Petroleum Center, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Petroleum Center is a small, mostly empty place in Venango County, Pennsylvania, USA. It's often called a ghost town today. In the 1800s, its name was sometimes spelled "Petroleum Centre".
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Where is Petroleum Center Located?
Petroleum Center is found at 41°30′58″N 79°40′57″W / 41.51611°N 79.68250°W. It sits about 1,070 feet above sea level, right next to Oil Creek. You can easily find it on maps where Petroleum Center Road meets Russell Corners Road. This area is inside Oil Creek State Park. It's about five miles north of Oil City. The tracks of the Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad are also very close by.
The Exciting History of Petroleum Center
Petroleum Center got its name because it was a key spot during the Pennsylvanian oil rush in the mid-1800s. This was a time when people discovered a lot of oil in Pennsylvania.
How Did Petroleum Center Begin?
The very first oil well was drilled here in 1860 on the George Washington McClintock Farm. Soon, a small town started to grow. It was located about halfway between the towns of Oil City and Titusville.
Growth and Bustle of the Oil Town
By early 1866, a company called the Central Petroleum Company owned the farm. At this time, the wells were producing over 1,000 barrels of oil every day! By the summer of 1866, more than 3,000 people lived in Petroleum Center. The town had everything a growing community needed. There was a bank, two churches, a theater, and many hotels or boarding houses. Stores sold all kinds of goods to the residents.
The Bissel & Co. Banking House was very important for the town's money matters. It had direct connections to big banks in New York City. This helped the town's economy grow stronger.
Famous Visitors and Later Years
Even a United States President, Ulysses S. Grant, visited Petroleum Center in 1871. When a fire badly damaged the nearby town of Pithole, Pennsylvania, its newspaper, the Pithole Daily Record, moved to Petroleum Center. The town was officially founded in 1866. However, after 1873, most people left, and the town became almost empty.
Who Was a Notable Person from Petroleum Center?
- James F. Burke was a person who lived in Petroleum Center. He later became a U.S. Representative, which means he was a politician who helped make laws for the country.
