over 400 feet above the top of the oil sand. In the year 1862 the old Bradford well, since known as the Barnsdall well, was drilled to a depth of 200 feet with a spring pole, and then abandoned. In the spring of 1866 the citizens of the village of Bradford concluded to club together and sink the Barnsdall well deeper. It was drilled to a total depth of 875 feet, or to within 150 feet of the Bradford producing sand. All of these wells were drilled with the expectation of finding the Venango County oil, and at