Paulding County, Ohio - Natural Gas and Oil, 1892

Natural Gas and Oil

ROFESSOR EDWARD ORTON, in a treatise on natural gas and petroleum, says: "They belong in a list of products of the crust of the earth to which we give the name of bitumens, Other bodies in the same list are the semi-fluid maltha and the solid asphaltum. All these substances unquestionably have a similar general history. They are found under the same conditions, and the transition of one to another, as of petroleum to asphalt, can be often noted. They are technichally known as hydrocarbons, carbon and hydrogen constituting almost their entire substance, the former about eighty-five per cent., and the latter about thirteen per cent. of them. They have long been known to man, and their use ante-dates history, but the importance which they now possess in the civilized world is of quite recent date The discovery and use of petroleum on the large scale is included within the past thirty years, and all the really important applications of natural gas belong to our own day, and are now in their initial stages.

"The theories as to the origin of petroleum and natural gas can be divided into two main groups, viz.: (1) Those which refer these bodies to inorganic sources, or, in other words, which make them the result of chemical | affinity acting on mineral matter, and (2) the theories that regard them as the result of a partial decomposition of vegetable or animal substances that have been stored up in the rocks."

Reasoning from either of the above theories there is convincing evidence that an abundant supply of both gas and oil may be found beneath the surface of Paulding county. The first well drilled in the county was at Paulding, by the Paulding Oil & Gas company, in the summer of 1887. Both gas an4 oil was obtained; but not in paying quantities. Regarding the well the Paulding Gazette, of July 28, 1887, has the following: "'The suspense is over. It has been demonstrated to a certainty that gas and oil underlie the city of Paulding. At 3 o'clock Tuesday afternoon the long listened for cry of 'Trenton rock is struck' was heard. It was reached at the depth of 1,473 feet and 4 inches. The drillers penetrated it four feet and rested for the night. On Wednesday morning work was resumed and at 2 o'clock P. M., at the depth of 16 feet in the trenton rock an4 1,489 feet and 4 inches from the surface, gas was discovered. The news flew like wild-fire, and in a few minutes hundreds of our citizens rushed to the well. The wildest excitement prevailed all the afternoon, and corner lots up 100 per cent. in a few hours. In the evening a jet was attached to the mouth of the well and the gas earried about twenty feet up the derrick, where it was set on fire. The flames leaped upward to the distance of about ten feet, and shed a wild, weird light around upon the scenery in the vicinity of the well. Hundreds of people visited the grand lighting-up. 'Down to the gas well,' was the prevailing cry of the evening. Every age and sex canght the enthusiasm. Old men and boys, matrons and maidens, joined the promiscuous throng. All were there, from the spider-legged dude in his piceadilly collar, to the modest school ma'am, clad in her pure, bright robes of white, It was a scene for painters and poets to dwell upon, not common, prosaic editors; therefore, for the present, we desist." LATER: - " Oil is found to be filling up in the well, already to the depth of ninety feet, and it is not known which will be the predominating element - gas or oil. The drillers are closely watching the well and further developments are hourly expected. Itis not yet known whether it will be necessary to 'shoot' it or not. A meeting of the stockholders will be held this afternoon." In accordance with the decision of the

-~ stockholders explosives were put into the well a few days after, hoping to accelerate the tlow of gas, but instead of so doing, it immediately be- | gan filling with salt water.

Attempts were made to remove this, but of no avail; the well was rendered useless and, therefore, abandoned, Since the above attempt, other wells have been drilled at Melrose, obtained. In all of these trenton rock has been struck at a depth of 1,400 and 1,500 feet. What is known as the Lamb well, six miles west of It was drilled in the spring of 1891, and has a reported capacity of twenty bar- company at Payne, are yet at work sinking wells, and from present developments there is but little doubt, if any, but that Paulding county will soon occupy a prominent position in the oil and gas field of Ohio.

Geological Treatise

rivers before their union, and extends a little beyond that angle on both streams. The Maumee is the principal stream of the county. It cuts off the northwest corner of the county, and runs a northeasterly course. The Auglaize is second in importance, cutting off the northeast corner, and flowing northwesterly. Theslope of the county is very gentle toward the northeast. In general the surface is an unbroken plain, the valleys of streams, eroded entirely in the loose drift materials, is almost the only variation from a dead flat. Op the north side of the Maumee there is a gentle descent of about forty feet from the county line to the river, at Antwerp.

The soil is that which is characteristic of the well-known "black swamp" region, the entire county being embraced in that tract. It is mainly of clay. A few sand ridges found the northeast corner of Brown township; the southeast corner of Auglaize township, along Six Mile creek in Emerald township, in the north part of Carryall township and in the southwest corner of Benton township. The sand in these ridges varies from six to twelve feet in depth and rests upon a superstructure of "hard-pan" clay. A few artesian wells are found in the north part of Carryall township, and wells of from eight. to twelve feet in depth are found on all the sand ridges. The majority of the wells, however, are found in the clay or rock at the depth of from forty to sixty feet. Bowlders and stones are not common at the surface, but are found in the beds of streams in great numbers.

The timber of the county is embraced in the following list as noted in the geological survey: white oak, beech, cottonwood, red oak, elm, black ash, white ash, blue ash, black walnut, hickory, sycamore, black willow, trembling aspen, basswood, shingle oak, chesnut, oak, black cherry, mulberry, ironwood, sugar maple, soft maple, dogwood, buckeye, wild plum, poplar, thorn, pin oak, burr oak, prickly ash, honey locust, pawpaw, wahoo, water beech, slippery elm, hackberry, judas tree, apple and june berry. i

The rocks that have been identified in the geological structure of Paulding county, range, according to Prof. N. H. Winchell, from the waterlime to the Hamilton. The following arrangement represents the formations in the order of their superposition:

The Hamilton limestone is known to underlie the northeastern portion of the county, and to present many indications of being also in Paulding township. Its line of contact with the corniferous limestone is plainly exhibited by the frequent exposures of rock in the bed of the Auglaize, where it crosses that river in Auglaize township. At the quarry of Samuel Doyle the Hamilton limestone is found in beds firm and uniform, showing but little shaly tendency, with dip north and northeast. Some of the blocks of stone taken out are twelve or eighteen inches thick. They are of a blackish blue, and are found on being exposed to the weather to be charged with Hamilton fossils. The canal aqueduct over the Little Auglaize river, near Melrose, was furnished with stone from this quarry about thirty-two years ago; and the long exposure of the stone in the abutments has caused them to check into hundreds of their beds, and, by the disappearance of the shaly parts. many well-preserved fossils are brought to view. These massive abutments are slowly crumbling away. Near the highway bridge across the Auglaize. east of Junction, is found a more enduring and persistent stone of the Hamilton group, overlying the beds in Mr. Doyle's quarry; alse with dip to the north and northeast. These beds are hard, blue. crystalline, and almost unfossiliferous. In section 29, Paulding township. the bed of Flat Rock shows various indications of the Hamilton, on land owned by A. S. and P. W. Hardesty. Many large fragments of black slate are seen in the bed of the stream and there is a noticeable ripple in the current. The indications spread over the space of a mile, but the actual beds are not exposed to view.

The corniferous limestone has been observed in only two points in the county - - at the mouth of Flat Rock in Auglaize township, and in the Maumee at Antwerp. At the mouth of Flat Rockit makes a broad surface exposure, which gives name to the stream, and there dips toward the northeast, passing below the Hamilton. At this place there has been but little quarrying done. The fossils seen are mostly species of corals, with the usual associated brachiopods. These same beds were formerly worked for quicklime on the opposite side of the Auglaize river by William H. Mansfield. Numerous fossils are yet found near the site of this old lime kiln. The beds of corniferous limestone at Antwerp were formerly worked for flux for the furnace at that place. Only about three feet of its thickness was shown at the quarry, but the same stone is said to extend down three feet further, and to be succeeded then by a " rotten sandstone," that name being often applied to a coarse granular magnesian limestone, like the Onondaga. The outcrop here causes a very little rapid in the river, although the beds are not bare except where quarried, the water coming in contact with the bowlders only. The most common fossils are favosites, acertularia, and eyathophylloids. There is also occasionally a distinct crinoidal structure. Some of the corals are blackened, and smell of petroleum. Oil also gathers on the pools of standing water about the quarry.

The Onondaga limestone is the lowest member of the corniferous group in Ohio. It outcrops in the Auglaize river. in section 5. Brown township, where it was formerly burned for lime by Frank McEvoy. The beds here are thinner than where exposed at a lower horizon. These heavier magnesian beds were formerly quarried at the Noble quarry, south of Charloe, in connection with the Oriskany, and including, also, some of the upper layers of the water-lime. The river here is thrown into a long series of rapids in passing these persistent beds. (For further description of the Noble quarry, see history of Brown township.) Beds} of sandstone, supposed to represent the Oriskany of New York, are found in many parts of northwestern Ohio. These beds do not exceed an aggregate thickness of twenty feet, and are sometimes less than ten. The only place where this stone is found in Paulding county is at the Noble quarry. Here it is found in a bed six feet in thickness, and the stone in layers six inches thick, It was quarried for flagging.

The water-lime was the lowest member quarried at the Noble quarry. It was a blue-drab color, heavy and hard, close-grained, and was found in beds three and six inches in thickness. This stone appears in the bed of the Auglaize river at the mouth of the {Little Auglaize, and at a point one-half a mile south of the mouth. It is also found at Oakwood; and in section 35, Brown township, south of Oakwood, the bed of the Auglaize is on the fine-grained drab beds of the water-lime. shown in section 1, Washington township.

The deposit of drift throughout the county was laid down by the agency of the glacier, but the effect of standing water, which received the crude detritus from the ice, is seen in the occasional superficial, horizontal lamination of the upper six to ten feet. The bowlders contained in it are, almost without exception, marked by the well-known glacier scratches. It contains but little gravel. The sand formerly used by the

Paulding furnace was from the Maumee bottoms, in Crane township, on land owned by H. B. Ferguson. Generally the drift of the county is very clayey and impervious to water. The beds of all the streams are in it, occasionally touching the rock, but never excavating it. Its average thickness is about forty-five feet. The flood plain of the Maumee rises about twelve feet above the stage of low water. The material of this plain is a sandy loam, containing many land shells. The face of the bank shows them in all parts, and the deposit has outwardly every aspect of the bluff formation of the Mississippi. and is probably of the same origin.

where it should be and would probably be changed sometime." A shrewd speculator hearing the above remark quickly concluded that the change might be hastened by immediate and energetic action, and that he might profit by it. Accordingly lands were purchased near the geographical center of the county and the village of Paulding laid out by George Marsh, August 10, 1850. It was located in the midst of a dense forest, several miles from any human dwelling. Bya special act of legislature the county seat was located there a few months after. The whole business had been conducted so quietly and suddenly that it was not until after the change had been made that the people of Charloe began to fully realize the prize they had. A few attempts were made to get the county seat away from Paulding, but they were futile, and after a few years its permanency was no longer doubted. Whether the location of the county seat at Paulding at the time that it was, was a speculative scheme or not, it was a good thing for the county, and in all probability prevented much sectional clashing, and fierce 1oca1 wars in after years, which would have retarded the progress and development of the county. The county seat is near the center of the county aud where it should be. Upon the removal of the seat of justice to Paulding a few log cabins were hastily constructed for the occupation of the county officers. The first house erected was a double-logecd, one-story cabin, on the present site of Dr. Flavein's residence. and was built by Elias Shafer. In this cabin two terms of court were held, prior to the building of a court house. It was afterward occupied for several years by T. W. French as a residence. Among the first frame buildings erected were the Exchange Hotel, by Isaiah Richards, on the site of the present Thompson House; the Paulding House, by John Crosson; Mrs. B. 'Savage's residence, on the corner of Main and Jackson streets; and a building standing on the bank of Flat Rock, a few rods above the old bridge, which was built for a residence by Judge Latty, and yet owned by him. The old log cabins have all rotted down, or been torn away. The following retrospect taken from the Paulding Democrat will give the reader some idea of Paulding in "ye olden time:"

" There is perhaps no city or hamlet in Ohio that has had more amusing incidents connected with its past history than Paulding. About a third of a century ago, when our little village had less than a hundred inhabitants, the means of enjoying themselves being very limited, they would collect "neath some venerable elm at some settlers cabin, and there dance the fleeting hours away, or sit and chat, and eat roast venison, bear meat. hoe-cake, ete., till the shades of eventide warned them that their holiday was ended and twas time to depart to their respective homes. But c'en these holidays were not frequent; they were too expensive. The citizens were all in a manner poor, and it must be a continual hustle with them or starve. Would we celebrate the Fourth of July? Weil, now, if we didn't nobody did. We never failed to have a big 'blowout' on that day, rain or shine. How did we celebrate? Well, we generally had a dance; yes, always had a dance. I remember one Fourth, *twas in 1854, we had a picnic and a dance down at that old hewed log house between here and the canal. It was called the ' block-house' then, and a man by the name of Wilson owned it. Did we take our baskets? Oh no! he (Wilson) furnished the 'grub' and we donated a little 'chink' to let the old fellow come out even. Yes sir, we had a speech, and a good one, too. The speaker's name was John F. Beaver, an attorney, who lived in Warren, Ohio, and at one time represented that district in the state legislature.

"Do I remember who attended! Oh, yes. Let's see! There was John Crosson and wife (he was sheriff then), and Tom French and wife. Dick Banks and wife, Bide Norton and his girl - well I can't think of all of them, but there was a good many more than that. Did we walk? Yes, part of us did, and the rest of us rode a log wagon, fixed up for the purpose, and drawn by two yoke of oxen. We had red, white and blue ribbons tied on the horns of the oxen and on the one wagon. Patriotic to the core, you see. How long did we stay? Well, we stayed all night. There was only a wagon track road cut out at that time, and we couldn't see to follow that, so we stayed till daylight. Were we tired? Well, yes, we were all ready to quit."

The following is the entire list of locals published in the Paulding Eagle of October 7, 1858, and will show to the reader that the happenings af a local nature were much less frequent than at present:

"We publish this week an original tale by 'Harry Havelock.' We have the promise of another soon from our former contributor 'Charles M. Greenough.'"

" A Teachers' Examination will be held in Antwerp, on Saturday, October 16th, for the benefit of persons in that vicinity wishing certificates."

"See advertisement of Judge Smith in another column, headed, 'Farm for sale. - The Judge's farm adjoins the town plat of Paulding, and he offers it on favorable terms."

"Several new advertisements are crowded out this week for want of space and time. Hereafter advertisements must be handed in by Tuesday morning to insure insertion."

" A meeting is to be held this (Wednesday) evening to take action with regard to the organization of an agricultural society in this county. We earnestly hope that a permanent organization will be effected and the interests of the farming community of the county materially advanced thereby."

"F. S. Cable, Attorney at Law and Solicitor in Chancery, Paulding, Paulding county, Ohio. Will devote his attention to the practice of law in the courts of Paulding and adjoining counties."

The pioneer merchant of Paulding was Elias Shafer. About the year 1857 he opened a small general store in the front part of his dwelling, which stood on the present site of J. B. Brodnix's residence. Dr. A. P. Meng afterward opened a dry goods and grocery store on the corner of Main and Perry streets. Hon. V. Y. Pursel was also one of the early merchants of Paulding later on. Joseph Coupland embarked in the grocery business in Paulding in 1868, and soon had a large and flourishing trade. His son, John C. Coupland, is one of the present leading grocers of the city. J. P. Gasser opened a dry goods store in 1872; and M. C. Powell in 1873. For many years these were the leading mercantile houses in the place. Mr. Powell continues in the business and has a large patronage.

The physicians, attorneys and newspapers of Paulding, have been mentioned elsewhere in the Historica' Atlas, therefore omitted here. T.H. B. Bashore, W. F. Straw, W. A. Savage, Tate & Cromley and A. N. Keys were former hardware dealers in Paulding; also W. Tallman, Dr. Morelock, Warren Baldwin and R. B. Porter were former druggists. Dr. H. M. Ayres was once the proprietor of a dry goods store in the place, and Kramer, Barnes & Murphy were a mercantile firm of the town at one time.

The early growth and development of Paulding was very slow; so slow, indeed, that after a period of twenty years from the date of its location its population was less than 500. But when we take into consideration its isolated and forest surrounded situation, this is not to be wondered at. Since the building of improved roads leading into the village, the location of a railroad, and the establishment of factories, its growth has been phenomenal. The decade between the years 1880 and 1890 was Paulding's developing period. There have been several additions to the original plat of Paulding, viz.: Whinnery's, Dix's, Cullen's, Gasser's,

The village was incorporated as a hamlet April 12,1873. Alonzo H. Seldon, Thomas Emery and Peter Kemler were the first trustees; W. A. Savage, clerk; and S. T. Miller, marshal. It was incorporated as a village April 13, 1874. Its first officers as a village were: A, H. Selden, mayor; Joshua Blank, treasurer; W. A. Savage, clerk; Jasper A. Ferguson, marshal; Frank Emerson, street commissioner; and M. C. Powell, George W. Remage, V. V. Pursel, Joseph Coupland, Warren Baldwin and Thomas B. Holland, councilmen. The present officers are: Mayor, Arthur Knapp: city solicitor, W. F. Corbett; marshal, Alex. Thompson; clerk, J. E. Atha; treasurer, Arthur Kling; and members of council: James Richards, A. Bybee, J. M. Lott, Con. Ragan, C. H. Jordan, and Dr. J. L. Slager; street commissioner, George Beck.

The first church building erected in Paulding was by the Methodist Episcopal denomination in 1872, at a cost of about $1,000. It is a neat frame, and was removed in 1884 two squares west to a location on Williams street, its former location being used as a part of the present school grounds. The Presbyterian church was erected in 1878 on South Williams street, and was also removed in 1889 to a location on Caroline street. Near the Presbyterian church stands the Disciple chapel, erected in 1889. Paulding's second school building was purchased by the United Brethren denomination and fitted up for a church. Its location is on Water street.

The public schools of Paulding take a front rank with those of northwestern Ohio, or, we may say, of the state. W. H. Mustard has been the efficient superintendent since 1888. The number of pupils enrolled is about 600. The following is the roster of teachers for the school year beginning September 1, 1890: A grammar and high school, J. W. Gilmore; Dixie department, T. J. Spriggs; B grammar, Miss Carrie Duckwall; C grammar, Mrs. W. H. Mustard; intermediate, Miss Ollie Ferneau; A primary, Mrs. May Thompson; C primary, Miss May Wells.

The first school house of Paulding was a small one-story frame, and stood on what is now the southwest corner of the court house square. It was built in 1853, and used for school purposes about sixteen years, when another was erected, and the old one removed to a location on north Main street, and fitted up for a dwelling. The second house erected was a two-story frame with two departments - one on the first and the other on the second floor. It was used for school purposes until superseded by the present one, and was then sold to the United Brethren denomination, as above stated. Paulding's third and present school building is a fine two-story brick, and was completed in 1884, at a cost of about $20,000. It is a large and beautiful structure, containing eight departments for study anda large hall for literary exercises. The building is heated throughout by the Smead system of hot-air furnaces; and is well supplied with elegant furniture, wall maps, and other school paraphernalia. Paulding's Union school building is truly an ornament to the town, and a lasting monument to the enterprising citizens who were instrumental in its building.

The city hall was erected in 1883, and is conveniently located on Willliams street in a central part of the city. It is a two-story brick building, with fire engine room and city prison on first floor, and the council chamber and mayor's office above, Its cost of erection was about $4,000.

The first brick business room in Paulding was erected in 1881, by J. B. Cromley and Dr. P. A. Dix. It is two stories in height, with two business rooms below, and the second floor fitted up for attorneys' offices. It is known as the Cromley block. Since 1886 the Octagon block, the French block, the Phenix block, the Bank block and the Pursel block, all of brick, have been erected. In regard to the Bank block, the Paulding Democrat of February 28, 1889, has the following:

"Paulding has ample reason to feel proud of its new brick business blocks erected within the last two years. Among these, and one which attracts much attention from visitors to the town is the Paulding deposit bank building, at the corner of Perry and Williams streets, southwest corner of court house square. Messrs. Allen & Mohr, bankers, anticipating the future growth of the town and county, last winter purchased the lot upon which they were then located in a small frame structure, and last spring commenced erecting the fine corner building of which they took possession with their bank last Monday. While the appearance of the building outside is neat, the inside arrangement and finish is still more attractive. A vault of solid masonry, with heavy doublv iron doors and combination locks, all built with a view to complete protection from fire and burglars, contains their large time-lock safe. Electric burglar alarm wires run throughout the entire building, and so ingeniously arranged that it is impossible to open any door or window without ringing a bell in a sleeping apartment connected with the bank, making unobserved night entrance into the building impossible. The wood work is of oak and gives to the interior a rich and substantial appearance."

Paulding has two banks: Potter's bank and the Paulding deposit bank. The Potter bank was established, in 1874, by George W. Potter, and is the oldest bank in the county. Its present officers are, H. M. Ayres, president; W. B. Potter, cashier; Vance Brodnix, assistant cashier.

The Paulding deposit bank was established, in 1887, by C. H. Allen and W. H. Mohr. Owing to poor health, Mr. Mohr retired from the firm in 1890. The present officers are C. H. Allen, president; E. P. Copeland, cashier.

The most costly residences of the city are those of Gilbert Barnes, W. A. Savage M. C. Powell, John Gill, R. D. Webster and W. H. Vermilye. They are all frame.

The civic societies of Paulding are as follows: E. & A. M. lodge, No. 502, K. M. Bashore, W. M.; I. O. O. F, Paulding lodge, No. 577, I. J. Webster, N. G.; John Riblet command U. V. U., J. B. Brodnix, post commander; S. of V. camp, J. E. Atha, captain; Thedore Merchant Relief Corps, Mrs. L. L. Hebenthal, president; Theodore Merchant G. A. R. post, R. S. Murphy, commander; and Beatrice lodge D. of K., Mrs. Lena Hebenthal, noble grand, and Dr. Lillie M. Ayres, secretary.

The fire department consists of a volunteer hose company, and a hook and ladder company. A steam fire engine is owned by the city. The Paulding county agricultural society has a fair ground adjoining the city on the southwest. It contains twenty-five acres, and is well furnished with suitable halls, race track, etc. Twenty annual fairs have been held by the society.

A bill passed the Ohio legislature in the spring of 1891, enabling the village council to issue bonds to the extent of 845,000, with which to improve the town; and steps are being taken to sewer and macadamize the streets. An iron bridge was built across Flat Rock, at the foot of Jackson street, in the summer of 1891.